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Is Seattle Coffee Halal?
Halal food is essential to adhering to Islamic dietary rules, which dictate when and how animals may be killed for their meat, as well as restrictions against eating certain types of food such as pork. Seattle boasts a wide array of delicious cuisine, but finding suitable halal eateries may prove challenging; we have gathered together some of the best.
A popular New York City halal fast food chain is opening up in Seattle. The Halal Guys have already expanded to Toronto, Indonesia and Malaysia but now plan to open their first American outpost at Pioneer Square. Their menu offers Mediterranean and Middle Eastern fare such as chicken falafel, hummus and pita bread.
Eater Seattle reports that this highly anticipated opening is expected to draw long lines on Aug. 11. It marks the first time such a restaurant of this size has opened with a full halal menu in Seattle.
Seattle is known for being an epicenter of culinary creativity, and some of its finest creations come from immigrants and people of color. On a recent Civic Coffee episode, we spoke with two Seattleites whose culinary ventures reflect this rich diversity.
Faizah Ahmed is the co-founder of Spice Bridge, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting female and immigrant food entrepreneurs in Washington State. Through their organization, Faizah works closely with communities that do not have access to mainstream resources, helping them establish businesses by connecting them with business coaches, financing opportunities and training programs. Faizah also assists communities in discussions regarding healthy diet and how best to support local farmers.
One way she and her colleagues assist food entrepreneurs is by helping them locate halal ingredients. She recognizes the difficulty associated with finding fresh ingredients when starting up in underserved neighborhoods, so West Seattle Food Bank offers a program which connects chefs with halal meat suppliers so they have all of their supplies at hand.
Halal-friendly foodies will appreciate apps and websites that list new restaurant openings near them, including those offering both halal and non-halal dining options – ideal for those avoiding multiple websites to search.
Seattle boasts an increasing selection of halal restaurants and food trucks, from pizza at Slices of Seattle, Balkan pastries from Baked in Bosnia or Turkish coffee from Miss Cafe. You can also try Aladdin Falafel Corner or Garlic Crush in the U District while Olympic Express in Rainier Valley recently closed (Vanishing Seattle reported on this). However, its owner Al and Suaidy Les plan to reopen another establishment there soon enough.