Halal restaurant in Hongdae for a phone-free solo lunch: Halal Steaks

What is Halal Steaks?

Halal Steaks is a halal food spot on Yanghwa-ro 16-gil near Hongik Univ. Station. I hear it opened under a new name after the former "Hongdae Halal Guys" moved to a new location. This time I went for the chicken platter and shrimp rings.

I love spices and exotic menus, so halal food, the king of street food, has always made me curious. Then I found Halal Steaks in Hongdae ⦮._.⦯ Here's my review after devouring the addictive chicken platter and the crispy shrimp rings.

• ✰ Daily 11:00-22:00
• ✰ 499 m from Exit 5 of Hongik Univ. Station
• ✰ No parking

Where is Halal Steaks, and what's the vibe?

Halal Steaks is a second-floor shop on a hot street very close to Hongik Univ. Station. The exterior alone gives off a global street mood -

The shop is full of trendy, casual tables. With its single-row window seats, it's an easy stop for a Hongik Univ. Station lunch, and a simple layout for a quick date with a friend . . 🖤 I also totally recommend it as a place to eat halal food in Hongdae alone 🫡

They say Halal Steaks uses only clean, trustworthy, 100% halal-certified ingredients (no pork, no alcohol), with strict hygiene and a transparent cooking process 👮

• 🍗 Small chicken platter ₩12,900
• 🍤 Shrimp rings ₩3,900

Why the window seats are great for eating alone

The single-row window seats at Halal Steaks are perfect for eating slowly by yourself while looking outside. I'm a pro window-seater . . because when I eat alone I don't look at my phone 📱 (people around me find this amazing). I eat really slowly and tend to zone out while eating. So these window seats were just so good 🌿🩵

Small chicken platter at Halal Steaks: portion and taste

I ordered the chicken platter in Small (₩12,900), and even the small size filled the whole plate generously.

Hello, yellow rice ✋🏻 On fluffy yet still slightly sticky yellow basmati rice sits a generous heap of mild, flame-grilled chicken cooked to order, with crunchy fresh lettuce and fresh tomato 🍅🥬 The colorful toppings fill the bowl to the brim.

White sauce and hot sauce combo

The trick with the chicken platter at Halal Steaks is to add hot sauce to the signature white sauce and mix it all together. Halal food fans rave about the rich, smooth ✰ signature white sauce ✰ and I found it tangy and delicious too. Add the hot sauce . . and I'm fully in favor of this combo. The hot sauce is sneakily spicy, so start with a little and mix it in.

Wrapping it in pita bread

The chicken platter also comes with chewy pita bread on the side - 🎵 Put meat, vegetables and sauce on the bread and wrap it up like a sandwich, and it's delicious that way too.

What are the shrimp rings at Halal Steaks like?

The shrimp rings (₩3,900) are the second signature, packed with plump shrimp 🍤🧡 A hidden cheat-code menu item with huge value for the price. Inside the round ring, it isn't minced shrimp but dense, chunky pieces of shrimp meat packed in tight.

The bouncy, popping texture with every bite is superb ❗️ The outside is fried extra crispy, and I dipped it in the chili sauce, which has its own appealing savory depth -

The spoon at Halal Steaks doubles as a fork. A spork? A spoonfork? 🥄🍴 Looks handy for little kids (a mom's point of view)

And they gave free fries for a review event-🥔🍟

Is it okay to go with vegetarian or vegan friends?

Halal Steaks has even thoughtfully prepared a chickpea falafel option for vegetarians and vegans. Whether you go with Muslim friends or anyone else, everyone can leave healthy, full and happy ❕

If you're looking for a proper local-flavored restaurant near Hongdae or a no-fail solo lunch there, I strongly recommend Halal Steaks, the upgraded successor to the old Halal Guys 🍗🍤🥙✨