Pyongyang

Fresh off a relaxing weekend in Koh Kong, I needed a jolt to get myself back in the mindset of a much nuttier Phnom Penh. What better way than a trip to Pyongyang? I know what you’re thinking, Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea, doesn’t exactly sound like an ideal destination and I would probably agree with you. Pyongyang, the restaurant, however, guaranteed an entertaining evening at the very least.

Cambodia’s ruling party has cordial to warm ties with North Korea. The reclusive country has a beautiful French colonial villa in the heart of Phnom Penh as its embassy and since my arrival in Cambodia a year ago, Phnom Penh has been visited by the North Korean premier Kim Yong-Il (no relation to Kim Jong-Il), during which time the streets of Cambodia were lined with North Korean flags.

North Korea’s presence in Cambodia goes beyond its embassy and official state visits, though. The government owns and operates two restaurants in Cambodia, one in Phnom Penh and one in Siem Reap, supposedly the only two in the world. It is rumored that everything – the food, the décor, the waitresses – is imported from North Korea. rumored to be the only two of their kind in the world. Again, I used Justin and Ashley’s visit as an excuse for an excursion sure to border on the bizarre.

Pyongyang (the restaurant) appears no different from a popular Khmer restaurant on the outside – expensive cars parked outside, neon lights, and so on. In fact, I had passed the restaurant on numerous occasions without knowing its story. Entering it, however, was stepping into another world. We were warmly greeted by blinding fluorescent light and coolly greeted by a North Korean woman in traditional dress and showed to a table to take in our surroundings.

As we surveyed the restaurant, we noticed about a half dozen other westerners and at least one hundred Korean tourists. There was a small stage at the front of the restaurant with a flat screen TV showing a loop of nature-related scenes, presumably from North Korea. The walls were lined with paintings similar to the images on the television, only more fantastical. Shortly after we sat down, two men in what I'm assuming is traditional North Korean dress - a very baggy, faded brown wool suit - sat at a neighboring table. After a quick drink, the men disappeared to a back room, probably to engage in the illicit activities the restaurant is rumored to profit from (drug smuggling, money laundering, etc).

Perusing the menu, we decided on an order of kim chi (a Korean classic), a duck dish (ironically on a hot plate shaped like a cow), a beef dish, and of course, a few beers. The kim chi arrived almost instantaneously with peanuts and something not dissimilar to tempura. When the main dishes arrived and we failed to follow our waitress’ gesturing, we were given a cold look that, in my imagination, summed up North Korean sentiments to Americans.

Once our surprisingly good food was finished, the real fun began. A handful of the waitresses swooshed to the stage in their bright uniforms. One turned on a keyboard, while another picked up a mic and started singing in an opera-like voice, while others still began to dance (with nature scenes continuing to play on the television). The entire crowd seemed to be snapping pictures, save a group of teenage boys next to us who were dressed in a most curious way (my personal favorite was the guy with a buzz cut, blue batman hoodie, and white plastic aviator-shaped sunglasses). Immediately bored with the performance, they took out a handheld gaming device.

The dance performance was followed by a raucous violin performance, a drum and dance performance, and another dance with singing. It took a few performances for us to realize it, but about halfway through we determined that the entire show was a fake. The violin – not performed live. The singing – lip-synching. The drum – barely used. The dancing was the only thing that could not have been staged. As soon as the show was over, all of the Korean tourists made a beeline for the door. It was bizarre on all accounts, but certainly worth the visit.