North Korean restaurant

[Cook my sock]

Anyone tried either of the newish North Korean restaurants in Bangkok? They are 'state owned' with genuine North Korean staff. One is in Ekkamai, not sure where the other is.

Kind of curious..

Apart from singing and dancing to weird DPRK music, the girls will try to sell you large amounts of state cigarettes after getting you drunk..

Also read the food is pretty good, if a little expensive

[Spaniel]

Might be interesting but I wouldn't patronize anyplace that benefited North Korea.

[Thainess]

Only a real sock-cooker would go to such a place.

[Cook my sock]

Fair point but if I used that argument half the countries in the world would be in that list..I doubt these restaurants make any profit - what they may offer is a dialogue between opposing views, which is no bad thing.

[Franky Bear]

Do they take the US$ or £ as one of their methods of payment?

[Jingthing]

I've heard from multiple sources that the food at these places is just standard Korean food similar to what you can get at a plethora of other Korean restaurants. The value adds are the shows and the novelty of it being NORTH Korean. I agree ... why support that regime?

Edited June 20, 2016 by Jingthing

[Cook my sock]

I had read there were some authentic North Korean dishes. Even a four legged friend variety.. Anyway here's their FB page https://m.facebook.com/pages/Pyongyang-A-Ri-Rang/484945488321161

[Jingthing]

Nothing specifically North Korean and serving dog would be illegal here.

[Cook my sock]

have a look at the menu and get back to me on that one..

Edited June 20, 2016 by Cook my sock

[Franky Bear]

It's a arm of room 39. There was one in Pattaya

[Gulfsailor]

I've heard from multiple sources that the food at these places is just standard Korean food similar to what you can get at a plethora of other Korean restaurants. The value adds are the shows and the novelty of it being NORTH Korean. I agree ... why support that regime?

That and why support slavery. Don't think for one second that the North Korean employees get to keep salary or are free to do anything else but work.

[Franky Bear]

That and why support slavery. Don't think for one second that the North Korean employees get to keep salary or are free to do anything else but work.

Their families will be held "hostage" in NK also, to make sure the people working in there don;t defect. I'd imagine the manager of the place is part of the Division 39

[Cook my sock]

I bet they are happier to be out of the country.

It's a bit like saying we shouldn't take the mrt or bts as thai workers aren't allowed unions

Edited June 20, 2016 by Cook my sock

[Jingthing]

It's well known these NK restaurants exist only to funnel hard currency to their regime. Also, most probably -- SPIES.

[Cook my sock]

Sure. But I guess your smart phone or half the clothes on your back were produced under modern forms of slavery.

[Jingthing]

People are free (for a price) to go there if they wish. I just don't see any compelling reason to go there either for the experience they offer or the ethics of funneling money to the NK regime. There no ambiguity about it. Up to you.

[Cook my sock]

Sure. But ethics only add up if you can walk the walk

[Jingthing]

Sure. But ethics only add up if you can walk the walk

I can walk by the NK restaurant without going in.

Next ...

[Cook my sock]

Oblivious to your hypocrisy

Next...

[Jingthing]

Oblivious to your hypocrisy

Next...

Yeah, I'm sure you're perfect. The savior has arrived.

[Cook my sock]

No not at all. Just calling you out

[Jingthing]

No not at all. Just calling you out

I'm happy to be called out by someone on an internet forum called COOK MY SOCK for suggesting that going to an NK restaurant with mediocre Korean food sold at inflated prices where the profits go to the NK regime isn't really a good idea. You do get shows too.

Again, up to you.

Welcome to my ignore list.

Edited June 20, 2016 by Jingthing

[Cook my sock]

Chill out. All I'm saying is before we complain about some little NK restaurant that probably loses money ..we shd remember that most of the goods we happily buy are the result of terrible working conditions, where it be China or Bangladesh etc.

[Luckysilk]

I went awhile back with some South Korean friends visiting - they really seemed to enjoy it and I found the food pretty decent.

The music is no worse than the Thai stuff we hear

[rgs2001uk]

Excellent news, just what I have been waiting for since the place on Pattanakarn soi 20 closed.

Please give details of where these new places are, cant wait to visit and give them every support I can.

As for someone asking why I would vist and support these places, well I get to see a cheey little song and dance show, I aint pesterd for lady drinks, I aint subjected to sick buffalo stories..

Great value for money and one of the best nights out you will ever have in Bkk if you approach with an open mind and not baggage you have brought here from elsewhere.

Great friendly, fun loving people, I have no problemos giving them my money.

[prestburypark]

They must be feeling pretty isolated now Albania is free from oppression, used to be a right pair of laughs.

Don't think I would have gone to a Nazi Restaurant, or a Stalinist Steakhouse if they were operating outside of their respective countries during the times that they were busy doing mass murder internally.

And the haircut! Who would encourage that?

[rgs2001uk]

Please feel free to leave your preconceived ideas, prejudices and baggage behind at your point of departure.

Please celebrate the fact that such a place even exists.

Consider such Bkk landmarks, Golden Bar Suk soi 4 no more , replaced by what, Hooters (lord help us).

Check Inn 99 soon to be replaced by what, yet another mall or condo?

Caffee Boran, no more, replaced by yet another Starbux.

Luk Chin no more replaced by yet another Macdonalds.

Celebrate our diversity, we dont all want bland, bland and even more bland.

Another latte, no thank you.

[Cook my sock]

I guess we are being replaced by a brainwashed PC generation who can't see the hypocrisy in signing online petitions on smartphones made by the slave trade

So I understand the sentiment with not eating at such a restaurant but cmon you're in Thailand ..