A variety of restaurants in Edmonton are now expanding their offerings to include halal choices for consumers – a shift from when specialty halal butcher shops were the primary source for halal meat.

Halal, which means permissible in Arabic, follows specific dietary standards. It adheres to Islamic principles for sourcing, handling, and cooking. 

El Puerto de Acajutla, a Salvadoran and Mexican restaurant that has been operating in Edmonton for two decades, added halal meat to its menu last year. Owner Alicia Ayala said the decision was made in response to requests from customers.

The restaurant has implemented a separate grill and dedicated cooking utensils to prevent cross-contamination with their non-halal meat products such as pork. 

Ayala said she was initially unsure how customers would respond.

“I was mostly hesitant on what I was going to receive as feedback because of halal meat options,” Ayala said.

“I think a lot of people think it’s this crazy type of meat. It’s just blessed before being slaughtered.”

Ayala said she finds halal meat to be softer and so far, customer feedback has been positive. 

Another local spot that’s adapting to halal options is Hanjan, a Korean restaurant known for its fried chicken that has three locations in the city.

The restaurant transitioned to being completely halal a year ago at all of its locations. While owner Sam Lee initially provided a menu with a mix of halal and non-halal options, the establishment ultimately made the decision to convert to an entirely halal operation.

“For us, we found, like the quality, when we compare side-by-side, is less the same in terms of how we use it, it’s better to use something that’s available to more people.” Lee said.

The growing interest is also being noticed at local halal butcher shops.

Hamza Abduallahi, an employee at Capital Convenience and Halal Meats, said that the store’s customer base grew by about 10 to 15 per cent last year.

“A lot of our customers now are growing more because they come and buy halal meat specifically, because of the way the animal is treated and cleanliness, and the quality of the meat is just overall better,” Abduallahi said.

For Abduallahi, who grew up in Edmonton, the increasing availability of halal options in restaurants from diverse cultures is exciting.

“I’m very happy to see that, because I can go and try out some places I never been to as a child and it just makes me happy.” 

As businesses respond to demand, Abduallahi believes halal food is expected to continue expanding beyond specialty shops, which means more options and more places to eat for customers who only eat halal.