culture

In the heart of Pyongyang there is the Changgwang food alley frequented by the people.

It is called the food alley, since the restaurants serving national and foreign dishes closely line the street. It is winning popularity among the people with elaborate dishes.

According to Kim Kum Ok, head of its service department, Chairman Kim Jong Il took measures to turn Changgwang Street, which was being newly built in front of Pyongyang Railway Station in the 1980s, into a food alley. On August 9 1985, President Kim Il Sung and Chairman Kim Jong Il looked round the new restaurants in the completed Changgwang food alley to express great satisfaction and give detailed instructions on the issues arising in the business activities, she said.

Since its opening on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of Korea’s liberation on August 15 1985, the Changgwang food alley has been a popular public catering facility until today.

The Changgwangsan Noodle House, which serves noodles in flat vessels covered with meat, is one of the restaurants always crowded with diners. Noodles have become part of Koreans’ diet. Almost all the Koreans like noodles and they eat them frequently in families. Therefore, restaurants are immensely competitive for better taste of noodle strips and meat stock.

Customers highly appreciate noodles in a flat vessel covered with meat of the Changgwangsan Noodle House, praising that their flavour is so unique.

The Sagyejol(four seasons) Restaurant is frequented by customers all four seasons, as its name suggests.

The restaurant serves different dishes according to seasons: Korea’s traditional bean paste soup and water garlic kimchi in spring, fresh noodles and cold dishes in summer, health-promoting catfish soup and steamed hock in autumn and whole bok choy kimchi and hot dishes in winter.

The Western Foods Restaurant serves unique European dishes such as the Italian pizza, while the Chow Mein House serves udong noodles, chow mein and others.

Many other restaurants in the Changgwang food alley serve tasty dishes. For example, the Fried Chicken Restaurant serves dozens of dishes including fried chicken, samgyethang (stewed chicken with insam) and cold steamed turkey, the Roast Skewered Meat House specializes in skewered mutton roasted over charcoal fire and several kinds of grilled meat, the Yaksan Restaurant attracts customers with roast ostrich and spicy ostrich soup, the Changgwang Restaurant is famous for buckwheat starch noodles, and the Unhasu Restaurant serves various kinds of dishes including sinsollo (a dish in cooking brazier).

“The cooks of the restaurants in the Changgwang food alley widely introduce the traditional cuisines of different regions and new culinary skills, giving pleasure to customers,” said Kim.