OC’s Halal Chinese Eatery Coming to Clairemont Mesa

A 6,000-square-foot eatery featuring halal Chinese cuisine is scheduled to open in Clairemont Mesa in early June. Called Ma’s House, the restaurant is well-known in Orange County, with an existing location in Laguna Hills, and is an extension of Ma’s Chinese Islamic in Anaheim.

Owner Michael Say, who is Chinese and Muslim, first launched the restaurant so that he could have somewhere to eat that was aligned with Islamic practice. The kitchen is certified halal and all the ingredients used, including meat, have been processed by halal standards. No alcohol is served in accordance with dietary law.

The menu for the San Diego location will be very similar to the one served at Laguna Hills, featuring lamb, beef, seafood, and vegetables but no pork. Signatures include a sesame-crusted scallion bread, usually eaten instead of rice, and chewy, knife-cut noodles as well as classic Chinese dishes prepared halal-style.

The lease for the space, which is part of The Shops at Madison Place complex, was facilitated Brad Williams and Steve Avoyer from Flocke & Avoyer.