Food is one of my primary reasons for travelling to Japan, and Eastern Japan has some of the best foods I have found throughout the country, thereby making the country one of my favourites that I go back to time and time again. But I also come back to Japan periodically to observe how the availability of halal food gradually improving, which is good news for my Muslim friends. For those visiting Tokyo, there has been one place that has been serving halal food for years, and that is Malay-chan (マレーチャン).
Malay-chan is a restaurant in Ikebukuro that serves Malaysian food and has been in business for years. It has become an important establishment for the Muslim community in Tokyo, who would flock to the place for their Malaysian-Muslim food cravings. The unique selling point of this restaurant is its location: it is a 10-minute walk from JR Ikebukuro station (JR池袋駅), and is right next to Rikkyo University which has a big international student body that includes Muslims from Malaysia and Indonesia.
Malay-chan’s menu features dishes synonymous with Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia. For example, there is the usual fare: chicken rendang, fried rice, and assam laksa penang, just to name a few. There are also popular desserts with origins from Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia such as banana fritters, Malaysian shaved ice with red beans, and even bubur cha-cha which is sweet potatoes in coconut milk.
I remember visiting Malay-chan for the first time six years ago. I was craving some food from back home, and back then Malaysian food was not readily available. I heard about Malay-chan and decided to pay a visit. I have to say, the effect of nostalgia is strong: the restaurant painstakingly models itself to look like a Malaysian village house. It is almost symbolic: coming to Malay-chan is like coming back home every time.
The nostalgia hits even harder upon entering the restaurant: meticulous attention is paid to decorating the interiors so that it looks and feels like an authentic Malaysian home/grocery shop. The staff had to order the furniture and their food straight from Malaysia and Indonesia, which was costly but worth the effort.
But of course, the most important part of assessing restaurants is the food. I had some reservations about the food quality; in particular, how authentic the taste would fare. And I have to admit: the food is pretty amazing. The fried rice (or nasi goreng, as how it is known in Southeast Asia) is up to par with what one can get back home, and the other dishes are quite comparably good too. The only catch? As expected, the spiciness level. The default is set to mild, so those who want their Malaysian food spicy can simply request it!
Though the food is halal and prepared by Muslim chefs, Malay-chan is officially not a halal establishment for one simple reason: it sells alcohol. I was curious why when I visited the first time, and the reason is sobering: their business relies heavily on customers who drink alcohol. Without alcohol sales, keeping the restaurant afloat would be almost impossible. From there, it was evident: that opening halal food establishments in Tokyo―and Japan as a whole―still proved to be an uphill task.
I hope that more restaurants like Malay-chan open in Japan. Japan is aiming to bring more tourists from all over the world, and the halal travel market is rapidly expanding. Access to halal food is still one of Muslim travellers’ main concerns when coming to Japan, so more halal food establishments are always welcoming. I am beginning to see more Muslim-friendly restaurants popping up even in rural areas in Japan, which is very encouraging for Muslim travellers. That way, they can experience all the beauty of the four seasons that Japan offers―some of the most beautiful ones can be found in rural areas of eastern Japan!―and not worry about food! Better yet, they can make Malay-chan their final stop in Tokyo towards the end of their journey. Let us hope that we get to see more of such restaurants in the future!
Malay-chan Satu
Address: 3-22-6 Nishi-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 〒171-0021
Nearest station: 5-minute walk from JR Ikebukuro Station (JR池袋駅)
JR TOKYO Wide Pass
The JR TOKYO Wide Pass is an affordable pass offering unlimited rail travel on JR East lines (including bullet trains) in the valid area for 3 consecutive days. At ¥15,000, you can use it to travel from Tokyo to many other places within the designated areas, such as Nikko, GALA Yuzawa, Karuizawa, and more. You can also make seat reservations online for free, up to 1 month in advance, on the JR-EAST Train Reservation.
Header image credit: JR East / Nazrul Buang
