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Eating in Pyongyang
Eating in Pyongyang
There are hardly any regular restaurants where the average North Koreans go. Eating out is a pleasure reserved for foreigners and special people. You will normally eat dinner at your hotel. With the current slow, but steady erosion of the government control, there actually a lot of various private and semi-private (ostensibly belonging to some state organization or cooperative, but in fact just using them as a front) eateries, but these are mostly just a simple diners aimed squarely at the working-class Koreans and have a rather spartan fare -- boiled corn, kimchi, some fish or squid, and white rice for those who want to splurge (white rice being a rare holiday dish for the most Koreans). Also, while they are tacitly tolerated by the authorities, having a foreigner visiting them would be a colossal embarrassment for the regime and can bring a lot of problems for everyone involved.
Often, when you see Koreans in a group in a restaurant, it is because their work unit, or the Party, has sent them (and is paying). These groups are easily identifiable as such: Koreans hardly ever eat meat, so, if they go out on one of these trips, they have a meat-fest and get as drunk as possible on Soju (rice wine)! The smaller groups who regularly go out to restaurants eat and drink in a much more moderate way.
Pyolmuri, Changkwang Street, . North Korea's first Italian restaurant, offering pasta and pizza. Mains ?1.50-2.50.
Dangogi Gukjib, Tongil Street, is the most famous place for those who have decided to try the Korean specialty of eating dog. €30 is all it takes.
Okryu, on the bank of the Taedong River, was founded in 1960 and is a popular restaurant for those wishing to try Korean cuisine. It is famous for its Pyongyang-style cold noodles.
Chongryu, on the bank of the Pothong River, is a restaurant designed in the shape of a river cruise boat. It was recently renovated, in 2007 and is a good choice for those fond of traditional Korean food, as over 120 Korean dishes are available.
Ryugyong Restaurant, An Sang Taek Street, specializes in beef dishes. It is recommended for meat-lovers.
Pyongyang Duck Barbecue is a good choice if you like, as the name suggests, barbecued duck.
TV Tower Restaurant can be accessed if you are visiting the Pyongyang TV Tower, and is often thought to be among the better restaurants in North Korea.
National Restaurant has a variety of Korean dishes and often also has live shows.
No.1 Boat Restaurant, Kim Il Sung Square, is the only boat restaurant in Pyongyang accessible to tourists. You eat on the outdoor deck.
Pyongyang Ostrich Farm specializes in ostrich meat.
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Pyongyang Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.