Mad for mala: how Singapore's taste for halal Chinese food has taken off

When Aishah Tan moved to Singapore from Xinjiang in 2012, she noticed there were no restaurants serving Chinese traditional dishes from China for the Muslim community.

"The halal food in Singapore is very different from Xinjiang. So, I decided to set up shop and introduce Xinjiang dishes to the Muslim community here," the 48-year-old said. The Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, the westernmost part of China that is home to largely Muslim-minority Uygurs, is known for food that is distinct from the rest of the country, with dishes such as roasted mutton and the use of thick, fragrant spices.

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.

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"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.

Muslims make up about 14 per cent of Singapore's 5.8 million people. Photo: Bloomberg alt=Muslims make up about 14 per cent of Singapore's 5.8 million people. Photo: Bloomberg

The "growth of the local halal industry mirrors that of the global halal industry", according to a MUIS spokesperson, in reference to the growing number of Muslim travellers in the Asia-Pacific region.

In 2017, South Korean companies prepared halal infrastructure for the estimated 1.2 million Muslim travellers visiting on tours. The previous year, Japan welcomed nearly 271,000 Indonesian visitors and 394,000 from Malaysia, according to the Japan National Tourism Organisation.

In 2018, Mastercard estimated that the global Muslim travel market was expected to be worth US$300 billion by 2030, making it one of the fastest-growing segments of the tourism industry.

Mohamed Khair Mohamed Noor, 55, an administrator of the Halal Cafe and Restaurants in Singapore (HCRS) Facebook group, said there had been an increase in the number of halal-certified or Muslim-owned Chinese restaurants over the past five years, many of which were set up by Chinese Muslims from Singapore or mainland Chinese living in the country.

He also said there were more posts about new restaurants offering halal Chinese and East Asian dishes on the group, which has more than 157,800 members and provides social media exposure to halal eateries.

"Apart from being certified halal by MUIS, some of these are even Muslim-owned. And the response to those halal Chinese and East Asian restaurants has been very good," he said.

Khair added that in the past, halal Chinese restaurants in Singapore were limited to serving dishes such as chicken rice, chilli crab, and dim sum - but greater exposure to different East Asian cultures meant some restaurants were now serving Chinese, South Korean and Japanese food.

Satay bao from Kampung Amin Dim Sum. Photo: Handout alt=Satay bao from Kampung Amin Dim Sum. Photo: Handout

"Based on experience of running the Facebook group, it could be observed that members are always on the lookout for new halal eateries. They are especially on the lookout for new dishes, new cuisines. They are very open-minded about trying out new dishes or cuisines, regardless of origin," he said.

Entrepreneur Alia Demelda Sharma said she used to have a tough time looking for halal-certified restaurants that could accommodate her diverse family. As a Muslim Indonesian-Eurasian with Catholic family members, she would either frequent the same few restaurants or even cross the border to Malaysia, where there were more dining options for them.

"Our choices were minimal so we will just repeat the same restaurants if we dine out. There are some halal Chinese seafood stalls in hawker centres, but they will also tweak it for Malay taste buds. So you could hardly find authentic halal Chinese cuisines back then," she said.

But about five years ago, Sharma noticed new halal restaurants serving a myriad of East Asian cuisines popping up on her social media feed. "It used to be hard to get halal dining restaurants before, but now we have so many choices," she said.

Many restaurant owners saw an opportunity when they noticed there were few halal-certified East Asian restaurants.

"We know of many Muslim friends who love to eat dim sum and Chinese food but cannot, because many [of these venues] are not halal-certified and not many restaurants serve halal dim sum and Chinese food," said Stephen Francis, 60, the co-founder of Kampong Amin Dim Sum, a family-owned restaurant that serves Chinese fusion and dim sum dishes.

The restaurant's most popular dishes include homestyle char kway teow, chai tow kway, chilli crab and siew mai. Francis runs it with his wife and two sons, one of whom converted to Islam after marriage - though he occasionally gets sceptical diners.

Mala wings from The Fortune Cookie. Photo: Handout alt=Mala wings from The Fortune Cookie. Photo: Handout

"Sometimes customers will want to know if we have a halal certificate, and after finding out that we are Muslim-owned, they don't mind it. But there are some customers who only want to eat at halal-certified restaurants," he said.

The restaurant's bestsellers include lobster fried rice, lotus duck rice, and mala wings. "By having more halal food from different cultures, not only does it expose our Muslim community to the various [flavours], but it also helps to expand their knowledge and increase their gastronomical appreciation of these delicacies. Additionally, Singapore is a multiracial city, hence when dining out with friends of other races, there are now more options to select from," she said.

Many Muslims believe the trend is being fuelled by greater access to different cultures and cuisines abroad.

"Singaporean Muslims have more exposure to halal Chinese foods not just locally but through their travels to Malaysia, China and Taiwan," said psychologist Farida Ali, 60. "When you see halal fast-food places, cafes and restaurants of various cuisines, they tend to be patronised by entire families of Malay-Muslims and other Muslims of other races."

Many believe that the trend is a positive one that allows Singaporeans of all races to bond over food and foster a better understanding of different cultures.

HCRS administrator Khair said: "It is not uncommon for members of HCRS to ask for recommendations as to where would be the best places to dine with friends of different ethnic groups. So yes indeed, [this helps] create opportunities for Singaporeans from all walks of life to sit together and savour their favourite halal foods."

This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (SCMP).

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