Swoyambhu – Muslim Friendly Restaurant
South Korea is not a Muslim country. It is very difficult for Muslim to live here because of the insufficiency of Halal food. However, Statistic tells that the number of Muslim visitor is keep increasing from 2016. Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) tries to attract more Muslim visitors by promoting more Halal Restaurant in the country.
KTO classified the Muslim Friendly Restaurant into four categories, as follows:
By 2021, there are hundreds restaurant selected by Korea Tourism Organization (KTO). and I had a chance to visit one of the restaurants. In this opportunity, I write about Indian & Nepal Food Restaurant in Pyeongtaek, named Swoyambhu.
Halal Menu
There is Muslim Friendly stickers inside the restaurant, so most of the menu must be Halal. You can eat everything, except alcohol beverages. I ordered appetizer, curry and nan for lunch.
The Appetizer
Mandu or dumpling has an authentic Indian’s spices taste. It was a bit different than Chinese dimsum because of the spices. But the sauce was not a good match. Normal chili sauce might be better. For the Pakoda, it is a snack contains some vegetables, and mixed with flour, and then fried. It was delicious. The price of Pakoda is KRW 6.000 and Mandu is KRW 7.000.
The Main Dishes
I ordered plain Nan, and Vegetable Curry named Dal Makhani. Dal Makhani is a black beens and lentils cooked in cream and Indian herbs. It is a bit creamy but not make you full. The taste is also mild, not spicy. The price is KRW 10.000 for the curry. You need to pay additional KRW 2.000 for the nan.
The Ambience
The place is not too big, I think it only has 5-6 tables if I’m not mistaken. They installed some culture ornament, and authentic lamp.
How to get there
Address:
경기 평택시 평택2로 5-1, 2층
Gyeonggi-do, Pyeongtaek-si, Pyeongtaek 2-ro 5-1 , 2F
Take subway Line 1, or Take train (Mugunghwa-go) and get off at Pyeongtaek Station. Go to exit 1, and walk about 200m straight, crossing the street. You will see the restaurant on the left side.
