Cuisine: Halal Chinese

Hours: 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Monday to Thursday; 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday; 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday

Telephone: 217-8888

Most people don’t associate Muslims with China, a country known to be the seat of Buddhism with a political system that bans religion.

But when you combine the world’s most populated country with the world’s largest religion, you’re bound to get more than a few matches.

Add to that equation the fact that there are more Chinese restaurants in Southeast Queens than any other single kind, and the inevitable result is Halal Kitchen.

Owned by a Chinese Muslim and open in the neighborhood since 1990, Halal Kitchen distinguishes itself in an area saturated with Chinese restaurants.

Not only are there a lot of halal dishes here—the designation comes after animals are slaughtered with a prayer from the Koran—but the food is particularly oil-free and fresh, making it a good choice for anyone looking for good Chinese food that raises the bar a little.

Nine out of 10 customers at Halal Kitchen, manager Fay Jianz said, are Muslim.

The most popular dishes are the halal chicken, beef and lamb choices, as seafood, vegetables and grains, for Muslims, need not be designated as halal.

Some unique dishes on the Halal Kitchen menu include the Halal General Tso’s Chicken Wings with Fried Rice ($4.50), the Halal Wonton Dumplings (12 for $3), the Halal Honey Chicken Wings ($3.50 for a small order), the Halal Oxtail with Broccoli ($6.50 with white rice), the Halal Dragon and Phoenix (a Schezuan chicken and shrimp dish for $9.50) and the Halal Happy Family (a huge dish with shrimp, chicken, beef, lobster, crab and vegetables for $9.50).

The Halal General Tso’s Chicken Wings with Fried Rice is an especially nice treat, on the restaurant’s "Special Food" menu. The chicken has a perfect amount of salt and seasoning and has a sharp, tangy taste. It’s not greasy at all, either. The fried rice is unlike most found in neighborhood fast food joints—the grains are loose and firm, and, like almost everything else on the menu, there is very little oil.

The Halal Wonton and Egg Drop Soup, a variation on a Chinese classic, is also great. Made with beef instead of pork, the soup is fresh and well-seasoned, with a fresh taste and big, firm egg whites.

The decor at Halal Kitchen is nothing out of the ordinary; only a few flyers for local Muslim businesses and houses of worship, as well as copies of Islamic newspapers, give away the restaurant’s holy secret.

But beyond religion—and with the exception of pork—Halal Kitchen has a lot to offer.