Mad for mala: how Singapore’s taste for halal Chinese food has taken off
- There are a growing number of halal-certified restaurants in the island nation, especially those offering food from China and the likes of Japan and South Korea
- Many see this as a positive trend, allowing Singaporeans of all races to bond over food and foster a better understanding of different cultures
Tan’s restaurant, Yi Zun Noodle, specialises in beef noodles, a popular dish in Xinjiang. When she first opened in 2017, 80 per cent of her customers were Muslim, but she has since seen a greater number of non-Muslim customers.
“A lot of our customers like to come here to host work meetings,” she said. “This might be because the office is made up of people from different religions and it might be hard finding a restaurant that caters to everyone’s taste buds.”
Muslims make up about 14 per cent of Singapore’s 5.8 million people. Most Muslims in the country are ethnically Malay, while the rest are from other ethnic groups including Indians and Chinese.
Singapore’s Islamic religious council, Majlis Ugama Islam Singapore (MUIS), said it issued 4,630 halal certificates to premises in 2018, almost double the figure a decade ago. These establishments were started by Muslim as well as non-Muslim Singaporeans, in addition to new migrants such as Tan, motivated by a growing interest among the Muslim community, to try new flavours and cuisines.
