Staff writer Ajwah Qureshi and Guest Writer Nathan Yuan debate the highly controversial question: is our beloved halal actually kind of mid?

Negative: Nathan

There, I said it. The emperor has no clothes, the Spectator is overrated, and Hooda Halal is mid. 

Understand I’m not saying Hooda is inedible or that Spec is bad, it’s just that both are meh. The reality is that there are so many better options within a walkable distance (Bwog instead of Spec and Halal Chicks and Platters for Hooda).

There are better halal options within a short walk. Halal Chicks and Platters serve up double portions, more flavorful chicken, a wider array of toppings that you actually get to choose. And, if that wasn’t enough yet, there are even tables where you can actually sit down to enjoy your meal without huddling with your friends outside like a swarm of rats doing what rats do (eating trash on the side of the road). 

Now I understand if you’re a freshman and too scared to venture more than five blocks from campus, but if you’re too lazy to walk 10 minutes to Halal Chicks and Platters, you can also just admit you’re lazy (there’s no need to be ashamed).

Still, I want to stress that this isn’t an anti-Hooda manifesto. In a lot of ways, there’s nothing wrong with Hooda – I think the food is acceptable, and honestly, I respect that they’re able to make it from inside a dinky trailer. And you know what, it’s near campus, convenient, and cheap. So if that’s why you go to Hooda, great for you. What I don’t understand are all the people running around talking about how great Hooda is. I myself also enjoy a good midnight McDonald’s run, but I don’t run around talking about how McDonald’s is the best thing since toilet paper.

Hooda occupies the one place on my mental food map where I go when there are no other options. It’s the spot you hit when you’re starving after a long study session and when you just aren’t feeling JJs. And there’s nothing wrong with that! But let’s be honest—if you’re claiming Hooda is some kind of culinary masterpiece, you just haven’t ventured far enough. I get why people go, and I’ll probably find myself in line again at some point. But let’s not pretend it’s something it’s not. Hooda is fine. It’s decent. It’s there when you need it. But is the best halal you’ve ever had? C’mon now. Raise your standards.

Affirmative: Ajwah

If you like Hooda Halal, you’re a true Columbia student.

For the student who picks Hooda Halal, you’re loyal, have good taste buds, and have enough kindness in your heart to still enjoy a smile from those guys.

While there may be other options, there are none as cheap or close to campus. As a busy Muslim student, I need quick, tasty food that I can eat as fast as possible in the half hour we have between classes. We don’t have time to walk around mindlessly looking for halal places or typing “Top 10 Halal Places NYC” again just to get the same overpriced, tiny portions a whole subway ride away from campus.

Promoting Hooda is also a responsibility I don’t take lightly. I, for one, can appreciate the work they put into their food, especially considering they’re one of the most popular trucks, with students and staff, with Muslim and non-Muslims, and with people who like them and others who begrudge them for doing their job well. Clearly, good food has no boundaries and great customer service doesn’t discriminate against a person’s incorrect opinions.

I consider it a Columbia student’s rite of passage to order from Hooda past midnight and I challenge anyone to name a halal place that will give you food at 3 in the morning!

Fun Anecdote:

I went to go get lunch (per usual) and forgot not just my ID but my entire wallet in my room. I only realized this when it was time to pay. So naturally, I rushed to go get it and was standing at the gates of Columbia, bargaining with security to let me in, when they called me back (clearly the location is very convenient) and said I could have the food and pay next time.

So, my second and last challenge is for anyone who can find me a place where they would let you get away without paying (“until next time”). To be clear, I went back and paid immediately as soon as Columbia let me back into my room.

They stay up till four in the morning just to give us the food we need when we’ve been out too late during finals and they do it all with a smile and a joke (if you’re in the mood)! The food also tastes incredible. Great portions, great salad on the side, and while personally, I can only say “one line” when it comes to the hot sauce, I will always ask for extra when it comes to Hooda Halal.

Header via Ajwah Qureshi