★★☆☆☆ I walked in here with excitement: a halal restaurant in Simi Valley? (I am still mourning the loss of our precious Gyro House). Could this be? An oasis of halal food in a desert of haram? Upon my arrival, I asked the employees if the food was halal. The response was a bewildered pause followed by a request to my question. I asked to speak with the manager who quickly assured me that the food was halal. I inquired further by asking if the food was zabihah. He didn't know what that meant. But he asserted that the Ali Baba in Newbury Park was its halal predecessor. For a restaurant that prides itself on being halal, why were its employees oblivious of the term "halal"? Could they not see this word on every box of meat that was shipped in? Did the manager not tell them what halal was? If not, then what assurance is there that this place is truly halal? At the time, I assumed I was being too cautious... The service was slow and the price was unjustifiably steep for a shwarma. It was decent. Technically, it is Islamically permissible to eat here because I personally never saw anything to disprove the claim that they are halal. But it's important to take into account that haram food has a spiritual effect on our souls. Is it worth taking the risk for food that comes from an ambiguous restaurant? That is a decision that we, as individuals must take. Posted on October 20, 2008