My Hajj Packing list 2011

In the last few years quite a few of my friends have gotten the opportunity to visit the Islamic holy sites of Makkah and Madinah for the pilgrimage we call Hajj.

Makkah, Saudi Arabia is the location of the grand mosque called Kaba. This is the black cube building towards which Muslims face when they perform their daily prayer and millions upon millions of people visit every year to perform the mini pilgrimage, the Umrah, and the major pilgrimage, the Hajj.

Madinah, Saudi Arabia is the city where Masjid An-Nabawi, Prophet Mohammad (saw)'s mosque, is located. It is also the location of his grave site as well as the graves of many of his family members and companions. This was also the first city that was ruled according to Islamic laws.

Cocoa Grinder - A Halal Healthy Cafe

Cafes are a dime a dozen in Brooklyn, the hipster capital of America. What makes one cafe different from another? I think that depends on who you ask. Some might think that it's the ambiance of the place, while others might put importance on where the food and ingredients are sourced from, and yet others might place the importance on the overall experience of the restaurant.

Cocoa Grinder is a cafe in Bay Ridge that captures a little bit of each attribute that sets this spot apart from others.

BK Jani - Love of Pakistan, Brooklyn, and Food

"Brooklyn is for lovers" that's the motto of Brooklynites. So it is only right that the new halal spot that I discovered is called BK Jani. Opened by a Pakistani, Sibte Hassan, straight out of the beautiful city of Lahore, this new restaurant combines the best of the Pakistani Love of food with the Brooklyn Love of all cultures. If you havent guessed it yet, Jani is a word for lover in the native language of Pakistan. 

Trip to the City of Brotherly Love

City Hall

Every year the company I work for organizes a conference trip where employees are invited to attend workshops, mingle with our vendors and get to know the rest of the company a little better. This year, our conference trip took us to Philadelphia, PA.

I have been to this city a few times before but never actually stayed for more than a day. Most of my trips had been day trips at best, sometimes even just a few hours long at most when I needed to make a drive down for some work stuff at Philadelphia Airport.

I got in via Amtrak at 30th St Station in the evening on Tuesday and the company had arranged for us to stay at a hotel in downtown. The Amtrak train station is really nice in Philly, definitely something I noticed as I got off the train.

Another Thai Halal Foodventure: Khao Thai Kitchen

Thai Authentic Duck Noodle Soup

You would think that I have an obsession with Thai food at this rate but can you blame me if many of the new spots that my friends are talking about are Thai?

NYU campus area is known for its small quick bite restaurants and hole in the wall kind of places for students to stop by and grab a bite to eat. However, there are many other restaurants in the area that are proper sit down places where one can expect good service and good food. This also means higher prices. But not all places have to be like that.

Checking out a new spot: Nur Thai

Chocolate Lava Cake
w/Green Tea Ice Cream

As evident from some of my posts, I have a passion for food, especially unique cuisines. However, a lot of times it is hard to explore when many cuisines are not available with Halal options. That is why whenever I get a chance to eat at a new halal restaurant, I jump at it.

Today my family and I were in Queens and we decided to check out this spot that recently opened up called Nur Thai. It is location on woodhaven blvd in Queens, NY. As we drove to it, I have to say that memories of when we used to live in Queens came flooding back while we drove through Jamaica and the our old stomping grounds.

Bistro Truck Grows Up

As most of NY'ers know, the food scene is all about the street carts. There are the Halal Guys on 53rd st and 6th ave, there is the Samy's Halal carts all over NYC, and then there are various other Halal cart vendors all over the boroughs. Recently, a halal cart vendor opened shop in Staten Island near my parent's house, how crazy is that?

Since the success of the halal cart vendors, there has been a surge of a different kind of food venue, Food Trucks. The surge in these food trucks has been remarkable and the variety in the food they offer is deliciously incredible. There are trucks that server Korean BBQ, Moroccan, Indian, Chinese, and all types of other lunch options. Then there are the trucks that server dessert, from cupcakes to ice cream.