Amin Abbas
DUBAI: Halal Ramen Wagyuza is a Japanese restaurant that serves amazing and tasty halal ramen dishes with high-quality Wagyu beef.
The restaurant prides itself on using Halal-certified A5 Wagyu beef and maintaining a halal-friendly environment.
“WAGYUZA was born from a strong sense of frustration and a clear gap in the market,” Navito Halal, one of the founders of Halal Ramen Wagyuza, told Arab News Japan. “While traveling across Japan and introducing halal-friendly restaurants to Muslim travelers, I repeatedly heard the same concern: ‘There’s nowhere we can truly trust to enjoy authentic Japanese ramen.’ That experience led us to pursue something beyond a typical halal option.”
“We wanted to create authentic ramen that even Japanese people would genuinely find delicious. At the same time, we felt a strong desire to give back to the community that had supported us through social media. Until then, our connection with our audience had been entirely online. By opening a physical restaurant, we wanted to create a space where we could finally meet and engage with them in person. Our concept is simple: no compromise. We never compromise on halal standards, and we never compromise on taste,” Navito added.
About the challenges for opening the restaurant, Navito said, “The biggest challenge was recreating the depth of traditional ramen without relying on commonly used ingredients. Crafted from A5-grade Halal Wagyu bones and slow-cooked for over 12 hours with careful skimming every hour—the result is a rich, clean broth that you’ll want to drink to the last drop.”
“All ingredients used comply with halal standards. Using a soy sauce base, we layer in umami dashi from kombu, shiitake, and Japanese vegetables to build depth without compromise. A bowl where Japanese craftsmanship meets Halal integrity.”
“At the same time, our commitment to high-quality ingredients—especially the broth and wagyu—significantly increased our costs. Balancing this level of quality with a price point that customers would find reasonable was another major challenge. Achieving both strict halal compliance and a truly satisfying ramen experience proved far more difficult than we initially expected,” Navito said
Navito mentioned that the response and feedback from the customers have been positive, especially from Muslim tourists. “We’ve welcomed guests from all over the world, and many of them tell us it’s their first time experiencing authentic Japanese ramen. Some guests have even returned four times during a single trip. The opportunity to enjoy two iconic elements of Japanese cuisine—wagyu and ramen—in one bowl has also been very well received.”
Regarding the restaurant’s upcoming plans, Navito said, “We plan to expand while continuing to refine our menu and overall experience, with the goal of making high-quality halal Japanese cuisine more accessible. Ultimately, we hope to contribute to creating an environment in Japan where Muslim travelers can enjoy food without limitations.”
Tanaka recommends people who are visiting Halal Ramen Wagyuza for the first time to try Wagyu MAMIRE Ramen.
“This dish features five generous slices of premium A5 wagyu chashu, offering a rich and indulgent experience centered around wagyu,” said Navito. “It’s a signature dish that represents WAGYUZA, and we encourage guests to enjoy every last drop.”
AloJapan.com