Kochi has one too! Halal Restaurant Eating worry-free at Bali Jasmine

Marisa, Kochi City CIR

Fashionable interior with Bali
decorations.

   If you go along the street in Yanagimachi, north of Obiyamachi, you will see a green sign on the second floor of the Shiroki building with “Bali Jasmine” written in large letters. This restaurant which opened in September 2016, is open for lunch and dinner every day except Thursday. Its draws are Indonesian and Indian cooking, and bringing authentic taste to Kochi is the goal of Yuni, the owner of this shop.

   The interior is outfitted with Bali decorations, and it feels like you aren’t in Japan once you step inside. In addition to Indonesian classics such as nasi goreng and mie goreng, you can also eat Indian food such as naan and curry at this restaurant. There are no pork items on the Indonesian menu, but there are some on the Indian menu. Yuni is Muslim, and all the chicken and beef used in this restaurant is Halal. In accordance with Islamic teachings Indian menu items containing pork and Halal items are prepared using different cookware, and the cooking space is separated as well. For Muslims, eating at restaurants like this gives us peace of mind, and we can enjoy our meals without any worries.

"Ayam Penyet", a chicken dish
with plenty of Indonesian spices.

Let’s Eat Halal Dishes!
   On this day I ordered a Halal dish called ayam penyet. This is a chicken dish in which chicken flavored with plenty of Indonesia spices is deep fried, and is delicious when enjoyed with vegetables, rice, and a unique sauce called sambal. People in Indonesia eat this dish with their hands, so I ate with my hands as well. I forgot that I was in Japan for a moment, and I felt as if I were back in Indonesia. It was a very happy time.

 

 

 

Yuni, the owner of the restaurant.

Hoping for a Muslim-friendly Society
   Halal is not very well known in Japanese society, and I am encouraged to know that there are restaurants like this. When I go to a restaurant, I often need to check if there is pork in the menu items before I eat. I have to check the ingredients on the back when I shop at stores, so having Halal restaurants or Halal sections at super markets is very helpful. It is also very common to be disappointed once finding out that something I want to eat or buy contains pork, so I can avoid being disappointed in Halal restaurants or Halal sections of super markets. There are many Halal restaurants in large cities such as Tokyo and Osaka, so in order for Muslims to be able to enjoy many more kinds of food, I hope that Kochi continues to increase the number of Halal restaurants, companies which manufacture Halal foods, and Halal sections in super markets.

 

〇Bali Jasmine
   Location: Shiroki Building 2F, 1-15-9 Obiyamachi, Kochi City
   TEL:.088-823-8311 Shop holiday: Thursday
   Open hours: Lunch (11:00-15:00), dinner (18:00-24:00)