Osaka’s specialty available as Halal in Sapporo, Hokkaido!
Okonomiyaki, or translated as savory Japanese pancake, is a specialty from Osaka. This food is very unique and yummy, so many tourists from foreign countries would definitely try when traveling to Japan. However, in most of the cases, the sauce that we use for Okonomiyaki contain both animal ingredients and alcohol, so it is mandatory for Muslims to find a Halal or Muslim-friendly restaurants to eat the food.
Although the food is popular throughout Japan, it will be more difficult to find a proper restaurant when not in Osaka. However, in Sapporo, the northmost part of Japan, there is one Okonomiyaki restaurant who is serving Muslim-friendly Okonomiyaki! The name is Fugetsu (風月).
Tell us about Okonomiyaki and the restaurant.
Okonomiyaki is made from sliced cabbage, egg, grated yum potato and flour. It is cooked on an iron griddle with pork slices or seafood, and finished with Okonomiyaki sauce, bonito flakes, seaweed and mayonnaise. If we remove pork slice from the topping, the food can be a very Muslim-friendly meal, as long as Halal Okonomiyaki sauce is used.
Fugetsu was opened in Sapporo by a man who was originally from Osaka in 1967. It was a very small restaurant with only 6 seats when opened, however, the great taste of his Okonomiyaki became very popular, and there are 13 branches in Sapporo now.
They are only using ingredients made in Japan, along with a sauce and mayonnaise made by KIKKOMAN and AJINOMOTO, Japan’s No.1 brands.
More about Halal Okonomiyaki at Fugetsu.
Although there are more than 10 branches in Sapporo, there is only one branch that serves Muslim-friendly Okonomiyaki. This is located in the shopping arcade of Sapporo called Tanuki Koji (狸小路). Make sure that you go to this place as other branches are not ready with Muslim-friendly menu.
Their menu is ready as a tablet and English is also available. There is a “Muslim Friendly” tab.
As of May 2023, Muslim-friendly menu available are
- Lamb with spring onion 1,034 yen
- Seafood 1,309 yen
- Omelet seafood Yakisoba 1,441 yen
- Rice 242 yen
Also, please be reminded that you have to ask for the Halal Okonomiyaki sauce and mayonnaise directly. It may not be served automatically.
How is the food? Are they really Halal?
What is great about this restaurant is that you can enjoy cooking Okonomiyaki by yourself. The iron griddle is heated by a staff, but customer will bake it by themselves. The tablet on the table clearly shows how you can do it, so you do not have to worry about making one at all!
However, what we have found was that the iron griddle is not only handling Muslim-friendly menus. Although the iron griddle is thoroughly cleaned after usage, it may have cooked pork and other meat.
They can provide you with disposable cutleries for you on request, however, if you want to make sure that you want to cook on the Halal iron griddle, this restaurant should be avoided.
Details of the restaurant
Name: Fugetsu Tanukikoji branch (風月 狸小路4丁目店)
Address: 5th Flr., Arche Bldg., 1-12 Nishi 4 chome, Minami 3 jo, Chuo Ward, Saooiri, Hokkaido 北海道札幌市中央区南3条西4丁目12-1 アルシュビル5階
Tel: 011-231-6665
Opening hours: 11:00 a.m. -10:30 p.m.
As they are on the 5th floor of the building, you may not find the restaurant from outside. You will find Don Quijote in the same building on the 1st floor, or there are Gyukaku BBQ and GUSTO family restaurant on the same floor.
Although the restaurant cannot be a complete Halal for some of you, it is open until quite late. Take away and delivery service is also available.
The restaurant that we have introduced to you is not Halal certified, so there is a small risk of contamination, which we cannot be responsible of. Information as of May 2023, please check the details before going.