What to check when choosing a place

01 Ingredients

Check for pork-derived ingredients as well as pork itself. Lard, gelatin, pork extract and similar ingredients can be in a dish even when its name does not show it. For dishes with meat, it is also worth asking whether the meat is halal-certified.

We explain how to read ingredient labels on packaged food in How to Spot Pork and Alcohol on Ingredient Lists, and What the Label Alone Can’t Tell You.

02 Alcohol used in cooking and alcohol served

Check alcohol used in cooking separately from alcohol served as a drink. Cooking sake, mirin and seasonings with added alcohol go into the food. Whether a place serves alcoholic drinks is a separate question.

We cover alcohol in seasonings in Are Soy Sauce, Mirin, Miso, and Vinegar Halal? Checking the Ingredients of Japanese Seasonings for Alcohol, and labels on non-alcoholic drinks in A “Non-Alcoholic” Label Does Not Always Mean 0.00%.

03 Cooking equipment and frying oil

Even dishes without pork may be cooked in the same pots or frying oil as pork dishes. Also check whether cooking equipment is kept separate and whether frying oil is shared.

Some chain restaurant companies publish this on their official websites. We explain how to look it up in How Much Can Chain Restaurants’ Published Information Tell You About Pork and Alcohol?.

04 Prayer space

Check whether there is a place to pray. There is not always a permanent room, so it helps to also ask where and when you can use it, and whether you need to book.

05 Ask about anything unclear

If an item has no information or is marked “Not confirmed”, do not fill the gap with guesses. Ask the place. We explain how to ask in “Is It Halal?” Is Not Enough: How to Ask When Checking at a Restaurant.