The Philippines and Malaysia have a number of things in common. Malay language and Tagalog for example, have many similar words and we just love to use a lot of English while conversing in our native language. In fact, if you meet a typical Malaysian and a Filipino, the only way you might be able to tell the difference is by their different English accents.
Credit: giphy
Manila, the capital of the Philippines, is a bustling city that's home to more than 1.6 million people. If you’re planning to travel to the city, it’s important to know where to eat so that you won’t go hungry or have to dig into your emergency food rations for sustenance. It's time we introduce you to 8 halal places you can eat in this beautiful city.
[Update (27 Feb 2019): We note that Gayyah's Pagkaunan Halal Restaurant (number 1 on this list) has closed down. In addition, a reader has helpfully informed us that The Chicken Rice Shop (number 5 on this list) has also closed down both its outlets ? We've crossed both eateries off our list down below accordingly.]
1. Gayyah’s Pagkaunan Halal Restaurant
Credit: Gayyah's Halal Restaurant
If you're on a tight budget, Gayyah’s Pagkaunan offers value for money Malay, Indonesian, Pakistani and Tausug cuisine in a very comfortable environment. Their Satti and Biryani are the two most popular dishes with regular customers. They also serve Tomyam, Nasi Ayam, Mee Padas, Mee Goreng andMartabak (Beef/Chicken) among others. Save money with their value meals that consists of 1 cup of rice, 1 meat viand, 1 vegetable viand and free juice. It's the best value for your money!
Credit: Gayyah's Halal Restaurant
If you have the means to cook while on your trip, this establishment also offers halal meat and groceries for you to buy.
The environment of the restaurant also makes it a good place to hang out while you catch your breath from all the travelling. This is of course with the exception for peak hours such as during lunch and dinner where it tends to gets crowded.
Address: G/F Arquiza Trade Centre 1214, M.H. Del Pilar St., Ermita, Manila
Phone: (02) 521-4667
Opening Hours:6AM to 12AM
2. Al Batra Restaurant & Coffee Shop
Credit: Al Batra Restaurant & Coffee shop on Facebook
Al Batra Restaurant & Coffee Shop serves Middle Eastern cuisine and is open 24 hours a day, so you can have both dinner or breakfast there! Located in the Makati district of Manila, the restaurant also serves fresh seafood as well as popular dishes such as kebabs, hummus, different types of breads, rice dishes and many more.
Credit: Al Batra Restaurant & Coffee shop on Facebook
Address: 2nd floor, A.M Flores Building, corner Constellation Street,, Makati Ave, Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines
Phone:+63 2 403 5552
Opening Hours: Open 24 hours
3. Pamanganan House of Malaysian Halal Foods
Credit: Haji Hazwan Siew on Facebook
For Malaysian food lovers, the Pamanganan House of Malaysian Halal Foods offers a wide range of Malaysian dishes within the Manila area. You will have a wide choice of common Malaysian dishes such as nasi goreng, mi kari, roti telur, murtabak and boasts its own halal Pizza. The Pamanganan House is no 5 star restaurant but it gets the job done pretty well.
Credit: Oscar Eusebio on Facebook
Address: Ground Floor, Saimah II Hotel, 310-D Elizondo Street, Quiapo, Manila, 1001 Metro Manila, Philippines
Phone: +63 2 516 4513
Opening Hours: 8am – 11pm
4. New Bombay Restaurant
Credit: Henry Mataar on Facebook
The New Bombay is a chain of restaurants with 5 branches in Manila alone. The restaurant serves authentic Indian cuisine such as Biryani rice, naan bread, Tandoori and many more Indian favourites. The restaurants, although not considered fine dining, is a bit on the pricey side. However it’s well worth the quality of food. So, for those who crave authentic Indian cuisine these are the places to be! Be careful though, there are comments on how spicy the food is in New Bombay.
Credit: Laize S-Union on Facebook
Branches:
New Bombay (Makati – Greenbelt 2)
G/F Greenbelt 2, Paseo de Roxas cor. Legaspi St., Ayala Center, Makati City
10am -11pm (Daily)
New Bombay (Makati – Glorietta 3)
G/F Glorietta 3, Ayala Center, Makati City
10am – 9pm (Sun–Thu), 10am – 10pm (Fri–Sat)
New Bombay (Makati – Glorietta Food Court)
4/F Food Choices, Ayala Center, Makati City
New Bombay (Makati – The Columns)
The Columns, G/F Tower 1, 6821 Sen. Gil Puyat Ave. cor. Ayala Ave., Makati City
New Bombay (Makati Main Branch – Salcedo Village)
G/F Sagittarius Bldg. III, 312 H. V. Dela Costa St., Salcedo Village, Makati
9am – 11pm (Daily)
5. The Chicken Rice Shop
Credit: The Chicken Rice Shop Philippines on Facebook
Malaysians will immediately recognize this establishment as a Malaysian franchise. The Chicken Rice Shop is a popular chain restaurant with many branches in Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines. The establishment serves “grandmother’s traditional Hainanese secret recipe chicken rice.” However, that’s not all! It also serves other Malaysian favourites such as curry laksa, fish laksa, and chicken spring rolls, to name a few.
Credit: The Chicken Rice Shop Philippines on Facebook
For an authentic taste of Malaysia, stop by at these restaurants when you are in Manila.
Branches:
Harbor Square, CCP Complex, Roxas Boulevard;
Sta. Lucia Mall
Robinson’s Place Manila
Phone: +632 823-9834
G/F UST Campus, Multi-Deck Parking
Sampaloc, Manila
Phone: (02) 711-0234
6. Ababu Persian Kitchen
A clean and welcoming ambience welcomes you
Credit: Ababu Persian Kitchen on Facebook
Ababu Persian Kitchen is popular for its Persian cuisine, particularly their shawarma and salads. Another favourite dish is their Charbroiled Ground Beef Served with Egg, Sweet Corn, Chopped Tomatoes and Onions, Rice Topped with Butter with bottomless drinks. Apart from that, you can expect a wide range of Kebab dishes and mouthwatering deserts.
Credits: Ababu Persian Kitchenon Facebook
Address: 1232 Gelinos St. Sampaloc Manila, Gelinos St, Sampaloc, Manila, Metro Manila, Philippines
Phone: +63 915 681 8425
Opening Hours: 8AM - 12AM
7. Mandy House
Mandy House is a high end Middle Eastern restaurant that serves a wide range of dishes ranging from the world famous hummus with bread, Magloubeh Lamb rice dish, to dishes such as beef steak and chicken tikka.
Credit: Mandy House
For those in the mood for Middle Eastern fine dining, Mandy House is a good place for you. Make sure you’re prepared for the bill though, because this restaurant is a bit pricey.
Credit: Mandy House
Address: 4892 Durban Street, Poblacion, Makati, Metro Manila, Manila
Phone: +63 905 455 5533
Opening Hours: Open 24 Hours
8. The Halal Guys
That's right, we saved the best for last. All the way from New York, the world famous The Halal Guys food cart is now in Manila!
Credit: @maxieissuper on Instagram
Offering the same popular menu that has patrons lining up for ages on the streets of New York, The Halal Guys PH also serves their rice platters (with chicken, beef or a combination of both), sandwiches, falafels and of course, to top it all off, their famed white sauce and hot sauce.
Hot wings
Credit: @fayebalogo on Instagram
They use the exact same recipe and ingredients as the original food cart, with the exception of their rice and pita bread, so you can expect the real deal even if you're in Manila!
Address:
5th level SM Mega Food Hall, SM Megamall, Mandaluyong
or
B6 Bonifacio High Street, 11th Ave. cor. 28th St., Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.
Telephone: +632 858-7080
Opening Hours: 10AM-10PM
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I know many friends that don’t bother venturing to Manila, or the Philippines in general because of the perception that it’s hard to get Halal food there. But on the contrary, it’s pretty easy to get halal food in Manila ? These are just the most famous among the many halal restaurants in the city and I bet you will bump into more halal restaurants while travelling there. So I guess the next step is to plan a trip there with your friends and family since there are no excuses not to go!