Foodies with religious dietary restrictions get help
Websites, apps find eateries
By SACHI FUJIMORI
STAFF WRITER
Sameer Sarmast is the type of foodie who will drive to Philadelphia just to taste the best cheesesteak or a half-hour from his Paramus home for his favorite juicy burger. “I love food. I’m one of those guys who eats out 70 percent of the time,” said the 29-year-old, who works in banking.
But unlike the growing ranks of adventurous eaters, who scour dining websites like Yelp and Urbanspoon seeking out their next memorable meal with unfettered abandon, Sarmast has certain religious dietary restrictions.
As a Muslim, Sarmast eats only meat that is zabihah— meaning it’s been slaughtered according to specific Islamic guidelines. He can’t have alcohol — not even in a sauce. And the latest fad of wrapping everything in bacon, garnishing it with pancetta, or braising it with pork belly — that, of course, is totally off limits.
But just because you have to answer to a higher power when eating out, it doesn’t mean you can’t be a serious food connoisseur. A new genre of dining database sites caters specifically to religious diners, who are as passionate and curious about good eats as the secular set.
Koshertopia.com, a database of kosher dining in the tri-state area, provides information you’re not going to find on a mainstream dining site. In addition to neighborhood and restaurant type, users can look up a place according to the religious agency that certified it (there are more than 70). Logos depicting a wedge of cheese, a steak, and head of broccoli indicate whether the establishment’s menu is dairy, meat, or pareve — meaning that it serves neither.
“There’s a lot of technical details our users won’t trust coming from another site,” said Avi Feld, of Teaneck, who heads up sales and marketing for the site, which also offers coupons, reviews and dining news. “We really decided there needs to be a place that kosher consumers can go to read reviews from other kosher diners,” he said.
The site helps users discover hidden gems — like Rosa’s Pizza in the Empire State Building; the Bukhari, a Central Asian/Jewish place on a third floor in midtown’s diamond district; or practical information, like which Dunkin’ Donuts in North Jersey are kosher. Among the community of posters there’s also a basic acceptance that the food will cost more. “Someone who’s not kosher would say it’s expensive. But a kosher consumer understands the costs, that it’s more expensive to produce,” said Feld.
A similar foodie movement is cropping up in the Muslim world. Attiq Amjad, who grew up in Paramus and works in brand management, uses an app and website called zabihah.com to find the best halal restaurants from Paris to Paterson. “I want to go out and eat a nice meal, and when I’m eating something permissible from a spiritual standpoint it tastes better for me,” said Amjad.
The dining database even inspired him and his wife to launch a blog called halalfoodie.com. His inaugural post is dedicated to Kabab Paradise, an Afghan and hamburger place in Lake Hiawatha that recently opened a branch in Fair Lawn. Posting mouthwatering photos of burgers, kababs, and fragrant rice garnished with raisins and carrots he writes, “Kabab Paradise is a halal foodie’s dream come true.”
Sarmast of Paramus also has an equal zeal for Kabab Paradise, regularly making the trek to Morris County just to satisfy his burger craving. He turns to Yelp and other mainstream dining sites when looking for seafood restaurants or dessert places, but when he wants to eat meat, which must be slaughtered according to Islamic law, he pulls up zabihah.com on his Android. Having this site at his fingertips, is like having an inside connection to millions of Muslims: getting the scoop on good halal Chinese food in the area; or where to find the tastiest chicken pide, a thin crust pizza topped with diced chicken and vegetables, in South Paterson. “It’s based on the Muslim view and everyone knows about zabihah.com. Without this database, you have to go by word of mouth,” he said.
Like many foodies who dream of becoming a Food Network star, Sarmast hopes to fill a vacant niche as America’s next halal food personality. He got started by launching his own video blog sameerseats.com, where he visits popular halal eateries around the country. With gusto to match Guy Fieri ( of “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives” fame), he recently filmed an episode in the City of Brotherly Love sampling what he considers the best Philly cheesesteak, which also happens to be halal. “In recent times, much is coming out about the lifestyles of Muslim-Americans. This is a way we can all come together on food. No matter what your religion is, we want to enjoy good food,” he said.
E-mail: fujimori@northjersey.com
