Shinjuku Guide

Recently there has been an influx of tourists to Japan from Muslim-majority countries. In order to meet the demand for Muslim-friendly cuisine, there has been a rise in the number of halal restaurants in Japan. Today, we will be looking at 4 halal restaurants in the Shinjuku area.

Turkish Restaurant Pamukkale

First up is Turkish Restaurant Pamukkale, located only a few minutes walk from Shinjuku Station’s East Exit. You can relax and unwind in this restaurant, where the exotic lamps, candles and rugs decorating the restaurant will make you feel as if you are in a different country.



Turkish Restaurant Pamukkale is known for their shish kebabs, and they also serve a lot of other traditional Turkish dishes. They recommend their rotisserie grilled beef dish. This is the pita-less version of the beef kebab sandwiches often found at Turkish food stalls in Tokyo. The beef is delicious when eaten with rice and onions!



They also serve a wide variety of homemade Turkish-style pizzas. This time, we ordered the Turkish-style mutton and vegetable pizza. Vegetables and slightly spicy meat are put on a thinly stretched crust and baked together. You’re sure to want to eat this spicy dish over and over again!



Enjoy incredibly delicious authentic Turkish cuisine while overlooking at a gorgeous view of Shinjuku. On Fridays, you have the chance to see a belly dance show up close!

Turkish Restaurant Bosphorus Hasan

Turkish Restaurant Bosphorus Hasan has three locations in Tokyo – Shijuku, Ichigaya and Shinjuku Ni-chome. For this article, we went to the Shinjuku Ni-chome branch, a seven-minute walk from Shinjuku Station. The restaurant is not very large yet it has an exotic atmosphere. You can enjoy looking at the unique Turkish tile art are while waiting for your meal.



As we went during lunchtime, we ordered the chicken kebab sandwich and Turkish tea combo as well as iskender, a famous Turkish dish. This big sandwich was filled with plenty of vegetables.



The chicken iskender contained grilled chicken in tomato sauce and drizzled with yogurt. The combination of tomato sauce and yogurt is popular with female customers. The soup that came with our lunch combo was slightly spicy, so we enjoyed it very much!



After our meal we had Turkish tea that has a wonderful aroma. We were incredibly satisfied with our lunch here!

Turkish Restaurant Bosphorus Hasan (Shinjuku Ni-Chome Branch)
Address: 1F 2-7-2 Shinjuku, Shinuku-ku.
Telephone Number: 03-6380-6412
Hours of Operation: 11:30AM-11:30PM
Open Everyday
http://bosphorushasan.com/

(Shinjuku Branch details linked below)

Uyghur Restaurant Silk Road Tarim

This restaurant opened in 2010 and is the only Uyghur restaurant in Tokyo. It’s about a 15 minute walk from Shinjuku Station’s West Exit.



Uyghur’s primarily live in an autonomous region of Western China, and as such Uyghur cuisine is a mix of both eastern and western culture. Although the cuisine’s roots are in noodles and dumplings, the cuisine has received influence from all over the world and is known for its mild flavor.



This time, we tried a noodle dish called Tarim Qoruma Chop, Uyghur-style fried udon noodles. It may look spicy from the picture, but it went down smoothly. The doughy noodles were delicious.



We also recommend Quwurgha Kawap, which are Uyghur-style chicken kebabs. The chicken is coated in a unique blend of spices and is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside for a perfect texture and flavor. They have grilled lamb kebabs as well.



They also have pomegranate juice, a drink popular in Iran, Turkey and with the Uyghur people!

Halal & Vegan Ramen Restaurant Shinjuku Gyoen Ramen Ouka

As the name states, Shinjuku Gyoen Ramen Ouka is a ramen restaurant near Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden. The shop operated as a tsukemen (ramen with the noodles and broth served separately) restaurant in Yokohama for 14 years. When one of the owner’s acquaintances had a friend from Malaysia come to Japan, it was very difficult for them to find halal meals. The owner studied the tenants of halal food and then opened Shinjuku Gyoen Ramen Ouka. It is now an extremely popular ramen restaurant that is popular with visitors from overseas.



The Gozen Ramen meal is extremely popular with Muslim tourists. The ramen comes in sea bream soup has a light tomato flavor. The meal also comes with grilled chicken and rice that is usually used for ochazuke, so the meal is sure to fill you up. They also have a vegan menu available. If you’re in the mood for ramen, then be sure to stop by this restaurant.

Everyone Can Enjoy Halal Food!

The restaurants in the article are perfect for Muslims looking for Halal meals. As the staffs at these restaurants are all very friendly, we recommend these restaurants to non-Mulism tourists as well. If you’re around Shinjuku Station, why not try some Halal food?