Opening in February 2023! The super spicy ramen is a hit with Muslims in Southeast Asia
Menya Honoru Shinjuku Gyoenmae is a ramen restaurant located a 3-minute walk from Shinjuku-Gyoenmae Station on the Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line. The restaurant is located in the basement of Dia Palace Shinjuku 1-Chome. Descending the front stairs of the building, you’ll find a row of restaurants, including Vietnamese and Indian cuisine, and a bar. Heading further back, you’ll find Honoru.
Exterior
Honoru Shinjuku Gyoenmae
Menya Honoru currently has locations in Ebisu, Osaka Namba, Kyoto Gion, and Shinjuku Gyoen, and all locations offer halal ramen. Having been ranked number one in popularity by Halal Navi for two consecutive years, the restaurant is highly rated by Muslims.
Their signature dish is their collagen-rich chicken broth noodles, made with halal Kagoshima chicken simmered for over six hours. This mellow, rich ramen, packed with the umami of chicken, is a long-time bestseller loved by people of all ages and genders. Having the handsome manager of the Shinjuku Gyoenmae branch make your ramen taste even better.
Special Chicken Paitan Noodles
Manager Higashi
In addition to classic dishes like chicken paitan noodles, we also offer spicy yakiniku ramen and beef bowls to meet the needs of Muslims from around Asia. The most popular dish at the Shinjuku Gyoen branch is the “Spicy Fried Chicken Ramen.”
Spicy Fried Chicken Ramen
This ramen features a rich chicken broth base that coats the noodles perfectly, perfectly balanced with a special spicy sauce. One bite of the red fried chicken smothered in sauce will have you sweating. It’s spicy, but delicious! This ramen is sure to get you hooked. Honoru’s spicy ramen is plenty spicy, but they also offer an even spicier version. Those with a high tolerance for spicy food should definitely give it a try.
And at Honoru, you can even enjoy this wagyu beef dish, a rare find for a ramen restaurant. These high-end ramen bowls, priced at ¥3,500 and ¥4,500, are on the pricey side for ramen. The price varies depending on the amount of meat.
Wagyu Ramen
The meat spilling out of the bowl makes a bold impact. This halal-grade wagyu beef is hard to find elsewhere, and is often ordered by Muslims and foreign tourists. They also offer a “Mini Wagyu Rice Bowl (¥1,200)” for a more affordable experience.
Asset Frontier, which operates “Honoru,” is a trading company of halal ingredients.
Asset Frontier, the operator of Menya Honoru, is a Japanese trading company specializing in halal products. With strong connections in Malaysia and Indonesia, the company also develops its own private label products. This instant ramen is halal and available for export. It can be purchased online or in stores.
Instant Ramen
This halal-certified ramen contains no meat or alcohol. The noodles are made with 100% natural kansui (water-based kansui) and egg-free, resulting in a texture similar to fresh noodles. The company also focuses on student cafeterias and employee cafeterias. At Sky Lounge Akatsuki, located on the 17th floor of Meiji University’s Surugadai Campus Liberty Tower (Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo), you can enjoy ramen created by Menya Honoru. The menu includes miso, soy sauce, and tanmen, which differs from the standard Honoru menu. Since the ramen is served by the cafeteria, after learning about halal standards, the team worked under Honoru’s guidance to repeatedly create prototypes to recreate the same flavor as the restaurant. In January 2020, the university cafeteria hosted a lunch event for the Indonesian delegation (JENESYS), where ramen was served and highly praised by Muslims. This is a rare opportunity to enjoy authentic ramen, all crafted by a ramen shop, at a university cafeteria price.
Indonesian delegation (JENESYS)
Asset Frontier CEO and owner of Menya Honoru, Mr. Shimai, met Muslims at the Kobe Mosque in 2015 and learned about the food challenges Muslims face in Japan. Having previously run several restaurants, including Italian restaurants, including a ramen shop, he decided to open a halal-friendly ramen restaurant.
According to Mr. Shimai, “Ramen may be considered a low-class gourmet dish, but it’s a work of art, a full course meal packed into a bowl. Ramen is an inseparable part of Japanese food culture, and I hope people all over the world will enjoy it. Halal-friendly ramen is still rare in Japan, so I hope everyone will try Honoru’s ramen and enjoy Japan to the fullest.”
Honolu is visited by many customers every day, regardless of nationality. The restaurant also offers a prayer space so Muslims can enjoy their meal without worrying about prayer times.
Prayer Space
While the space is not particularly spacious, it has been carefully designed to ensure a comfortable Muslim travel experience.
Inside the restaurant
Supervisor / Recommender
- Halal Supervisor and Foreigner Food Coordinator (Cooking, Consulting, Public Relations)
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Click here for introduction
I currently work as an editor, but my previous job was as a chef, with many years of experience working in hospitals, restaurants, and the food service industry. Looking back, I think my connection to halal may have already been there.
Decades ago, I once worked in a cafeteria at an auction venue. Over 60% of the visitors were foreigners. Many Muslims were present, and the venue had a mosque-like prayer space. I remember being frequently asked questions about whether the meat was halal and what kind of meat it was. At certain times, the cafeteria would become as lively as a festival. The Indian restaurant next door would generously serve free biryani, curry, and sweet drinks to everyone who came. Over 100 people, including people wearing bright red turbans, galabeyas, and traditional attire, gathered in the cafeteria, all sitting around the same table and enjoying a truly enjoyable time. Looking back, it was iftar, the end of fasting, and I understand the significance of sharing, but at the time I was ignorant of halal and Islam, and didn't even consider how to respond. They only ate the curry made by the Indians in the restaurant. As I studied halal, I realized, "I wanted to eat Japanese food, but I couldn't." I regret not doing anything even though there was something I could have done.
If only it didn't contain pork! If only it didn't contain wheat or buckwheat! I could eat it... Food insecurity is different for each person.
That's why I think it's important to learn about the differences in culture, religion, and lifestyle that underlie it, and to create an environment where everyone can enjoy delicious meals in comfort.
The desire for delicious, safe, and secure food is universal. The times are calling for people to live in new ways that transcend borders and religions. I hope that halal can be a gateway to eliminating food insecurity, contributing even in some small way to a society where people can coexist and prosper with more liberal thinking, and to global harmony beyond.
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