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New Pyongyang restaurant opens to rave reviews

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) on Nov 2nd 2010 at 11:00AM

Forget Manhattan, Pyongyang seems to be the hottest spot for new restaurant openings. Sure, there seems to be a new dining option popping up in New York City every time you blink ... but that's to be expected! When new options come to North Korea, it's a bit more noticeable.

Only two weeks ago, word hit the west about a new burger joint in the North Korean capital, called Samtaesung, with links to Kim Jong-il's younger sister, Kim Kyong-hui. Well, there's now another hot spot in the city, according to the Korea Central News Agency, the official "news" mouthpiece of the regime.

The KCNA reports that a 6,000 square-meter restaurant, Okryu Restaurant, was just finished. Apparently, it can handle thousands of visitors and "is a catering centre for providing best service to people." This is a start that would make most capitalist restaurateurs salivate!

Gallery: Welcome to the DMZ

And, as is always the case with the North Korean media, it only gets better:

With the appearance of the elegant, magnificent and exquisite restaurant, a good combination of national, classical and contemporary architectural styles, the area of Okryu Restaurant has turned into a street of catering facilities built in a peculiar Korean architectural style to be proud of.

The opening was celebrated with a ceremony last Friday, and some major people were in attendance: "Jon Ha Chol, vice-premier of the Cabinet, Ryang Man Gil, chairman of the Pyongyang City People's Committee, officials concerned, soldier-builders, officials and employees of the restaurant."

[photo by yeowatzup via Flickr]

Filed under: Food and Drink, Asia, North Korea