Halal Food in Incheon

Are you a Muslim traveler or resident in South Korea, feeling overwhelmed by the lack of halal food options? Fret not, because help is at hand! In this blog post, we’ll be exploring the city of Incheon, uncovering its hidden gems of halal food options. From restaurants to grocery stores, we’ve compiled a list of halal options that will make your food hunt a breeze. Additionally, we’ll be sharing some useful tips and tricks to help make your search for halal food in Incheon a less stressful experience. Read on to find out more!

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Halal in Korea

Halal is an Arabic word that means “lawful or permitted.” The term halal is generally used in reference to Islamic dietary practices, but it extends to other Islamic practices as well.

When I first arrived in Korea, one of my main worries as an observing Muslim was access to halal and Muslim-friendly food. While living in Songdo, Incheon, I found it (understandably) challenging to access strictly Halal options as Songdo is a fairly new city. However, with a bit of research and helpful recommendations from new friends, I was able to locate halal food options near Songdo in the Incheon area.

Korea has a Muslim population of over 200,000. As the Muslim community continues to grow in Korea, so do the halal and Muslim-friendly food options. The diversity of the Muslim population in the area creates a wonderful environment to enjoy and explore a variety of halal cultural cuisines. Continue reading to discover some of the halal resources available in Incheon.

DISCLAIMER

Please note that the restaurants mentioned in this blog may self-certify as halal, but they may not have official certification from a recognized halal certification authority. The information provided in this blog post is based on research and recommendations, but it’s always advisable for individuals to exercise their own discretion and verify the halal status of the establishments before dining.

About Incheon

Incheon, officially named the Incheon Metropolitan City (인천광역시), is in the northwestern region of South Korea.

You can see the city of Incheon (인천시) outlined in blue on the map to the left. Incheon is made up of 8 districts (-gu) and 2 counties (-gun). Many islands of Incheon extend into the Yellow Sea.

The Jung-gu district of Incheon is home to the Incheon International Airport (sometimes called the Seoul–Incheon International Airport), which is the largest airport in South Korea. And it’s likely the airport you arrived at when you reached Korea!

Incheon is bordered by Seoul and Gyeonggi Province by land to the East. A subway ride from Incheon to Seoul can take anywhere between 1 to 3 hours depending on where you are traveling to or from.

We recommend using Naver or Kakao Navigation apps when visiting Incheon. Both Naver and Kakao Navigation have English.

Halal Restaurants in Incheon

There are a variety of halal and halal-friendly restaurants in Incheon for a quick bite or a sit-down meal with friends and family. The restaurants below are only a few of the locations listed in the South of Seoul app in the Incheon area. Download the South of Seoul app for easy access to halal options in your area.

Bupyeong-dong

Bupyeong-dong, Incheon-si exists near Bupyeong Station.

Dongchun-dong

Dongchun-dong, Incheon-si exists near the Songdo Golf Club.

Ongnyeon-dong

Ongnyeon-dong, Incheon-si exists near the Songdo Golf Club.

Songdo-dong

Songdo-dong, Incheon-si exists near Incheon National University Station, Technopark Station, Campus Town Station, and more.

Please note that Swagat India Restaurant is not advertised as halal, but they do offer Muslim-friendly seafood and vegetarian options.

Yeonsu 2-dong

Yeonsu 2-dong, Incheon-si exists near Yeonsu Station and Woninjae Station.

Yonghyeon-dong

Yonghyeon-dong, Incheon-si exists near Inha University Station.

Halal Grocery Stores in Incheon

If you prefer cooking at home or are craving a home-cooked meal, visit the halal grocery stores in Incheon for what you may need. The marts have a variety of offerings like halal meats, herbs, spices, international food products, and more.

Gojan-dong

Ongnyeon-dong

Seoknam-dong

Online Resources and Apps

Along with the growing number of Muslim-friendly restaurants and grocery stores in South Korea, there are now several convenient online delivery options available for those seeking halal groceries. The following websites offer a range of halal meats, spices, produce, pantry staples, sweets, and more.

Yes!Halal

• You can place orders directly on the Yes!Halal website.
• Some Yes!Halal products are available for purchase through Coupang. Purchases made through Coupang require a Korean bank account. Foreign credit and debit cards are not accepted for payment.
• Yes!Halal also offers products on Gmarket if you don’t have a Korean debit or credit card. Gmarket supports foreign cards and PayPal payments.

Al Bazaar

• You can place orders directly on the Al Bazaar website.

Coupang

• Halal offerings from various vendors available for home delivery, such as:
  • Yes!Halal
  • Rabbikperenfoods
• You can search for more options by typing “halal” or copying and pasting “할랄” in the Coupang search bar.
• Purchases made through Coupang require a Korean bank account. Foreign credit and debit cards are not accepted for payment.

MUFKO App

• The MUFKO app provides a variety of helpful services for Muslims residing in Korea. One of its most popular features is the barcode scanner, which allows users to scan a food product’s barcode and receive information about its ingredients. This enables users to make informed decisions about whether or not to consume the product.

South of Seoul App

• You can explore more halal establishments as they are added to the SOS app.
• To find halal restaurants and marts in the SOS app, type “halal” into the search bar. If the listing doesn’t appear upon your initial search, switch the filter in the top left corner of the screen from “Closest” to “New” for additional listings in the surrounding area.
• The SOS app is also a great tool for discovering restaurants with vegetarian and vegan options. To do so, type “vegetarian” in the search bar and explore a range of delicious options.

Naver Maps/Kakao Maps

• To search for establishments that offer halal options, copy and paste the following into Naver or Kakao Maps:
  • 할랄 or 할랄 식당 – halal or halal restaurant
  • 해산물 or 해산물 식당 – seafood or seafood restaurant
  • 채식 – vegetarian
  • 비건 – vegan

General Local Resources

The local mosques/masjids listed on the Seoul Central Mosque website may be able to provide additional information and resources for Muslims residing in Korea.

Additional Tips for Muslim-friendly Food in Korea

Aside from halal meat options, seafood, vegetarian, and vegan restaurants are also great options for Muslim travelers or residents. Korea is a peninsula, so there is an assortment of fresh seafood offerings throughout the country. View the “Online Resources and Apps” section above for helpful tips on finding seafood and vegetarian restaurants.

We also want to offer some information that may be helpful during day-to-day shopping and eating out during your time in Korea.

Checking Ingredients of Packaged Goods

As you’re shopping in Korean grocery stores, it’s important to be able to navigate nutrition information on food packaging to check for non-permissible ingredients. The allergen warning line will generally alert if the product contains meat or uses meat by-products (e.g., gelatin). Learn more in the following SOS blog post which addresses reading food labels: Looking for Halal: Reading Korean Food Labels.

Helpful Phrases When Ordering Food

Some restaurants may offer foods that contain non-permissible ingredients, but you may be able to ask them to adjust your order so those ingredients are not included. You can try saying or showing the following phrases when placing an order.

• Please remove [X] = [X] 빼주세요 (ppae-ju-seh-yo)
  • Example: Please remove the meat = 고기 빼주세요 (gogi ppae-ju-seh-yo)
  • Example: Please remove the pork = 돼지고기 빼주세요 (dwaeji-gogi ppae-ju-seh-yo)
• Does this contain [X]? = [X] 들어있나요? (deu-reo-in-na-yo)
  • Example: Does this contain meat? = 고기가 들어있나요? (gogi deul-reo-in-na-yo)
  • Example: Does this contain pork? = 돼지고기 들어있나요? (dwaeji-gogi deul-reo-in-na-yo)

Translation programs, such as Papago or Google Translate may also be helpful in translating your requests while ordering food.

Sharing Halal Information with the Community

While the above list provides a good starting point, it’s important to note that there may be additional halal resources in Incheon that are not included. We encourage you to explore and try out different halal establishments during your stay or travels in South Korea. If you come across any new halal or Muslim-friendly spots, we would love for you to share them with us in the South of Seoul groups (listed below) so that we can continue to expand our information and lists.

Check out our blog about halal food in the Greater Pyeongtaek area to explore more halal options during your time in South Korea.

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