Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Halal Food in Itaewon Seoul

Ankara Picnic



One of my all-time favorite meals can be found at a very unique place and time. It's actually the 53rd/6th Halal Cart in NYC. It's usually referred to as chicken/rice and it only appears during the late evening hours. If you ever get a chance to visit NYC, this place is a must. Outside of NYC, it's really hard to find something similar or comparable. One evening my cousin was walking through Itaewon, and found Ankara Picnic - a Seoul Restaurant that serves halal food. Their main dish is a shawarma-like wrap consisting of either chicken or lamb. It looks like a burrito, but the taste is very distinct from Mexican food. This was the closest thing that I've found in Korea that tastes similar to the chicken/rice cart in NYC. The meat is constantly roasting on a spinner, and cooked to perfection. The server will grab a wrap (not sure if it's tortilla), slice the meat, add some vegetables, their delicious white sauce (possibly a yogurt based sauce), and some hot sauce. I personally recommend ordering the chicken as it has a cleaner taste then the lamb. I would also suggest asking for very little hot sauce, or none at all, because it will make you sweat. The price is reasonable for a quick, satisfying bite of a chicken wrap. There are only a few chairs inside to sit and eat, so it's more of a grab and go type of food. Nevertheless, Ankara Picnic in Itaewon gives an excellent taste of halal food on the go.

Price: $$
Stars: 4 stars
Location: Itaewon Station - exit 3 (can't miss it)

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