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My Top 5 Halal (Zabihah) Restaurants in the Bay Area

 Currently I have nearly 200 reviews on Zabihah.com – a website created by a friend of mine, Shahed Amanullah, about 10 years ago which is a user generated review site for Zabihah Halal restaurants across the world!

Zabihah is an arabic word which means an animal is slaughtered according to Islamic dietary laws (similiar to Kosher for Jews) and it is Halal (permissible in Islam) for Muslims to consume.

Since many people see my reviews online, I got the nickname of “Mr. Zabihah.com” from some of my friends and always get asked about my favorite Halal places or if I have come across any new Halal places in the Bay Area.

I decided to post my top 5 Halal restaurants (as of now:)) here on my blog!  So here they are (not in any particular order):

Top Deck Deli in Santa Clara, CA

1. Top Deck Deli in Santa Clara, CA (located about a mile away from the MCA masjid).  This is an Old-fashioned American Deli which serves all the traditional favorites such as Reubens, Cheese Burgers, Philly Cheesesteaks, Grilled Chicken Sandwiches as well as specialty items such as wings, salads, burrittos, tacos, steaks and soups.  They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. For breakfast try the chopped steak and eggs or the Denver Omelet (Halal turkey bacon, veggies and cheese). My favorite lunch item is the Hot Pastrami sandwich on a sourdough roll.  They also have low-carb wraps which you can get for most of the sandwiches and is a good alternative if you are trying to cut down on your carbs like I am these days:).  An important note is that the owner, Don Brown recently converted to Islam (during the month of Shabaan this year) and is a very down to earth and friendly man (as is his wife, Emma, who runs the deli with him).  He is dedicated to providing high quality Halal American food for the Muslim community, and although his prices are a bit more than the usual places (Subway, Quiznos, etc.), his food is much better quality and has bigger portions – last but not least it is completely 100% Halal:)! Go to www.topdeckdeli.com for more info.

Cafe Grillades in San Bruno, CA

2. Cafe Grillades in San Bruno, CA (located close to the SFO airport).  This is a nice French Algerian place which serves some of the best crepes in the Bay Area.  When most people think of crepes, they think “IHOP”, but these are REAL crepes, both savory and sweet crepes.  The owner, Br. Samy Fars has gone through alot of trouble to provide all halal meat, even though most of his customers are not Muslim.  The restaurant is small, but very classy and a nice change compared to most Halal restaurants which have little or no interior decor or concept of friendly service.  My favorite items are the chicken poulet crepe, the cafe grillades burger (one of the best burgers I have had) and for dessert you can’t beat the banana crepe with caramel!  I highly recommend this place to bring your guests as it will be a very unique Halal experience that you can’t find anywhere else in the Bay Area (and perhaps in the country:))! Go to www.cafegrillades.com for more info.

Gulzaar Bakery and Restaurant

3. Gulzaar Halal in San Jose, CA (located a couple miles away from Valley Fair Mall).  This use to be a Lebanese bakery (Called “Just Laziz”) which served Manakesh and other similiar items, but was bought by Imam Omar Farooq Desai who use to own Hala-B’s sandwich spot in Sunnyvale a few years back.  He has brought back his famous Beef Kabab and Shredded chicken sandwiches to Gulzaar.  The french bread roll is one of the best sandwich bread I have ever had, and I still don’t know where he get’s it from!  Imam Farooq still has the Lebanese items on the menu, but has added some Indian-Pakistani favorites such as biriyani and samosas.  Try the Beef Kabab Sandwich (medium spicy) and you will not be disappointed! The chicken biriyani is good too:) Go to www.gulzaar.net for more info.

New Yorkers Buffalo Wings in San Francisco, CA

4. New Yorkers Buffalo Wings in San Francisco, CA (in the Mission District).  Although the parking is difficult and it may not be in the best of areas, this place is worth trying out when you are in SF, especially if it’s late at night and most Halal places are closed, this place is open till 3am on Friday and Saturday nights!  The wings are excellent.   My favorite wing sauce is the Spicy one, although BBQ and Teriyaki are very good as well.  I usually get the Supreme Philly Cheesesteak, which is excellent since it’s very cheesy and has alot of meat!  The interior decor of the place is clean and spacious and they have a large TV in the corner where you can watch movies or sports. Go to www.nywings.com for more info.

Sala Thai 2 in Fremont, CA

5. Sala Thai II in Fremont, CA (Located in an industrial office park).  I like Thai food, because it’s a mix of Chinese and Indian food and spicier than both!  The interior decor of this restaurant is very nice with polished wood tables, shiny black seats and colorful yet elegant tiles on the walls.  Our family usually celebrates some kind of birthday, anniversary or special occassion at this restaurant, as everyone enjoys the food.  Get the Hot soup with prawns (or chicken) and Yellow Curry Chicken.  The sati is good, as well as the BBQ chicken or beef.  I liked the garlic wings for appettizer and Drunken Noodles for main course.  Try the Thai Iced Tea as well the fresh coconut milk.  For dessert try the “Roti” (tiny pieces of bread with condensed milk and sugar on top).  Note that there are two locations, but only Sala Thai II serves Halal meat.  Go to www.salathai-restaurant.com for more info.

You can see these as well as the rest of my reviews on Zabihah.com.  If you have an iPhone, download the Zabihah application from iTunes, so that you can quickly find your local halal restaurants, grocery and meat stores, masjids and Muslim owned businesses while on the go!

Irfan “Mr. Zabihah.com” Rydhan

30 Mosques in 30 days

Here is a link to a blog by two Muslim guys (Aman Ali and Bassam Tariq) travelling around NYC every day in Ramadan having iftaar (breaking of the fast) at a different mosque each night.

It’s pretty interesting because not only do they talk about the different types of food, but also the culture and history of the mosque as well.

They also got some very nice pictures.  Check it out here:

http://30mosques.tumblr.com/post/189907332/day-26-masjid-at-taqwa#disqus_thread

Architecture Pakistan: Bhong Mosque

Bhong Mosque, Pakistan

Check out this very interesting piece on Architecture in Pakistan, featuring the Bhong Mosque, which received the Agha Khan Award in Architecture in 1986.  The mosque had 50 years of continuous construction from 1932 to 1982! This Article from Pakistan.Com was written by Owais Mughal: http://pakistaniat.com/2009/07/27/architecture-pakistan-bhong-mosque/

“New Muslim Cool” – is pretty cool

I recently watched the “New Muslim Cool” documentary and was pretty impressed.  The film directed and produced by Jennifer Maytoerna Taylor, is about a Puerto Rican Muslim convert, Hamza Perez, who as a former drug dealer, struggles to make a new life for himself, his family and his new Muslim community in Pittsburgh, PA.

It is an inspiring story of how a young Muslim, who uses Hip Hop music to express his feelings in a very creative and productive way, is not only able to stay on the straight path of Islam, but also give back to his community by working as a chaplain in the local prison and also helps to form a new Muslim community in the un-friendly environment of the post 9-11 world.

The film makes “born Muslims” like me feel pretty pathetic, after watching it – especially since I have never really given da’wah (invite Non-Muslims to Islam) to people in my neighborhood, but here is this young man, who is just only scratching the surface of his Islamic knowledge, yet he is going out into the streets and tough areas of where he lives and talks to street hustlers and gang-bangers about Islam!  And they are succeeding by receiving new Shahahdahs (converts) at their mosque often.

The documentary covers a few years of Hamza’s life, including him raising his two young children from a previous relationship, how he met his wife Rafiah (who also has two young children) off of Naseeb.com,  and his relationship with his Roman Catholic family.  His mother, who was obviously confused about her son’s conversion to Islam at the beginning, eventually came around once she saw how it had helped to transform him into a better person – one who no longer drinks or lives a criminal life on the streets.

But some of the most interesting parts of the documentary for me was how Hamza speaks at the prison he works at as a chaplain – because he doesnt only talk to the Muslims, but also the Christians and other prisoners (of all ages) who are interested in religion to find redemption for their past sins.  Hamza was talking about the universal aspects of Islam and helping the men of the prison understand that after you ask forgiveness from God, you still need to ask forgiveness from those people who have been hurt from the past crimes they have committed.  Only then can you find true redemption.

The main part of the film centers about a FBI raid on the new mosque that Hamza and others in the local Muslim community (mainly African-American and Latinos) regularly attend.  The FBI have been watching the mosque for several weeks and find an excuse to raid it, while at the same time try to scare Hamza by telling him that they know all about him!  A few weeks later Hamza’s security clearance at the prison is revoked and he is no longer allowed to work as an Imam or counselor there.  No reason is given by the authorities. Eventually Hamza gathers the help of the ACLU and it is determined that Hamza and his brother Suliman’s rap group “Mujahideen Team” (M-Team)’s anti-government and “militant” lyrics are the reasons for the prison removing his security clearance.  Eventually the prison authorities, with the help of another Prison counselor who was impressed with Hamza’s work at the prison, set-up a meeting with Hamza and allowed him to return after discussing their concerns with him.  They understood that Hamza has the right to say what he wants to outside of the prison, especially when what he speaks to the prisoners is about trying to make them better people and not to become more radicalized against the government!  I was happy to see this part in the film, since Hamza was doing alot of great work in the prison, and as someone who has visited Muslim inmates in prison myself, I know how important it is for them to get to meet and talk to Muslims on the outside!  He is also a very talented rapper, and it was good that he is continuing his music, although I’m sure he and his brother will tone down their act a little now (I saw them perform in Oakland a few years back and they came out with swords on fire – which was also featured in the documentary)!

The last part of the film covers how Hamza, after doing some more research and study on the life of the Prophet Muhammad (S), reads how the Prophet (S) made treaties and worked with the Jews and Christians of his time in Medina.  Thus, Hamza becomes inspired and comes into contact with  a Jewish group who are looking for Muslim poets to create an artistic dialouge between the two communities.  We get to see the transformation of Hamza take place before our eyes – from a hard core militant Muslim rapper to an open-minded and thoughtful Muslim poet!

I highly recommend everyone to watch “New Muslim Cool”, even if you are not Muslim, because it shows a part of America, which many people do not normally get to see – that of young American Muslims who are doing positive work in their community and who genuinely care about improving not only their own lives, but the lives of everyone around them for the better!

The documentary will air nationwide on PBS’s P.O.V. series on Tuesday June 23rd at 10pm (check local listings).

For more information go to: www.NewMuslimCool.com

Irfan

p.s. The soundtrack for the film is pretty good as well.  Check out a sample here: http://www.newmuslimcool.com/clips-music

First Pakistani Starship Captain in latest “Star Trek” Film

Faran Tahir

U.S.S. Kelvin

I watched the latest “Star Trek” film in IMAX this past weekend and was pleasantly surprised to see Faran Tahir, a Pakistani-American who played the lead villian in “Iron Man” last year, as Captain Robau of the Starship U.S.S. Kelvin.

According to an article on scifiwire.com, Tahir was cast by Director J.J. Abrams specifically because of his ethnicity, which is a tradition of the “Star Trek” series since the 60’s when Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry had a mutli-ethnic cast depicting the future in a “color-blind” and “racism-free” society (of course are still not at that level yet, although we do have a Black President).

Although Tahir is not the first South Asian actor to play a Starship Captain in a Star Trek film (Vijay Amritraj played the first south asian captain in Star Trek IV), he is definitely the first Pakistani (and Muslim) to play one!

This is a big step forward, because normally Pakistanis (and Muslims) are only depicted as terrorists and bad guys (i.e. Like Tahir’s character in the “Iron Man” film) and it was nice to see him as a good guy who is also an intelligent and brave leader.

My only criticism (WARNING SPOILER ALERT) is:

Why did they have to kill Tahir’s character off in the first 15 minutes of the movie?!  I know in the past, minority characters were typically the first ones to get killed off (i.e. the black guy who is usually the first to get killed by the monster in a horror film, etc.), but come on now!

A friend of mine commented that “he (Tahir’s character) died valiantly” in the film….well this may be true, but at least they could have had him fight back against Nero (Eric Bana) and not just get killed instantly!!!  Do you think Captain Kirk would have just stood there and let a Romulan come at him like that without even throwing a punch?  I don’t think so!

Also I find it interesting that Captain Kirk’s father, George Kirk (who takes over as Captain of the U.S.S. Kelvin once Tahir’s character Robau leaves the ship to meet with Nero), is considered a hero because he pulls a Kamikaze suicide mission and rams his ship straight into the Romulan ship to allow his crew to escape to safety. 

Don’t get me wrong – it was definitely a Heroic act – but let’s be realistic here: Would they call the “Pakistani Muslim/Middle-Eastern” Captain Robau a “Hero” if he was the one flying the ship on a suicide mission?!  I don’t think so!  More likely they would report it as Terrorist Act:)!

Just Some Food for Thought:)

Overall I thought the latest “Star Trek” film was well done.  It was much more action oriented, than past Star Trek films and thus many “Trekkies” are not very happy with it.  But since I’m not really a Star Trek Geek (I’m more of a “Star Wars” Freak:)), it was an enjoyable film to watch fore me!  Check it out on IMAX if you get the chance.

Maybe in the near future, we will see more positive Pakistani (and Muslim) characters not only in Science Fiction films, but in other types of movies as well!

Faran TahirU.S.S. Kelvin

First Islamic Architecture Mosque Tour in the Bay Area

The Islamic Society of the East Bay (ISEB) will host its first Islamic Architecture Mosque tour in Fremont, CA. The tour of the 10,000 square foot mosque and recently completed 13,000 square foot school building will be lead by Amin Adil Qazi, Architect,  AIA (American Institute of Architects), and Shakeel Ahmed, PE. The tour will also include a presentation about Islamic influences on American Architecture by Irfan Rydhan, Assoc. AIA.

“This event offers a unique opportunity for the Architectural community to see an example of Islamic architecture in the Bay Area and we invite the whole community to share in the Muslim community’s recently completed Mosque project,” said Irfan Rydhan, Assoc. AIA. He continued by saying,“Islamic Architecture is an important part of the development of Muslim communities in America, and can be enjoyed by the entire community, not just Muslims.”

WHAT:      Architectural Tour of ISEB Mosque
                        Presentation on Islamic influences on American Architecture
                        Observation of Islamic Friday Prayers
                        Complimentary Snacks
WHERE:    33330 Peace Terrace,
                         Fremont, CA 94555
WHEN:       Friday May 1st, 2009
                         1:00p.m. – 3:00p.m.

The tour is Free and open to the general public.  To confirm attendance, please RSVP to Ahsan Baig at mosquetour@iseb.org.
For more information, please visit:
http://www.iseb.org/mosquetour

First Mosque Designed by a Woman in Turkey

The Sakirin Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey

The dome of the Sakirin Mosque

A friend posted this video clip on facebook about the First Mosque in Turkey designed by a Woman (Zeynep Fadillioglu):

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7985351.stm

I was impressed with the creativity and look of the Sakirin Mosque in Istanbul, especially with the stylized mihrab, elegant mimbar and blown glass “rain drops” hanging from a chandelier on the inside of the 130 foot diameter dome.  The design is very contemporay, yet very respectful of the past Islamic traditions, such as the Quranic Calligraphy etched into the interior glass.

I look forward to seeing some more innovative Islamic designs around the world by both Muslim Women and Men:)!

My Interview on KGO-TV (Ch. 7) news about U.S. Aid to Pakistan

I was recently interviewed by KGO-TV (ABC Ch. 7) news about U.S. Aid to Pakistan, the flogging of a young women in the SWAT valley and Illume magazine’s coverage of Greg Mortenson’s work of building schools in the mountain areas of Pakistan.

I stated that this type of treatment of women is not based on Islam, but ancient cultural and tribal practices that go back hundreds of years.  It also has to do with a lack of education, not only in general, but also a lack of understanding of Islam.  Sharia law (I am no expert) has built-in protections for the innocent, such as the requirement for there to be 4 eye witnesses to an accusation of adultery.  Obviously, the Taliban, and other groups like them, are extremely conservative and think that they know what is correct and what is not.  They need to be educated, and the best way that can happen is if their fellow Muslims who are familiar with Islamic law can sit down and educate them.

When the reporter asked me about U.S. aid to Pakistan for Civil Infrastructure and the corruption in Pakistani government – I stated that the U.S. cannot just throw money at the problem and expect things to get done.  The U.S. needs to put a little effort in making sure that things are done properly and they weed out the corruption.  They need to have some strict guidelines on how the money should be used and also have some follow-up to see where the money has been spent and what the results are.  I gave the example of Greg Mortenson, who is an average American, who did not have billions of dollars behind him, but because he spent the time and effort to make sure things got done properly, he was able, with the help of good Pakistanis, to get alot of positive results (see my post below about Greg Mortenson’s work).  It’s not an easy task, but some hard work, effort and patience on both sides (American and Pakistani) are needed to make a change for the better!

I happened to mention to the reporter that I am the Public Relations Director for the American Muslim magazine, Illume (www.illumemagazine.org), and the copy which I gave him, happened to have a story about Greg Mortenson.  Because it went with the story, he included a bit about the magazine and showed the cover of the magazine in the story.

So overall the story came out pretty well, even though my interview was cut down to about 10-15 seconds sound-byte about Greg Mortenson.  

Check out the video here: http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/video?id=6755267

My Memory of Dear Sattar Uncle – by Adeel Iqbal

I was just a college freshman then, as I sat face to face with Br. Abdul Sattar Rydhan, marhoom – Sattar Uncle, as I called him – at his home in San Jose. Tape recorder, notebook and pencil in hand, I was ready to begin my first interview for an assignment I had taken on in Dr. Hatem Bazian’s course on the development of Islam in America.  It was mid Spring 2004 and like all the other lazy Muslim kids in Dr. Bazian’s class who opt for what they think will be an easy way out of UC Berkeley’s American Cultures requirement, I, as usual, had started months later than I should have. As the deadline loomed, I worried about not yet having enough material for my write-up. But after spending just a few hours in Sattar Uncle’s living room, my worry took a new twist: How would I fit all of this into one paper?

 

His story – full of creativity and action – began with the 1970s at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where Sattar Uncle was studying engineering and participated in the activities of the campus Muslim Student Association. From there I would hear about the transformation of student associations into community associations as single students turned into parents, and started worrying about raising children with strong Islamic values.

 

At the time, the nearest masjid to the South Bay was in San Francisco. There were no Sunday Islamic schools. Not a single Islamic advocacy organization.

 

As he spoke, I thought of how lucky I am to have grown up years after the first steps had been taken by Sattar Uncle and others like him. I thought back on my classes at the South Bay Islamic Association on Sundays. Those were a regular part of my weekly schedule as I grew up, and although I drove with my mom to school each week, I would rarely give thought to the people that had first made Islamic school a reality.

 

Three decades after masjids like the South Bay Islamic Association were first built; our community boasts numbers in the tens of thousands, countless organizations that advocate on behalf of Muslims, another countless set of Islamic service organizations, and dozens of masjids and halal meat stores.

 

It’s safe to say that much of these blessings are a result of the tireless work of our dear Sattar Uncle. Many in the community have already heard about his work in kickstarting Bay Area Media Watch – the precursor to the Islamic Networks Group, which a little more than 15 years back began teaching objectively about Islam and Muslims in local schools. We have also heard about his efforts in developing the American Muslim Alliance, which aims to bring the voice and concerns of Muslims in the United States to the mainstream political arena. He also put energy behind community outreach efforts and building strength in the news media, supporting such causes as the American Muslim Voice and a media outreach committee at the South Bay Islamic Association.

 

Although seeing these groups and participating in them as a young Muslim have always given me a sense of pride, I am even more grateful for the smaller, unrecognized efforts of Uncle Sattar.

 

I can remember back to my youth group class at Sunday School when my teacher took leave – Sattar Uncle came to fill the void. Alongside calmly covering difficult topics like tahara and the deeper meaning of the six fundamental beliefs, which often Muslim teens can struggle to comprehend, I remember enjoying him lightly poke fun at me and my classmates – and making the masjid a fun environment to join. I can also think back to the rare instances when I have arrived early to the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds for Eid prayer, and seen Sattar Uncle and family running from one corner to the other to make sure all arrangements are in order for everyone else. And who can forget the idea of halal Kentucky Fried Chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy at Juma each Thanksgiving?

 

Although while a child, all I knew of Sattar Uncle was that he told me to “wait a minute” to hear announcements after Maghrib prayers at Family Night on the first Friday of the month – announcements about moon sighting seem to be the most memorable – I have been blessed to have had the opportunity to appreciate the many different colors of the man as I grew older.

 

In the months before his passing, he even gave me a basic economics lesson: “Cash is king,” he said, with his hand movements amplifying each statement he made. “Buy low, sell high. Like that 1970s disco song, what goes up, must come down. And remember, money talks, everything else walks.” He was again poking fun – this time for my decision to take some economics courses. “You know what they say about the economist. . . He can only predict what has already passed,” he said with a grin on his face. He got quite a few chuckles out of me, as he spoke, and everyone else who decided to listen in.

 

Years earlier, I recall running into him unexpectedly atop the hills of UC Santa Cruz. It was the summer after my sophomore year of high school and I was just beginning a yearbook camp there. Uncle had come to drop off his daughter, Sana, for the development residency. Upon seeing the two of them and exchanging salaams, I remember feeling my respect for Sattar Uncle shoot up even higher. In that moment, I saw not only a father taking time out of his weekday afternoon to be a part of his family’s activities, but an uncle from my community who had the foresight and trust to allow his daughter to explore on her own. This was an exemplary leader who didn’t simply pay lip service to the need for media activism or women’s empowerment; I thought to myself – rather, he helped to instill these values in his own children.

 

It is with the blessings of Allah subhanawata’ala that more than a year since our dear Sattar Uncle left us; his legacy and our joyful memory of him still shine.

 

He touched lives wherever he walked – as I’m sure you can guess, in writing this article, I could have talked to at least a hundred people about Sattar Uncle’s impact on them personally. The fact is: he helped to build leaders. Alhamdulillah, each organization I mentioned earlier, to this day, works with the same unwavering spirit that Sattar Uncle carried.

 

Sadly, I don’t ever remember thanking him. Not once. And realizing that now really makes me wish I had.

 

Now, all I can do is pray for him, and his family. And I can tell others about my mistake. Let it serve as a reminder for all of us to thank the many other brothers and sisters who have toiled to build the Ummah we know today. The list of their names could not fit on these pages. Two probably just stood next to you during Juma prayer.

 

Let that be the suggestion I leave you with: Make du’a for Sattar Uncle and his family and his community after your next prayer today, and the next time you see someone you know has done great things for your community, thank them. Right there and then. You’ll be glad you did.

 

More importantly, put yourself to work. No harm in repeating the old adage: Your community is as good as you make it. Uncle’s family will need your help putting out the prayer mats on Eid day. The school principal will always be in need of a teacher. The community will need a voice in the media. The list can go on. As his active elder son, Irfan, reminded us all a year ago at the khatam for Sattar Uncle, “There is a lot of work we need to get done.” He said we could start by pitching in for a new sound system at the masjid as the old one had broken.

 

In the history Sattar Uncle began relating to me in his living room some five years ago, there was no ending. We need to build libraries, institutes of higher learning, where Muslims and non-Muslims alike come to study and read books about history and algebra and science, and the contributions of Muslims in these fields, he said. Not just about Qur’an and Sunnah.

 

Simply put, he was a visionary. A man ahead of his time. And he’s left us with a project – We owe it to him to get it done.

 

Adeel Iqbal is former chair of the SBIA Media Committee and former editor of The Daily Californian at the University of California, Berkeley.