Char Kway Teow, Wantan Mee, Ba Kut Teh, Ba Chor Mee and Chicken Rice are some of the most popular and must-try dishes in Singapore. Yet, while many of us enjoy them so much, not every Singaporean is able to savour these dishes, because they are non-Halal.

While there are local favourites such as Nasi Lemak, Roti Prata and Nasi Padang that are Halal, many of our local dishes aren’t as well, and because of that, many of our Muslim friends, local or from abroad can’t get to try them. And sometimes, this can really be a wet-blanket to a great outing, after all, Singapore’s national hobby is eating.

So, the question beckons… where can we go that has great Halal food, and where everyone can just go Makan together?

Here are some of our personal go-to places for Halal Local Food.

Ah Dong Tea House

Located at Punggol, Ah Dong Tea House just recently received their Halal certification and has since attracted lots of families and friends from different races to gather and enjoy a meal together. Serving their own creations of popular local dishes you may be surprised at how some of them turn out. Some of the must-trys include XO Carrot Cake and the different kind of fried rice which comes with serving of keropok and archar.

Ah Dong Tea House
10 Tebing Lane #01-03/04 Singapore 828836

Kopitiam at Vivo City

For those who are visiting Sentosa or shopping around Harbourfront, you can check out the food court at basement of Vivo City. The food court is layout in such that the stalls on the left serves non-halal food while all the stalls on the right side of the food court serves halal food. You can also differentiate by the cutleries the stalls use. Here you will find a wide range of food ranging from local fares like Lor Mee, Char Kway Teow and Nasi Padang, and there’s also a Thai food stall that serves pretty good Tom Yum Soup. No matter what type of food you go for at Kopitiam, a can of fizzy, refreshing Coke (be it Coke, Coke zero or Coke light) from the drink stall located in the center of the food court and you’ll be guaranteed a satisfying meal with your friends.

Kopitiam Foodcourt at Vivo City
1 Harbourfront Walk #B2-39 Singapore 98585

MacKenzie Rex

Next up is one of my favorite halal chicken rice and zi char store, MacKenzie Rex Restaurant, popularly known as Rex. When we owned a car in the past, we would visit this place regularly for meals. The staff are also very friendly and warm. My usual orders when dining at Rex is a serving of mixed roasted and steamed (white) chicken with their fragrant chicken rice, and a serving of their homemade ngoh hiang (five-spiced meat roll).

MacKenzie Rex Restaurant
66 Prinsep Street, #01-01 Singapore 188668

Encik Tan by FeiSiong Group

Last but not least is the growing network of Encik Tan by FeiSiong Group, serving a few types of noodles and also curry rice. My personal favorites will be their Wantan Mee set which comes with both boiled and fried wantan, chicken char siew slices and the egg noodles. This is best enjoyed with lots of sliced green chilies and a can of ice cold Coke! The chilling bite of the Coke®, with the numbing spiciness of the Chilli. Best! If I want something more filling, I’ll go for the Chicken Cutlet Curry Rice with extra curry sauce.

Encik Tan is located at different parts of Singapore, check their latest locations at http://enciktan.com.sg/visit-us/.

Now you know where to bring your muslim friends for makan when they jio you out!

This article is brought to you in collaboration with Coca-Cola®. All opinions are the writer’s own.