In the Middle East and Egypt, alcohol is not consumed due to the influence of religion, which also restricts the kinds of meat that can be eaten.  So, Muslims will be happy to hear that Islamic food can be found in Seoul.

There is a lot of diversity in Middle Eastern cuisine.  Located at the intersection of Eastern and Western culture, the Middle East has many kinds of dishes which incorporate seasonings and ingredients from many diverse regions.  For religious reasons, they do not eat pork, but spices feature prominently in their cooking.  Despite the lack of contact between South Korea and the Middle East, the cuisines of these two cultures are surprisingly similar.  For both, the basis of the meal is rice, which is accompanied by several side dishes, as the people from both cultures prefer a complex mixture of flavours to a single predominant one.  Also, many of the ingredients used in Middle Eastern cooking, including garlic, beans, sesame, eggplant, and eggs, can also be found in Korean cuisine.

The diversity of Middle Eastern cuisine is mirrored by that of Africa.   Africa is an immense continent, and there are many distinct cultures and tribes.  Each has their own traditional cuisine and cooking methods, so this vast continent offers a wealth of different kinds of food to explore.  Largely due to its geographical proximity, however, Egyptian cuisine is quite similar to that of the Middle East.

Although it can be challenging to find Middle Eastern food in Seoul, there are some very successful Itaewon-area restaurants run by people from the Middle East.

• Petra(Syrian and Jordanian)
At this restaurant, which serves Syrian and Jordanian cuisine, you can try Middle Eastern food.  Kebabs and hummus are representative of this style of food, which features characteristic spices like cinnamon, cardamom, coriander, thyme, and saffron.  Lamb is also frequently used.  They do not sell alcoholic beverages, though.
- address: 552 Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
- phone: 790-4433

• Alibaba(Egyptian)
This place is an Egyptian restaurant, a rare find in Seoul. It is quite small, but they have a loyal following among the Muslim community and Westerners in search of exotic flavours. They serve falafel, which are deep-friend balls of minced chickpeas coated with powdered sesame mixed with salt, and dipped in sauce. They also serve alibaba chicken, which is marinated in lemon and onion sauce and oven-roasted.  It tastes even better served with thin, light-tasting pita bread.  In addition, this is one of the few places in Seoul where you can order a Middle Eastern-style water pipe for smoking.
- address: 124-9 Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
- phone: 02-790-7754

• Dubai(Middle Eastern)
Enjoy Arabic food at this Middle Eastern restaurant run by Iraqis.  Besides the wide variety of curries and kebabs they offer, appetizers like hummus and falafel are also available.  After your meal, try a waterpipe, with eight flavours available, including apple, mint, strawberry, rose, etc.
- address: 127-2 Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
- phone: 02-798-9277

• Persian Palace(Iranian)
This is an Iranian spicy curry restaurant. You can taste spicy curry made by an Iranian. Their best dish is curry made with lamb marinated in seasonings for 3 days.  The smoked chicken curry is also recommended. Their Persian full-course set menus include various kinds of curry sauce, six pieces of chicken, and Iranian-style rice cakes. In addition to curries, you can enjoy various kinds of exotic food, such as Iranian-style bread, yogurt, and alcoholic beverages.
- address: 121-1 Myeongryundong-2ga, Jongno-gu, Seoul
- tel:  02-763-6050
- website: http://www.persianpalace.com