Pyongyang restaurant "KORYO". Personal impressions. Essays'O About life, food, friends and travel North Korean restaurant on Leninsky Prospekt
Everyone knows that I am very partial to the Korean Peninsula. I consider books about the history of Koreans to be the most fascinating literature; a couple of years ago I even wrote a book about this, which was published in Germany. I perceive festivals of Korean culture in Khabarovsk as the biggest holiday and actively participate in them as a host. I have been to South Korea several times, but fate has not yet brought me to North Korea. My friends are trying their best to dissuade me from going there because of my sharp tongue: they warn me that for my comments and observations I can stay there in the police station for a long time. Or maybe I’ll even end up in a labor camp, where I’ll work hard for the benefit of a bright future for North Korea. Of course, I don’t really like this prospect. But I really want to touch life in the DPRK! And recently I found a way out of the situation when I learned that a North Korean restaurant “Pyongyang” had opened in Khabarovsk. Our culinary team, consisting of me and Maxim Gololobov, went there on reconnaissance one Sunday in September. And the word “reconnaissance” was very suitable for our almost combat campaign...
The restaurant is located in a residential building at the intersection of Volochaevskaya Street and Ussuriysky Boulevard. The restaurants “Confucius” and “On the Boulevard” are also located in this building. Previously, on the site of “Pyongyang” there was a very cozy cafe “Avenue”. Made in the French style, it was famous for its European cuisine and affordable prices. I don’t know why its owners suddenly decided to give the premises to the North Koreans, but I consider the liquidation of Avenue a loss for Khabarovsk catering.
The new owners did not bother with repairs and left everything as it was. Even the Eiffel Tower was not removed from the façade, and now the inscription “Pyongyang” looks very strange against its background. A painting was hung on the wall at the entrance
with views of Korean nature, covering a piece of a drawing of some Parisian street...
In “Avenue”... Oh, sorry, in “Pyongyang” there are three halls: the main one, a small one at the entrance and a small one near the service toilet. When we arrived at the restaurant, the main room was filled with North Koreans. They were talking loudly to each other and, although there were “No Smoking” signs everywhere, I could acutely smell the tobacco. At the same time, no one smoked openly in the hall.
All guests were greeted by two strict waitresses in uniform and one female administrator in Korean national clothes. The waitresses greeted and escorted everyone to free tables, and the administrator bowed only to the Koreans. She ignored us.
The waitresses invited us to sit in the small hall at the entrance. Our neighbors turned out to be a group of 5 Koreans who were dashingly drinking vodka from wine glasses. There were also a couple of Koreans waiting to order takeout. I tried to photograph them, but they resisted in every possible way. I had to take a photo underground...
Opposite us there was a toilet for visitors, which became our main entertainment for the next 2 hours. The fact is that if you slam the toilet door, then it would be impossible to open it just like that. It was necessary to take... chopsticks, insert them into the broken handle, turn them (so as not to break the chopsticks!) and open the door. Over the course of the evening, the administrator and waitresses went through this process several dozen times! Once they overdid it so much that they opened the door, and there... there was a visitor! The man, holding his removed pants, swore angrily in Korean. The waitresses had to do nothing other than bow in apology...
The first thing we were served was green tea and wet towels. Looking ahead, I will say that the cost of tea was then included in the final bill. Book with
The menu turned out to be in color, but for some reason it was too shabby. The price tags were taped under almost every dish: before they even opened, the prices had already been rewritten!
I took a picture of the menu, which aroused suspicion among one of the waitresses. I had to explain that a lot of photographs would be taken today and all for memory.
Let's study the menu for Russians further. Hot meats – 12 pieces, from 250 to 500 rubles. The most expensive are the fried beef ribs. Seafood dishes - 8 pieces, from 250 to 900 rubles, the most expensive is boiled bear. The menu also offers 5 types of shashlik weighing 300 grams each. The cheapest pork kebab is 250 rubles, the most expensive is seafood – 800 rubles.
We also counted 14 (!) types of side dishes, but they somehow barely resembled side dishes. For example, side dishes included fried green soybean cakes and green pepper cakes. Side dishes cost from 150 to 300 rubles. Our neighbors ordered starchy noodles with vegetables and red sauce on top for 250 rubles. – each had a portion, but they couldn’t eat everything. I’ll tell you further where the untouched portion of these noodles went. Our Korean neighbors also had assorted fruits on their table (750 grams - 500 rubles). You may ask: why did we know so well what our neighbors ordered? It's simple! Our dishes took so long to prepare that we had no choice but to study the menu at the neighbor's table.
What did we order? I suggested that Maxim order 1 kg 100 grams of dumplings and kimchi soup (with the poetic name “Kimchi Mandutsongol”) for the first course, but Maxim refused: they say, he doesn’t want the first course... Then I ordered vegetable soup with Korean sauce (its name is something that you can’t even pronounce - “Koptoltenzngun”, 300 grams - 250 rubles). As a result, they brought us soup... two!
For me with fish and tofu, for Maxim with beef rib. And although my friend initially refused the soup, he finished this plate with great pleasure.
I just wonder why others brought soups? Maybe the cook has the last word in the kitchen: does he cook what he loves? They then charged us 250 rubles for each bowl of soup.
When choosing a hot dish, Maxim drew attention to the beef in a cast iron pot. We ordered (450 rubles).
They brought us fried beef with sesame seeds in a plate, all Maxim’s dreams of seeing something sizzling in a frying pan were dashed like first love... What can I say about this dish? Few!!! For us, two lovers of good and satisfying food, eating this beef seemed as if we
just listened to your favorite radio...
For Maxim, I discovered the Korean dish “Bibimbap” - assorted rice, beef, fern, soy and seaweed, 300 grams - 300 rubles). I myself tried it for the first time in Seoul. This dish at the Pyongyang restaurant turned out very tasty.
I also ordered stewed pollock with pepper (320 grams - 250 rubles). It was not impressive: a lot of bones and too covered in soy sauce.
The kimchi was delicious (300 grams - 150 rubles) - it’s still difficult to spoil it. Moderately spicy, moderately salty. It went very well with rice (bowl – 50 rubles).
When bringing out a plate of kimchi, the waitress spilled sauce from it on Maxim's shirt. He jumped up as if stung. “Sorry,” the waitress stammered. “What is your excuse for me? – Maxim was indignant. - I put on a new shirt, I came to a reputable restaurant! Who will wash it for me now?”
Maxim was not indignant for long. Soon his good mood returned...
While we were tasting delicious dishes, the sounds of music began to be heard from the large hall: Korean karaoke was turned on. The waitress girl started singing!
She put on a head microphone and began to sing very beautifully. Maxim, remember that he once studied in South Korea, expressed a desire to sing “Arirang”. Sang and
created a sensation among vacationers.
I also did not stand aside and presented the guests with “The Nightingale” by the great Russian composer Alyabyev. I received even more applause. Co
All sides reached out with glasses of vodka: Korean friends wanted to thank us so much. Only Maxim did not refuse vodka, and we returned to our table.
There they saw that our neighbors had left - either they could not stand the way Maxim was singing, or my version of the famous romance seemed to them a blasphemy against the great classic. In general, there was no one at the table, but the assorted fruits stood proudly. Without hesitation, I took some of the fruit to us. And what? Don't let the goodness go to waste! Seeing this guerrilla movement of ours, the waitress invited us to take away untouched starchy noodles with vegetables and red sauce on top.
And this dish happily appeared on our table. We also took a glass of our Russian mustard from our neighbors. This is true friendship of peoples!
When they brought us the final bill, we had to feel a little sad: 3900 rubles. appeared in it. This includes beer, juices and spirits. Quite a lot for North Korea. “They left their country’s monthly budget,” Maxim muttered.
Well, what should we do? But we touched the cuisine of the northern part of the Land of Morning Freshness! And they touched with fun and excitement!
I don’t know about anyone, but I adore Korean cuisine.
In Moscow, however, there are not too many places where you can enjoy it.
Nevertheless, they exist, and one of them is the Koryo restaurant on Ordzhonikidze Street.
This restaurant is unique because it is owned by North Koreans, and they cook and work there.
The interior is appropriate, but the atmosphere is very friendly, almost homely, the cuisine is excellent, and the prices are very affordable, which cannot be said about some other Moscow Korean restaurants.
Among the visitors there are many Koreans, apparently South Koreans, as well as Japanese.
There is a secret VIP room with karaoke, it seems that it is only for North Korean citizens, at least they are the only ones who go in and out from there as far as I can remember.
Having recently visited Koryo once again, I decided to report to the public, should there be one.
The hall is quite spacious, everything is very ascetic, which, in fact, is to be expected from a North Korean restaurant.
There is a television showing performances by North Korean ensembles in front of large halls filled with military personnel and workers.
Every now and then images of Kim Jong-un appear on the screen, as expected.
Nearby there is a hanger with Korean national women's costumes. They say that waitresses used to dress in them and perform Korean songs for visitors, but I have never seen this myself.
The waitresses, by the way, are all tall and pretty. There is also a bar counter, where without it.
But let's move on to the main thing - the food.
The menu in the restaurant is extensive, and in addition to Korean, there are also Japanese (sushi, rolls, etc.), and even so-called European dishes, like Olivier and even borscht.
The portions are mostly small, with the exception of a few dishes, the serving is simple and slightly careless, but this is compensated by prices in the region of 200-400 rubles. per dish.
What Korean meal would be complete without the national staple, kimchi? None, of course.
I am ready to testify that Koryo serves the best kimchi in Moscow. This is just super kimchi, I would say. There is a large portion and a small one, which is what we ordered.
Shrimp dumplings - amazingly delicious.
Glass noodles with mushrooms are also a winner.
Zucchini in batter, stuffed with shrimp. I don’t know how they managed to stuff the shrimp into the zucchini, but the result was impressive.
The waitress warned that they took a long time to prepare, about 30-40 minutes, but they arrived after 20.
The main course is perch in soy-orange sauce - mind blowing. The fish is tender and the sauce is amazing.
Squid fried with hot pepper. Korean cuisine in general is known to be predominantly very spicy. This was confirmed by these squids.
The highlight of the program is bibimbap. Something like Korean pilaf - boiled rice in a very hot cast iron (a crispy crust should form), on which various vegetables, nori and an egg are laid out. Sometimes it comes with meat, but in Goryeo they cook without it. Spicy gochujian paste also goes there, and everything is mixed immediately before use.
I must say that the bibimbap this time was not the best I have ever tried. But maybe I'm just too much of a fan and being picky.
So, somehow we had dinner. With beer for two 3400 rubles.
The restaurant is located near the Leninsky Prospekt metro station at the address: st. Ordzhonikidze, 11 building. either 12 (as on the map, or 9 as my memory tells me). The easiest way to find it is from the map and photos given in the link above. If you walk from the Gagarinsky shopping center to the Ordzhonikidze 11 discount store, you will be almost on your right hand.
So, my impressions.
This is not a diner, this is a restaurant. As it should be - tables, waitresses (mmm...), everything is civilized. But at the same time it is restrained and without frills. Since the restaurant is North Korean, and the DPRK is a poor country, during rush hour on Friday evenings the menu is presented as a Challenge Red Banner to those who have endured and proven their desire to try Korean cuisine in this particular establishment.
The menu is quite solid. Out of habit, your eyes widen and you want everything at once. At prices more expensive than Hanoi, last year's Saigon and Lu Xun on Krzhizhanovsky. Hot dishes are generally more expensive than 1 rub/g. Portion sizes are mostly about 200g, not Lusyunev’s half a kilo...
The waitresses, first of all, are very, very nice. I haven't seen such beauty in public catering for a long time. Secondly, I came across people who spoke Russian quite decently (I read complaints about poor knowledge of the language). Thirdly, they are very friendly and ready to help/give advice on the menu.
They cook quickly, check the spiciness of the dish before ordering. Upon request, some default spicy dishes will be made non-spicy. I ordered spicy duck soup and, as a spicy lover, I asked for normal spicyness. We did it... In Moscow, I regularly demand pepper, even if they bring me “spicy” tom yum in an authentic “Tai-Tai”. Here “normal” sharpness was just on the edge of my perception. And they also brought me a bowl of hot sauce, if there wasn’t enough... But it’s delicious, damn it... I was glad that the soup came with a bowl of unleavened rice. And beer in addition to the set :)
About beer. On tap - Baltika-7 at 110/0.5 or Zhatetsky goose at 180/0.5. There is no Korean alcohol at all. No beer or anything else.
From strong vodka on the menu (and according to the waitress, in stock) vodka from 40 rubles/50g for Parliament and up to 170 rubles/50g for Beluga. These 40/50 and 60/50 for Belaya Berezka allow us to recommend this establishment for adding to the map of our community.
Since I came in not to have a drink, but to get acquainted with the kitchen, I limited myself to a glass of beer. Well, it’s Baltic and in Koryo it’s Baltic...
In total, for 400g of soup, salad, beer, a pot of tea and the national Korean dessert of sweet bean paste with sweet filling, it came out to exactly 1000 rubles.
P.S. The audience is not a fast food crowd. About half are Asians (most likely Koreans).
P.P.S. I didn’t see any ashtrays, no one smoked in the hall.