Hundreds of people have flocked to Tsim Sha Tsui for Hong Kong’s first-ever halal food festival, in a vibrant celebration aimed at showcasing Muslim culture and building bridges between communities.
Organized by the Multicultural Ethnic-Link Teen Centre and the city’s halal certification board on April 13, the festival brought together 12 halal-certified food businesses, offering a wide range of cuisines—from Indian street snacks and Middle Eastern shawarma to halal Italian pasta and traditional rice dumplings.
“Halal food is for everybody: Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists,” said Sohel Ahmed, director of Italian restaurant FOG. “So that’s why I’m planning to do some halal food in Hong Kong, so everybody can enjoy good quality food, at a reasonable price, and it’s hygienic,” rthk.hk reported.
Ahmed, a veteran of the food industry in Hong Kong for over 30 years, explained how he modified traditional Italian recipes to meet halal standards.
“Typical Italian food, all the sauce contains alcohol, liquor, wine. But I think to make it halal way. I make my own ingredients… like using grape juice instead of red wine,” he said.
The event attracted diverse attendees, including longtime residents like Aiman, who said she was impressed by the freshness and variety of the food. “Everything is very fresh… and [the event] is very well-organised,” she told RTHK.
Another visitor, Ms. Ching, echoed the sentiment. “The food is very authentic as they have Muslims cooking the food, rather than Hongkongers, Shanghainese or Taiwanese people. I learnt so much about halal culture and their food,” she said after enjoying samosas and a chicken roll.
The Shangri-La hotel, which holds the highest level of halal-friendliness certification in Hong Kong, also participated. Director of operations Mark Bannon explained how their rice dumplings—prepared without pork in a halal kitchen—offered a Muslim-friendly twist on a Chinese classic. “We’ve done it to the taste… sort of like Malay tastes, but the authenticity of rice dumplings,” he said.
The hotel received a five-star CrescentRating in halal-friendliness, which Bannon said has positively impacted their appeal to Muslim travelers. “It gave us a stepping stone and a platform for Muslim travellers to know that we are accredited to please this clientele,” he added.
In his 2024 Policy Address, Chief Executive John Lee pledged to boost Muslim-friendly travel.
As of March 2025, the number of halal-certified restaurants in Hong Kong has doubled, rising from about 100 to 200. More such festivals and initiatives are planned to further support cultural understanding and tourism.
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