Bulgogi and foie gras? New North Korean restaurant offers surprising delicacies

A newly opened restaurant in Pyongyang is drawing attention for serving foie gras and Korean hansik under one roof — an unusual pairing in North Korea that signals a push to attract wealthy locals and foreign tourists with tastes for global fine dining.

Naenara, North Korea’s state-run external media outlet, on July 15, introduced the newly opened “Hwasong Ragwon Bulgogi Restaurant” in the Hwasong District, a new urban development in Pyongyang.

“It is not long since the restaurant opened, but it draws many people,” the outlet said in its English translation. “Customers say that they are pleased to have a chance of having world-famous barbecue meals, that an evening out here on the balcony with colleagues after getting off work is cheerful, and that it is an unusual experience to taste foreign delicacies in such a new modern street in the capital city.”

The restaurant sits in the center of Hwasong, a newly developed area in Pyongyang completed in April.

Its main customers are affluent locals, including a wealthy group — referred to as donju — who have made their fortunes through North Korea’s informal market economy.

The restaurant promotes its luxurious offerings — such as foie gras and salmon belly sashimi — through state media, suggesting it also targets foreign tourists.

Tourism remains one of the few legal ways for North Korea to earn foreign currency, as international sanctions continue to restrict most other revenue sources.

The two-story restaurant spans approximately 4,000 square meters (43,055 square feet) and includes several dining spaces: barbecue rooms, bulgogi halls, family dining areas and an outdoor terrace.

Photos released by Naenara show young servers dressed in clean uniforms attending to guests.

Naenara reported that the restaurant offers over 200 dishes, including about 40 types of bulgogi such as pork shoulder barbecue and beef tongue, in addition to dishes like salmon belly sashimi and goose liver hamburgers.

“The restaurant’s exterior is designed in the shape of a grill house, making it instantly recognizable as a bulgogi restaurant from afar,” the outlet said.

Russian daily newspaper Kommersant on July 14 published a travel feature based on a reporter’s visit to the Wonsan-Kalma Coastal Tourist Zone. The reporter said the hotel’s course meal included chicken with ginseng, crab, eggplant, duck, beef and fish.

BY KIM JI-HYE [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]