Singapore is a treasure trove of Halal food. There are so many choices for us to choose from. If you feel like eating Thai food, there are many Halal Thai restaurants. If you are craving for Chinese Muslim food, simply drop by a Bagus or Mr Teh Tarik outlet (Bagus and Mr Teh Tarik are local food courts). Similarly, if you’ve been craving for Bibimbap, Korean Fried Chicken or Army Stew, there are many Halal Korean eateries to choose from!
Indeed, we are extremely lucky for the bountiful rezki (blessings, which in this case refers to food). We might have taken it for granted, however. If we see Malay-Muslims or Hijabis (Muslim women donning the headscarf) eating at some place, we instantly assume it is Halal.
A restaurant may not be Halal even if they have a no-pork, no-lard and no-alcohol policy. There is still a plethora of ingredients that we must still validate. For example, certain emulsifiers and preservatives are not Halal. Additionally, is the meat they use slaughtered the Islamic way? (Tip: To check whether an ingredient is Halal, check it against MUIS’s Food Additive Listing. According to the said listing, those listed within the orange rows are Syubhah (doubtful).
A few weeks ago, we were shocked to discover that Jurong Point’s food court Cantine was not MUIS Halal-certified. Only the Ayam Penyet stall (Stall No. 11) holds a legitimate Halal certificate. (Tip: Check whether an eatery or food preparation area is Halal-certified at these links: Halal Eating Establishments and Halal Food Preparation Areas.)
In this series, we seek to provide as much information as possible about the eateries listed below. Ultimately, choosing to dine in/purchase the food items remains largely on your choice.
We Asked: “Hi! Are your ingredients Halal-supplied?”
Auntie Anne’s
“Hi, the Singapore products and ingredients are halal certified. Thank you.” (via Facebook Messenger)
Beard Papa’s
“Hi, our outlets don’t have any pork or lard and we don’t have any meat products either. Since most of our items are fruits or sweets based, our suppliers may not be halal certified. We also import from Japan and they may not be halal certified” (via Facebook Messenger)
Bengawan Solo
Bengawan Solo uses rum in some cakes. As for other ingredients, it is best to ask them directly.
Boost Juice
“Hi, all the individual ingredients used in all of our Boost drinks are indeed Halal! Hope it helps.” (via Facebook Messenger)
Eureka Popcorn
“Hi there, our products are Halal-certified by JAKIM Malaysia. All ingredients used are Halal. Hope this clarifies, thank you” (via Instagram Direct)
Famous Amos
“Hi, thank you for your enquiry. Famous Amos Cookie ingredients are certified Halal by the Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America (IFANCA). IFANCA Halal certification is approved by MUIS.” (via Instagram Direct)
Garrett Popcorn
Garrett Popcorn has claimed to be in the process of obtaining a Halal-certification since 2011. It is best to ask them directly.
Gongcha
“Hi, yes all our ingredients are Halal-certified.” (via Instagram Direct)
Halal-certified bubble tea suggestions: TP Tea, Sofnade
Irvin’s Salted Egg
“Yes, we are Halal-certified. For your reference: Cert. customer code: C12889.” (via their live chat on their website)
Jollibean
“Hi, Our ingredients have no pork no lard.” (via Facebook Messenger)
KOI
“This is a follow up on the inquiry on the Halal status regarding KOI’s products.
All KOI establishments are not Halal-Certified, our beverages (regardless of its individual contents’ Halal status) cannot be positioned as Halal certified.
Although we are not officially Halal certified, you might be pleased to learn that all our current ingredients are all of plants & fruits sources except for Fresh Milk (Dairy) and the Cream for Maachiato (Dairy Fat).
There are no alcohol & gelatin (from animal source) in all our current products as well.”
(edited following Francis’s — Project Management Office, response to this article)
Halal-certified bubble tea suggestions: TP Tea, Sofnade
LiHO
“Hi, Thank you for reaching out to us! Unfortunately, certain ingredients are not halal-certified. Hope this clarifies.” (via Facebook Messenger)
Halal-certified bubble tea suggestions: TP Tea, Sofnade
llao llao
“Hello there! Not all our ingredients are Halal-certified. However, we have some halal ingredients too.” (via Instagram Direct)
Mr Bean
“Hi, at this moment, Mr Bean is not Halal Certified, but we do select ingredients on the principle that they should be no pork no lard. Gelatin is also not used in any of our products. Our meat products (eg chicken ham) is sourced from halal certified suppliers as well. The process for Halal certification involves several criteria to be met and we are in the midst of working to be certified. Thank you!” (via Facebook Messenger)
Old Chang Kee
Old Chang Kee is Halal-certified by MUIS.
Say Chiizu Hokkaido Cheese Toast
“Cheese – We have halal certification for the cheese used in our Hokkaido Cheese Toasts produced by our farm in Thailand.
Butter – The butter we use are halal certified.
Bread – Absolutely No Pork and no Lard.” (via Facebook post)
Sharetea
Halal-certified bubble tea suggestions: TP Tea, Sofnade
Shihlin Taiwan Street Snacks
“Hi, We are currently not certified Halal. This is because we are unable to get all outlets’ agreement to fulfil one of the requirements (to have at least 1 Muslim staff at all times in the outlet), this means each outlet needs to employ 2 Muslim staff as 1 will be resting some days of the week. As some of our outlets are small takeaway outlets, fulfilling this requirement is a challenge.
Not all the supplies come with a halal certificate, as most of them are sourced locally. For example, the wintermelon candy is not certified halal. We do not use pork/ lard/ wine as ingredients. Also, we also issue a memo to all employees to inform them that bringing pork into the outlet for personal consumption is also not allowed. As far as possible we keep it clean and clear that we serve muslim friendly food.” (via Facebook Messenger)
Smooy
“Hello! Yes it is but we don’t have the certificate yet in Singapore!” (via Instagram Direct)
Starbucks Coffee
“While some of these suppliers are halal-certified, there are times where we do work with non halal-certified suppliers as well to attain our target. However, we ensure that no pork or alcohol is included in any offerings in the store.” (via a comment in reply to a Facebook post about the Halal status of Starbucks)
Tip Top Curry Puff
Tip Top Curry Puff is Halal-certified by MUIS.
Yole
“Hello, no they aren’t!” (via Instagram Direct)
In our research, for an eating establishment to be Halal-certified by MUIS, its ingredients, cooking and preparation processes needs to meet a set of criteria as meted out by MUIS.
For those establishments without Halal-certification by MUIS, we would simply advise exercising these actions:
- Ask the staff working at the eatery directly.
- Find the Halal certificate issued by MUIS displayed on its premises.
- Check the eatery’s Halal status on MUIS’s List of Certified Food Establishments or List of Certified Food Preparation Areas.
Allah is The Protector, may He protect us from what is not Halal. He is The Cure, may He remove from us what is not Halal and purify our minds, bodies and souls from all kinds of diseases. He is The Guide, may He guide us towards what is good for us and guide us away from what is bad for us. Amin.
If there are other places in Singapore which you would like to see in this article, feel free to let us know on Facebook Messenger or Instagram Direct (@halalke).
