Okryugwan
Encyclopedia
Okryugwan or Okryu Restaurant is a restaurant in Pyongyang
, North Korea
, founded in 1960. North Korea analyst Andrei Lankov
describes it as one of two restaurants—the other being Ch'ongryugwan—which have "defined the culinary life of Pyongyang" since the 1980s, and a "living museum of culinary art". The chief chef is Ra Suk-gyong.
, between Moran Hill
and the Okryu Bridge
. It is a large building, and can seat up to 2,000 patrons, which Lankov described as reflecting "a penchant for large-scale eateries ... common to all Communist regimes". The building is distinguished by its traditional architecture and curved green roofs. The building is divided into a main area and two wings, with a total floor area of 12000 sqm. The stairs are made of granite
from Ryonggang
, South Pyongan. According to the North's official Korean Central News Agency
, the building was renovated in 2008.
Ahn Young-gi (안영기), who supervised the original design and construction of the restaurant, was soon after dispatched to South Korea as a spy, and spent 38 years in prison there before being repatriated to North Korea in 2000 along with 62 other unconverted long-term prisoners
. He returned home to a hero's welcome, even receiving a personal congratulations from Kim Jong-il on the occasion of his 80th birthday in 2009.
, Pyongyang-style cold noodles. The restaurant sends research teams into the North Korean countryside to collect data on Korean cuisine and introduce new recipes. Other dishes the KCNA reports are served there include gray mullet
soup with boiled rice, beef rib soup
, green bean pancake, sinsollo
(a soup made from various ingredients including meat, fish, vegetable, pine nut
s, gingko nuts, and mushrooms) and newly in 2010, dishes made from terrapin
.
has authorisation to open overseas branches of Okryugwan. Okryugwan has various branches throughout China, which help the North Korean government to earn badly needed foreign exchange. Okryugwan is thus well-known even in South Korea. Each restaurant is reportedly required to remit US$100,000 to US$300,000 to Pyongyang per year, depending on local conditions. As a result, they market themselves aggressively, even purchasing advertisements in local South Korean expatriate newspapers. However, the South Korean government takes a dim view of their own nationals who visit the restaurants, and warns them that they may be charged with violating the National Security Act
.
The first Okryugwan branch in China opened in Beijing
's Wangjing
district in 2003; by 2010, its revenues were estimated at more than US$6,000 per day. The waitresses are graduates of the Jang Chol Gu University of Commerce or culinary schools in Pyongyang. The restaurant in Shanghai
of the same name is a knock-off, staffed by Chinese citizens of Korean ethnicity. The Okryugwan branch in Dubai is located in the Deira
area, near the Deira Clocktower
. It is a joint venture with several equityholders, including an undisclosed majority local owner, along with Chinese businessman Gavin Tang. It is popular with Japanese expatriates. A branch in Kathmandu reportedly continued to operate as of early 2011, though another nearby North Korean restaurant Kumgangsan closed its doors after its manager absconded to India with its funds and reportedly defected to South Korea
. Other international branches of Okryugwan operate in Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Mongolia, and Russia.
In 1999, a restaurant of the same name was opened in South Korea by Kim Young-baek, attracting attention in the South Korean press for its claim to be an officially contracted branch restaurant of the one in the North. A spokesman for the Pyongyang Okryugwan denied that any such contract existed, while Kim clarified that he had not contracted directly with the Pyongyang Okryugwan but rather with Chongryon. Nevertheless, the Southern Okryugwan, a 360-seat restaurant in Seoul
, maintained several ties with the one in the North; they employed a Korean with a Japanese passport who had trained as a chef at the Pyongyang Okryugwan, hung a painting of the Pyongyang Okryugwan done by a North Korean artist on their outside wall, imported buckwheat
and mung bean
from the North, and even purchased utensils and tableware from the Pyongyang Okryugwan. Soon after they opened, they were turning away as many as 3,000 customers a day for lack of seats.
s; there may be a long wait for such tickets, as well as a fee, which does not cover the food itself. Foreigners who eat there will not be seated in segregated sections, but may be shown into one of the smaller rooms. Korean War
veterans who live in Pyongyang also receive free noodles there on the anniversary of the Korean Armistice Agreement, which is celebrated as a public holiday in North Korea
.
Pyongyang
Pyongyang is the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly known as North Korea, and the largest city in the country. Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River and, according to preliminary results from the 2008 population census, has a population of 3,255,388. The city was...
, North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
, founded in 1960. North Korea analyst Andrei Lankov
Andrei Lankov
Andrei Nikolaevich Lankov is a Russian scholar of Asia and a specialist in Korean studies. He completed his undergraduate and graduate studies at Leningrad State University in 1986 and 1989, respectively; He also attended Pyongyang's Kim Il-sung University in 1985...
describes it as one of two restaurants—the other being Ch'ongryugwan—which have "defined the culinary life of Pyongyang" since the 1980s, and a "living museum of culinary art". The chief chef is Ra Suk-gyong.
Building and location
Okryugwan is located on the bank of the Taedong RiverTaedong River
The Taedong River is a large river in North Korea. It rises in the Rangrim Mountains of the country's north. It then flows southwest into Korea Bay at Namp'o. In between, it runs through the country's capital, Pyongyang. Along the river are landmarks such as the Juche Tower and Kim Il-sung...
, between Moran Hill
Moran Hill
Moran Hill is located in the central part of Pyongyang, the capital of the North Korea. The hill is noted for its curious features and scenery, as well as its political significance....
and the Okryu Bridge
Okryu Bridge
The Okryu Bridge, also spelled Ongnyu Bridge, is a bridge on the Taedong River in Pyongyang, North Korea. Construction began in March 1958; the bridge was opened in August 1960.-Location:...
. It is a large building, and can seat up to 2,000 patrons, which Lankov described as reflecting "a penchant for large-scale eateries ... common to all Communist regimes". The building is distinguished by its traditional architecture and curved green roofs. The building is divided into a main area and two wings, with a total floor area of 12000 sqm. The stairs are made of granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
from Ryonggang
Ryonggang
Ryonggang-kun is a county in South Pyongan province, North Korea. It is administered as a part of Namp'o. It is famous for its local apples.-Administrative divisions:Ryonggang-kun is divided into one town and several villages ....
, South Pyongan. According to the North's official Korean Central News Agency
Korean Central News Agency
The Korean Central News Agency is the state news agency of North Korea and has existed since December 5, 1946. KCNA is headquartered in the capital city of Pyongyang...
, the building was renovated in 2008.
Ahn Young-gi (안영기), who supervised the original design and construction of the restaurant, was soon after dispatched to South Korea as a spy, and spent 38 years in prison there before being repatriated to North Korea in 2000 along with 62 other unconverted long-term prisoners
Unconverted long-term prisoners
Unconverted long-term prisoners is the North Korean term for communist spies and guerillas imprisoned in South Korea who never renounced communism.-History:...
. He returned home to a hero's welcome, even receiving a personal congratulations from Kim Jong-il on the occasion of his 80th birthday in 2009.
Cuisine
Okryugwan is famous for its raengmyŏnNaengmyeon
Naengmyeon is a Korean dish of long and thin hand-made noodles made from the flour and starch of various ingredients: buckwheat , potatoes, sweet potatoes, 칡냉면, naengmyun made with the starch from arrowroot , and kudzu...
, Pyongyang-style cold noodles. The restaurant sends research teams into the North Korean countryside to collect data on Korean cuisine and introduce new recipes. Other dishes the KCNA reports are served there include gray mullet
Mullet (fish)
The mullets or grey mullets are a family and order of ray-finned fish found worldwide in coastal temperate and tropical waters, and in some species in fresh water. Mullets have served as an important source of food in Mediterranean Europe since Roman times...
soup with boiled rice, beef rib soup
Galbitang
Galbitang is a variety of guk, or Korean soup, made primarily from beef short ribs along with stewing beef, daikon, onions, and other ingredients. The short ribs, or "galbi" also refers to grilled short ribs in Korean barbecue while the suffix tang is another name for guk...
, green bean pancake, sinsollo
Sinseollo
Sinseollo or yeolguja tang is an elaborate dish consisting of meatballs, small and round jeonyueo , mushrooms, and vegetables cooked in a rich broth in Korean royal court cuisine. The dish is a form of jeongol...
(a soup made from various ingredients including meat, fish, vegetable, pine nut
Pine nut
Pine nuts are the edible seeds of pines . About 20 species of pine produce seeds large enough to be worth harvesting; in other pines the seeds are also edible, but are too small to be of great value as a human food....
s, gingko nuts, and mushrooms) and newly in 2010, dishes made from terrapin
Diamondback terrapin
The diamondback terrapin or simply terrapin, is a species of turtle native to the brackish coastal swamps of the eastern and southern United States. It belongs to the monotypic genus, Malaclemys...
.
Branches outside North Korea
The Japan-based Korean residents' association ChongryonChongryon
The General Association of Korean Residents in Japan , abbreviated to Chongryon The General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chae Ilbon Chosŏnin Ch'ongryŏnhaphoe in Korean or Zai-Nihon Chōsenjin Sōrengōkai in Japanese), abbreviated to Chongryon The General Association of Korean Residents...
has authorisation to open overseas branches of Okryugwan. Okryugwan has various branches throughout China, which help the North Korean government to earn badly needed foreign exchange. Okryugwan is thus well-known even in South Korea. Each restaurant is reportedly required to remit US$100,000 to US$300,000 to Pyongyang per year, depending on local conditions. As a result, they market themselves aggressively, even purchasing advertisements in local South Korean expatriate newspapers. However, the South Korean government takes a dim view of their own nationals who visit the restaurants, and warns them that they may be charged with violating the National Security Act
National Security Act (South Korea)
The National Security Law is a South Korean law which has the avowed purpose "to restrict anti-state acts that endanger national security and to protect [the] nation's safety and its people's life and freedom."...
.
The first Okryugwan branch in China opened in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
's Wangjing
Wangjing, Beijing
Wangjing is a major residential area and subdistrict of Chaoyang District, in the northeast of Beijing, China. The name "Wangjing" means "view of Beijing".- Koreatown :...
district in 2003; by 2010, its revenues were estimated at more than US$6,000 per day. The waitresses are graduates of the Jang Chol Gu University of Commerce or culinary schools in Pyongyang. The restaurant in Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
of the same name is a knock-off, staffed by Chinese citizens of Korean ethnicity. The Okryugwan branch in Dubai is located in the Deira
Deira, Dubai
Deira is an area in the city of Dubai, United Arab Emirates bordered by the Persian Gulf, Sharjah and Dubai Creek. Historically, it has been the center of Dubai, but has been losing its importance during the past few decades due to recent development along E 11 road and areas further down the...
area, near the Deira Clocktower
Deira Clocktower
The Deira Clocktower , sometimes referred to as the Dubai Clocktower, is a roundabout in Dubai, United Arab Emirates . The Clocktower is located in eastern Dubai in Deira, at the intersection of Umm Hurair Road and route D 89...
. It is a joint venture with several equityholders, including an undisclosed majority local owner, along with Chinese businessman Gavin Tang. It is popular with Japanese expatriates. A branch in Kathmandu reportedly continued to operate as of early 2011, though another nearby North Korean restaurant Kumgangsan closed its doors after its manager absconded to India with its funds and reportedly defected to South Korea
North Korean defectors
A number of individuals have defected from North Korea. Since the division of Korea after World War II and the end of the Korean War , many people have defected from North Korea, mainly for political, ideological, religious and economic reasons...
. Other international branches of Okryugwan operate in Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Mongolia, and Russia.
In 1999, a restaurant of the same name was opened in South Korea by Kim Young-baek, attracting attention in the South Korean press for its claim to be an officially contracted branch restaurant of the one in the North. A spokesman for the Pyongyang Okryugwan denied that any such contract existed, while Kim clarified that he had not contracted directly with the Pyongyang Okryugwan but rather with Chongryon. Nevertheless, the Southern Okryugwan, a 360-seat restaurant in Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
, maintained several ties with the one in the North; they employed a Korean with a Japanese passport who had trained as a chef at the Pyongyang Okryugwan, hung a painting of the Pyongyang Okryugwan done by a North Korean artist on their outside wall, imported buckwheat
Buckwheat
Buckwheat refers to a variety of plants in the dicot family Polygonaceae: the Eurasian genus Fagopyrum, the North American genus Eriogonum, and the Northern Hemisphere genus Fallopia. Either of the latter two may be referred to as "wild buckwheat"...
and mung bean
Mung bean
The mung bean is the seed of Vigna radiata. It is native to the Indian subcontinent.-Description:They are small, ovoid in shape, and green in color...
from the North, and even purchased utensils and tableware from the Pyongyang Okryugwan. Soon after they opened, they were turning away as many as 3,000 customers a day for lack of seats.
Other
Okryugwan is open to the general public of North Korea, but in order to eat there, they must obtain tickets from their work unitWork unit
A work unit or danwei is the name given to a place of employment in the People's Republic of China. While the term danwei remains in use today it is more properly used to refer to a place of employment during the period when the Chinese economy was still more heavily socialist or when used in the...
s; there may be a long wait for such tickets, as well as a fee, which does not cover the food itself. Foreigners who eat there will not be seated in segregated sections, but may be shown into one of the smaller rooms. Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
veterans who live in Pyongyang also receive free noodles there on the anniversary of the Korean Armistice Agreement, which is celebrated as a public holiday in North Korea
Public holidays in North Korea
This is a list of Public holidays in North Korea. See also the Korean calendar for a list of traditional holidays....
.