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Lifestyle100 Top Tables

How Hong Kong is wooing Muslim tourists with halal menus

In a drive to court tourists from South and Southeast Asia, and the Middle East, the government is promoting halal dining, but restaurants have yet to see the rewards

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Promoting Hong Kong’s halal restaurants is part of the government’s drive to attract Muslim tourists. Photo: Dickson Lee
Victoria Burrows
At Chinesology restaurant in Hong Kong, culinary director Saito Chau creates char siu with Wagyu beef instead of pork, and uses “a secret sauce” to replace the rose cooking wine in the glaze. For him, the dish is not just another modern spin on a classic dish – it represents an opportunity for cultural exchange.

When Chau visited Dubai last January, he saw Chinese restaurants catering to a predominantly Muslim clientele who, due to religious dietary laws, were unable to enjoy dishes such as char siu. This is because the dish uses pork, which is non-halal and therefore forbidden. He was moved to create a Muslim-friendly version.

“I hope that friends who can’t eat pork can enjoy the irresistible sweet-savoury allure of this ‘char siu’, so that more people around the world can experience this piece of Chinese food culture,” he says.

Chinesology’s roasted beef with 20 years tangerine peel, honey and peanut – a halal-friendly spin on char siu pork. Photo: Nicholas Wong
Chinesology’s roasted beef with 20 years tangerine peel, honey and peanut – a halal-friendly spin on char siu pork. Photo: Nicholas Wong

Since Chinesology continues to serve pork, the process of setting the kitchen up to offer halal dishes was somewhat complicated. The kitchen had to be deep cleaned and sectioned off to create a dedicated halal cooking area, which needed new refrigerators, kitchen utensils and cleaning supplies. Ingredients, including sauces, are kept separate, and halal dishes are prepared by dedicated chefs.

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