'The food must be prepared to the correct standard.'

Dishes that comply with Islamic law.  

One weekend, I visited the Muslim-majority area in Ho Chi Minh City on Nguyen An Ninh Street, opposite the West Gate of Ben Thanh Market (District 1). This place is known as "Saigon Halal Street," attracting tourists from Malaysia and other Muslim countries to enjoy the food and shop.

Around midday, I stopped at a Muslim restaurant and chatted with the owner, Mr. Musa Karim (44 years old). When I arrived, there were many customers from Malaysia, Indonesia, and other countries enjoying their meals, all enthusiastically savoring the dishes. The staff communicated with the diners fluently in the local languages.

Mr. Musa Karim warmly welcomed guests to his restaurant.

Mr. Musa Karim (originally from Chau Doc, An Giang province) opened a restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City in 2009, specializing in dishes catering to Muslims. All the staff are Muslim, and they prepare the food themselves.

All restaurants serving Muslims are designated as Halal by the Ho Chi Minh City Muslim Community Representative Board. In Arabic, Halal means lawful or permitted. Conversely, Haram means unlawful, not permitted, or forbidden. All Halal products and food are produced from permitted ingredients, ensuring compliance with Islamic law.

The restaurant offers a wide variety of dishes, prepared in the style of Muslim cuisine.

"I noticed that there are many restaurants in Ho Chi Minh City, but few cater to Muslims, so I decided to open one. Outsiders don't know much about Islamic law, so they wouldn't be able to prepare dishes correctly. Many dishes are prepared in a way quite similar to Vietnamese cuisine, but the spices and ingredients will be slightly different," he shared.

According to Musa Karim, Muslims do not eat four-legged animals with fangs, reptiles, etc. In particular, they only eat food prepared by Muslims themselves because the ingredients are raw, and prayers must be recited before slaughtering, in accordance with the sacred norms of Islam.

Many Muslims often dine at restaurants on Nguyen An Ninh Street.

The restaurant has a diverse menu. Diners often order main courses such as coconut rice and spicy stir-fried noodles (mee goreng mamk - a popular Malaysian dish). The noodles are cooked until just tender, then stir-fried with garlic, shallots, various fresh vegetables, shrimp, beef, or chicken…

None of the dishes at the restaurant contain pork.

"I have to choose ingredients from places that have the Halal certification. The dishes are usually seasoned a bit spicier and richer to suit the tastes of Malaysians and Indonesians," he shared.

The restaurant is frequented and supported by many Muslims. Regular customers visit regularly, and some foreigners who come to Vietnam for work or short trips also make time to stop by.

"The food here is delicious."

The restaurant is open from 6:30 AM to around 11:00 PM daily. Each group of customers is warmly welcomed by the owner and staff, creating a friendly atmosphere. Most customers come from Southeast Asia and the Middle East, although Vietnamese people occasionally visit to explore and experience Muslim cuisine.

Many Malaysians, Indonesians, and others are regular customers of the restaurant.

According to the restaurant owner, during Ramadan, Muslims observe a period of abstinence from food and drink from dawn until sunset. The fasting month doesn't have a fixed date; it follows the Islamic calendar. During this month, the restaurant remains open as usual but does not serve Muslim customers.

On the third day of his trip to Vietnam, Mr. Hj Yakfa (a Singaporean national) visited Mr. Musa Karim's restaurant for lunch. He and his group of friends chatted happily and praised the delicious food. "I've eaten at this restaurant 4 or 5 times, morning, noon, afternoon, and night, because the food here is very delicious and suits my taste. My friends all agree," he said.

Mr. Hj Yakfa (right) highly appreciates the dishes at the restaurant.

Mr. Mohamad Nil (Malaysian nationality) shared: "The food here is delicious, although the preparation and seasoning are slightly different from traditional dishes in our homeland. The staff are very enthusiastic, they speak clearly, and we had a wonderful time enjoying the cuisine."

Mr. Mohamad Nil (far left) having a meal with an acquaintance.

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/nha-hang-hoi-giao-o-tphcm-tap-nap-khach-malaysia-indonesia-mon-an-phai-dung-chuan-185230717145544651.htm