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Visiting Pyongyang, Jakarta's North Korean restaurant
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The Pyongyang Restaurant in Kelapa Gading, North Jakarta, is located in the Boulevard Barat Raya area, next to a steak restaurant and Born-Ga, a South Korean restaurant with black decor; an appearance that stands in contrast to Pyongyang’s. (Shutterstock/File)
Just like its country, the North Korean restaurant in North Jakarta exudes a mysterious vibe.
The Pyongyang Restaurant in Kelapa Gading, North Jakarta, is located in the Boulevard Barat Raya area, next to a steak restaurant and Born-Ga, a South Korean restaurant with black decor; an appearance that stands in contrast to Pyongyang’s. Reportedly, the only sign indicating the North Korean eatery's three-story pink building is a huge red-colored name board.
In a phone call with a Korean woman who was not fluent in Indonesian, an Antara reporter was told that the restaurant was open until 12 a.m.
Read also: Police to investigate North Korean restaurant on spy activity
Oh so quiet
Upon arriving at the location, the restaurant seemed empty from the outside. Its inner part couldn’t be clearly seen unless someone peeked inside as the front glass door was covered with bamboo paintings. The only thing that indicated it was open was the ‘BUKA’ (open) sign hanging on the door.
A waitress was waiting behind the cashier desk located on the left, just right after the door. The woman with Korean facial features and a ponytail appeared a little bit startled when she saw a visitor. She asked, “Mau makan [do you want to eat]?"
A moldy smell was felt in the room. As the reporter stepped in, the waitress turned on the air conditioner, which gradually removed the unpleasant odor. The waitress, alone, then served the reporter; from turning the plates that were previously put upside-down to pouring sugarless tea into a small glass. After providing a modestly arranged menu containing food photos, the waitress returned with an ordering paper.
“Mau pesan [do you want to order]?” the waitress, named Choe Un Hyang, asked.
Communication is said to be an issue as Choe was not fluent in Bahasa and only possessed a limited vocabulary.
Read also: No access yet to Siti; junior North Korean diplomat wanted
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Remains a mystery
The first floor of the restaurant was separated into two parts using rattan dividers. On the left side were three round-shaped wooden tables, which were also separated from each other by a rattan divider.
A photo of former president Megawati, her daughter, Puan Maharani, and five Korean women in traditional clothing posing together was hung near the cashier desk. At the other end of the room, a television was seen displaying the images of women singing on stage with an old-style backdrop, similar to what Indonesian singers had done in the 1980s. Below the TV was a square-shaped table covered in yellow tablecloth. There was a stack of white-colored plates, as well as ashtrays that were half covered by a yellow towel.
On the other side of the rattan divider were two rooms numbered as room 8 and 9, with doors that were almost always closed. The reporter was able to peek inside the room when a staff member walked outside. Through the small gap, it could be seen that the room was decorated in similar furniture, but with a red-colored carpet that made the room look as if it was a place for special guests who wanted more privacy.
Passing by the rooms, visitors will see a hand wash basin, a kitchen on the left side, refrigerator and cooling box typically used to store ice cream in supermarkets. Those who are looking for a toilet can find it on the second floor. Outside the toilet is a room without any lights turned on, also with furniture similar to that on the first floor.
There were barely any staff members in the dining area aside from Choe. The kitchen staff were also reportedly working without showing themselves nor making much noise.
Read also: North Korean university seeks English teacher
This quiet atmosphere changed however, when around three to four waitresses suddenly came out to greet a male visitor. All of the waitresses were Korean women in light makeup and wearing a uniform: a body-fit shirt in different colors, span skirt, as well as high heel sandals that created noise on the stairs.
The visitor was greeted warmly. A waitress was seen pulling the visitor’s hand to get inside the restaurant, while the other waitresses carried a teapot and the menu book for him. The guest’s face couldn’t be seen clearly because of the rattan divider. He was then guided to the upper level of the restaurant and was not seen again until the reporter had left the place.
Choe Un Hyang said that Pyongyang Restaurant had been running its business in Kelapa Gading for three years. The restaurant previously had a branch in Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta, but it is now closed.
When Antara visited the restaurant on Tuesday afternoon, there was no other visitors besides the male customer. “Perhaps it was because the restaurant is usually empty, or it was because the street in front of the restaurant was affected by a 50-cm-high flood," the reporter wrote.
However, Choe said the restaurant was mainly visited during lunch time by Koreans, Chinese or Japanese.
A guard of a bank nearby said that the restaurant did not have as many visitors as its neighboring South Korean restaurant. He also said that he had never seen any Indonesian workers in the restaurant. (mas/kes)
