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A group of Muslim women in New York City, known as the Muslim Foodies, are helping their fellow Muslims in the city and beyond by providing written and video reviews of halal restaurants. The blog, which was started in early 2017 by Jiniya Azad, Tahirah Baksh, and Sameen Choudhry, serves as a guide to halal eateries and also educates people about what halal means, i.e., food that is prepared according to Islamic law and is therefore permissible for a Muslim to eat. The women, who are passionate about food, felt the need to help others facing the same issue they were struggling with: finding halal food. They met when they were undergraduate students at the City College of New York, and their bond has remained strong over the years.
The trio rate restaurants on several aspects, including food, price, atmosphere, and service. Their reviews are popular among Muslims living in, or visiting, the Big Apple, as there has long been a lack of consideration for halal dietary restrictions in the dining scene. The trio’s following has grown, with over 77,000 followers on Instagram and over 83,000 followers on TikTok. The blog also helps identify eateries that are “partially halal,” meaning only some items on the menu are designated halal, typically chicken.
The women believe that their work is not only helping the Muslim community find halal eats, but is also helping out the restaurants. The halal dining scene in New York has long been overlooked, and the trio is trying to change that by making it easier for Muslims to find halal restaurants. They visit new places and also cover restaurants from different cultures, rather than just South Asian or Middle Eastern food that is most popular among halal spots. They actively search for places that have halal food and rate them to provide valuable information to their followers.
The Muslim Foodies are aware that small business owners run most of the restaurants they review, and they try to be mindful of that. They rate restaurants fairly and give constructive criticism that could help the restaurant owners improve. Their love for food is evident in the passion they put into their work, and their following continues to grow as they provide valuable information to the Muslim community.
