It has been a long time since I was asked my nationality when going into a restaurant, but today was indeed that day. It happened at the Pyongyang Koryo International Hotel Restaurant in Dandong. And while I did manage to get in this time, on my last visit I was not so lucky.
This occurred on the tail end of my almost 8000 km trip overland from Phnom Penh to Dandong, where I would have meetings about the (hopeful) reopening of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea.
What the Pyongyang Koryo International Hotel
The actual Pyongyang Koryo International Hotel is the most prestigious hotel in the DPRK and is where most delegates stay as opposed to tourists who stay at the Gak, or Sosan.
The Pyongyang Koryo International Hotel in Dandong was formerly on a great piece of real estate on the Yalu River, but has now it appears moved to a more cost effective location. They are ran by the Koryo Hotel and it would appear are a source of foreign income, with the staff all being citizens of the DPRK – well aside from some Chinese.
The main part here is the restaurant with me not getting much info in the linked hotel. It is an independent venture and is not part of the Pyongyang restaurant franchise.
Getting in to the Pyongyang Koryo International Hotel in Dandong
Last time I came with a US friend I was told that the restaurant was closed despite the fact that there where people in there. We gave up, but it was fairly sure that our faces did not fit.
This time things were similar with them asking “where are you from”? “I replied with our nationalities with the waitress still saying they were closed. The Chinese manager from the hotel helped and we sat down. Not long later I spoke in Korean to which she replied “You speak North Korean”, to which I said “I work there”. After that things were better, not good, but better.
Menu at the Pyongyang Koryo International Hotel Restaurant Dandong
Sadly menus here were done in the new Chinese style of a QR code. Alas the code did not work, but they did have pictures on the wall. I like pictures on the wall.
Dishes selected were North Korean style fried noodles with egg, which were frankly huge and amazing. North Korean style fried noodles are made by the gravy that they are served with and it was good enough ti warrant a takeaway.
The second dish was a rice and thinly sliced beef and gravy combo. The meat here was almost like that of a shawarma with the gravy again being to die for. And when it mixed to the very so slightly sticky rice it really made the difference. Of course we had this with DPR Korean kimchi which was that little more spicy than that from south, as is the style.
Beer wise I was really happy that they had something other than Taedonggang. In fact this was the first time that I had tried Tumen River Beer with mum colleague saying it was from Rason. I found it a bit lighter than your average North Korean beer and it was a real compliment to the food.
And while the dishes were expensive they were also big. This meant that two dined for $15 and still had food to take away. Therefore and despite the “exclusiveness” of the place it is probably one of the most low guy and delicious North Korean restaurants in Dandong.
With that in mind I would certainly come here again, of course if they actually let me inside….