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Women in Business & Ministry of Finance workshops

Dining in Pyongyang (with hard currency)

Just as in my previous trip in 2008, I must say that I ate very well while in North Korea. In 2008, I was on a group tour so all the meals were pre-arranged and in restaurants that I assumed catered largely or exclusively to foreign tourists. On this trip, however, we mostly just walked-in to restaurants impromptu and always got excellent food. The catch of course, is that these were restaurants that catered to foreigners (and locals) with hard currency (Euro, RMB, USD). Bellicose rhetoric from the government notwithstanding, the restaurants were crowded with local customers (many of whom were uniformed). There is definitely a lot of hard currency flowing around Pyongyang. Where is it coming from ? Who knows ? We were not allowed to go to restaurants that took local currency. In fact, except at the Kwangbok Area Supermarket (the Chinese Department Store), we were not allowed to use local currency at all. 

Taedonggang Bar No. 3 (대동강제3술집)

This bar has been featured in NKEconwatch (http://www.nkeconwatch.com/2013/03/28/some-new-retail-developments-in-pyongyang/) and as the review says, it has seven brews on tap, all locally brewed by the Taedonggang brewery and all of them excellent.
  • Seven brews on tap
  • Russian music video with Korean lyrics
  • One half of the beer menu
      The bar is located right next to the Tower of Juche and will definitely be a hit when (if) a tourism boom takes off.
      • Night view of Tower of Juche from outside Taedonggang Bar No. 3.

      Taedong river restaurant

      We went to this restaurant several times because it was near our hotel. The sign says Taedong River Restaurant but I thought we usually referred to this place as the Arirang restaurant.
      • The sign says Taedong River Restaurant according to Google translate, but I thought we usually referred to this place as the Arirang restaurant (I might be wrong).

        Pyongyang Informatics Centre

        Restaurant in the basement of the Pyongyang Informatics Centre. Sushi bar 

        • Lobby of the Pyongyang Informatics Centre
        • Restaurant in the Pyongyang Informatics Centre
        • Bibimbap of course.
        • Sparkling water ("yakso")
        Another restaurant I don't know the name of, along Otan-Kangan Street, opposite Kim Chaek University. Menu had more Chinese and Japanese influence than other restaurants we went to.

              Nampo

              Restaurant in Nampo.
              • Restaurant in Nampo. Quite crowded with many uniformed guests
              • Clams baked in foil

              Koritai Daesonghaeun Pizzeria

              Yes, you can get freshly rolled and baked pizza in DPRK. All the pizzas and pastas are made fresh to order in the open kitchen.

                      Sunrise coffee

                      The chicest coffee shop in town. 
                          • Payment is in hard currency and menu prices are at the official exchange rate of US $1= 100 Won.

                          Beer

                          Don't know what the locals get, but certainly the North Korean beers sold at foreigner restaurants are very drinkable. Some of the places we went to probably charged more, but 3-4 RMB/bottle is typical.
                          • Taedonggang Beer No. 2.
                          • Taedonggang Beer from my last trip in 2008. Not sure whether they just changed the label, or whether this is a different brew.