Okryu-gwan

Okryu-gwan, also known as Okryu Restaurant, is a large state-associated restaurant on the bank of the Taedong River in Pyongyang, North Korea. Established in 1960, it occupies a prominent site between Moran Hill and the Okryu Bridge and has become one of the capital's best-known culinary institutions. South Korea-based scholar Andrei Lankov has characterized it, together with Ch'ongryugwan, as one of the two restaurants that have shaped Pyongyang's culinary life since the 1980s. The restaurant is also frequently presented as a living repository of North Korean culinary traditions. The building is notable for its traditional architectural styling, including curved green roofs, and has a total floor area of approximately 12,000 square metres. Its main building and two wings can accommodate as many as 2,000 diners. Granite used for the stairs reportedly came from Ryonggang in South Pyongan Province. The building was renovated in 2008, according to North Korean state media. Ahn Young-gi, who supervised the original design and construction, later spent decades imprisoned in South Korea after being sent there as a North Korean agent. He returned to North Korea in 2000 in a repatriation of long-term prisoners and was subsequently publicly honoured. Okryu-gwan is most closely associated with raengmyon, or Pyongyang-style cold noodles. Its culinary role extends beyond serving meals: research teams have reportedly travelled through North Korea to document regional food traditions and develop or introduce recipes. Dishes associated with the restaurant include cold noodles, gray mullet soup with boiled rice, beef rib soup, mung-bean pancakes, and sinsollo, a richly composed hot dish combining ingredients such as meat, fish, vegetables, pine nuts, gingko nuts, and mushrooms. These offerings position the restaurant as both a dining venue and an institution for the presentation of officially valued Korean cuisine. Access for domestic customers is structured through the North Korean workplace system. Residents generally need tickets obtained through their work units, and demand for tickets can involve waiting and additional fees that do not cover the meal itself. Foreign visitors may dine at the restaurant and are not necessarily placed in a separate dining room, although they may be directed to smaller private rooms. Pyongyang residents who are Korean War veterans reportedly receive free noodles on the anniversary of the Korean Armistice Agreement. The Okryu-gwan name has also been used by overseas restaurants associated with North Korean commercial networks. The Chongryon organization in Japan has been described as having authorization to open foreign branches, while outlets bearing the name have operated or reportedly operated in China and several other countries. These overseas businesses have been linked in reporting to foreign-currency generation for North Korea. The Beijing branch, opened in 2003 in the Wangjing district, was reported to have substantial daily revenue by 2010. Other reported locations have included Dubai, Kathmandu, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Mongolia, and Russia. Not every overseas restaurant using the name has had the same ownership or operational relationship with the Pyongyang restaurant; the Shanghai venue, for example, was described as an independently operated imitation. The brand has also attracted attention in South Korea. A Seoul restaurant opened in 1999 and claimed a relationship with the Pyongyang establishment, but a Pyongyang spokesman disputed the existence of a direct contract. The Seoul business nevertheless maintained various culinary and material links with North Korea and employed a chef trained at Pyongyang's Okryu-gwan. South Korean authorities have treated visits by South Korean nationals to North Korean restaurants abroad with caution because of possible issues under the National Security Act. Okryu-gwan therefore functions simultaneously as a restaurant, a symbol of Pyongyang's official food culture, and a name used in politically sensitive overseas commercial activity.

Okryu-gwan was established in Pyongyang in 1960 on a prominent riverside site beside the Taedong River, between Moran Hill and the Okryu Bridge. Its traditional architectural appearance, large scale, and association with officially promoted Korean cuisine helped it become one of the capital's signature restaurants. The original design and construction were supervised by Ahn Young-gi. Ahn was later sent to South Korea as a North Korean agent and spent 38 years imprisoned there before returning to North Korea in 2000 with other unconverted long-term prisoners. His later public rehabilitation included a personal congratulatory message from Kim Jong Il on Ahn's eightieth birthday in 2009. The restaurant's building contains a main area and two wings and covers approximately 12,000 square metres. It can reportedly seat up to 2,000 people, a scale that commentators have linked to the preference for monumental communal dining facilities found in many communist countries. Traditional design elements include curved green roofs, while the stairs were made with granite from Ryonggang in South Pyongan Province. North Korean state media reported that the building underwent renovation in 2008. Since at least the 1980s, Okryu-gwan has been described as one of the two restaurants that define the culinary life of Pyongyang, the other being Ch'ongryugwan. Its reputation rests particularly on raengmyon, the cold-noodle style associated with Pyongyang. The restaurant has also been described as conducting culinary research: teams reportedly travel through the North Korean countryside to record local food practices and develop recipes for presentation at the restaurant. Its menu has included gray mullet soup with boiled rice, beef rib soup, green-bean pancakes, and sinsollo, a composed soup or hot-pot dish incorporating combinations of meat, fish, vegetables, nuts, and mushrooms. Okryu-gwan serves domestic customers through a controlled access system. North Korean residents generally obtain tickets through their workplaces, and the process can involve long waits and fees separate from the cost of the meal. Foreign visitors may dine in the establishment and may be guided to smaller rooms rather than the largest public areas. Korean War veterans living in Pyongyang have reportedly been entitled to free noodles on the anniversary of the Korean Armistice Agreement. The restaurant's name later appeared in an international network of North Korean restaurants. Chongryon, the Japan-based association of Korean residents, has been described as authorized to establish overseas Okryu-gwan branches. Reported locations included China, the United Arab Emirates, Nepal, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Mongolia, and Russia. These restaurants were associated in reporting with North Korea's efforts to obtain foreign currency. The Beijing branch, opened in Wangjing in 2003, was reportedly generating more than US$6,000 per day by 2010, although the figure is historical and should not be treated as a current financial measure. Overseas outlets did not necessarily share common ownership: the Shanghai restaurant using the name was described as a locally staffed imitation, while the Dubai venue was reported as a joint venture involving local and Chinese interests. The Okryu-gwan name also became politically contentious in South Korea. In 1999, a 360-seat Seoul restaurant opened under the same name and attracted substantial public attention after presenting itself as an officially connected branch. The Pyongyang restaurant denied that a direct contract existed. The Seoul business subsequently clarified that its agreement was with Chongryon rather than directly with the Pyongyang establishment, while continuing to use a chef trained in Pyongyang, North Korean ingredients, and utensils or tableware obtained from the North. South Korean authorities warned that South Korean citizens visiting North Korean restaurants overseas could face legal consequences under the National Security Act. These disputes illustrate how Okryu-gwan developed from a Pyongyang restaurant into a politically meaningful culinary symbol and an internationally recognizable North Korean restaurant name.

• 2009

  Ahn Young-gi publicly honoured

  [1]Okryu-gwanen.wikipedia.org

  Kim Jong Il reportedly sent Ahn Young-gi personal congratulations on his eightieth birthday.

• 2008

  Pyongyang building renovated

  [1]Okryu-gwanen.wikipedia.org

  North Korean state media reported renovation work on the main restaurant building.

• 2003

  Beijing branch reportedly opened

  [1]Okryu-gwanen.wikipedia.org

  The first reported Chinese branch opened in Beijing's Wangjing district.

• 2000

  Ahn Young-gi returned to North Korea

  [1]Okryu-gwanen.wikipedia.org

  The original design and construction supervisor returned to North Korea after decades imprisoned in South Korea as part of a repatriation of unconverted long-term prisoners.

• 1999

  Okryu-gwan-named restaurant opened in Seoul

  [1]Okryu-gwanen.wikipedia.org

  A 360-seat Seoul restaurant opened using the Okryu-gwan name and claimed a relationship with the Pyongyang establishment, prompting a public dispute over the nature of its affiliation.

• 1980

  Emergence as a defining Pyongyang restaurant

  [1]Okryu-gwanen.wikipedia.org

  By the 1980s, Okryu-gwan was regarded, together with Ch'ongryugwan, as one of the restaurants shaping Pyongyang's culinary life.

• 1960

  Okryu-gwan established in Pyongyang

  [1]Okryu-gwanen.wikipedia.org

  The restaurant was founded on the Taedong River between Moran Hill and the Okryu Bridge.

A prestigious Pyongyang dining institution presenting traditional Korean cuisine, with a particular reputation for Pyongyang-style cold noodles. The name also operates as an overseas restaurant brand associated with North Korean culinary diplomacy and foreign-currency-earning activity.

• Cold noodles

  Pyongyang-style raengmyon

  Okryu-gwan's best-known specialty is raengmyon, the cold-noodle dish associated with Pyongyang cuisine. Its prominence at the restaurant has made the dish central to the establishment's identity and to its reputation as a showcase for North Korean culinary traditions.

• Korean cuisine

  Traditional Korean dishes

  The restaurant serves a broad range of dishes presented as traditional Korean food. Reported examples include gray mullet soup with boiled rice, beef rib soup, green-bean pancakes, and other regional recipes collected or adapted through culinary research.

• Banquet dish

  Sinsollo

  Sinsollo is a composed soup or hot-pot preparation using varied ingredients that may include meat, fish, vegetables, pine nuts, gingko nuts, and mushrooms. At Okryu-gwan it represents the restaurant's emphasis on elaborate, ceremonial Korean cuisine.

1. 1Okryu-gwanen.wikipedia.org