The "Pyongyang Restaurant" was launched late last month under a joint venture between North Korea and two Dutch businessmen. While North Korea is known to operate dozens of restaurants across Asia, it is the first time a North Korean restaurant has opened in Europe, with the exception of a canteen that briefly operated near the North Korean Embassy in Vienna in the mid-1990's, according to a local source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The restaurant is staffed by nine North Koreans, including the director and manager, Han Myong-hee, who worked for 15 years at a North Korean restaurant in Beijing operated by the North's ruling Workers' Party.
Pyongyang Restaurant, which seats 24 people, has its walls covered with pictures of Pyongyang and North Korean nature, while its menu consists solely of a nine-course meal priced at 79 euros (US$104).
Han said there are plans to offer more affordable dishes such as Korean noodles and dumplings after the restaurant's official opening on Feb. 17.
"After our official launch, we plan to gradually serve a variety of dishes and during lunch hours as well," she said. The restaurant currently serves only dinner.
The opening ceremony is expected to be attended by the North Korean ambassador to Switzerland, other North Koreans, and key figures from the Netherlands and different European nations, Han said.
Analysts said the restaurant is likely to serve not only as a source of much-needed cash but also as a bridge to Europe for the isolated North.
"North Korea has been putting a lot of effort into normalizing relations with European nations since 2000," said Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul. "The opening of North Korea's first restaurant in Europe can be seen as the North's attempt to improve ties with the West through exchanges at the civilian level."
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Pyongyang Restaurant in Amsterdam, Netherlands. (Yonhap) |
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