When foreign investment is the aim, North Korea may stand as the last option in the public mind. But a Japanese chef and owner of a sushi restaurant in Pyongyang thinks otherwise.
The restaurant called Takahashi was opened in January by chef Kenji Fujimoto, with the help of the Canadian cultural center, Paektu in Pyongyang.
The restaurant, which serves both sushi rolls and thin cut-up fish pieces or Sashimi, has gained relative popularity with its Japanese dishes.
But unlike the Japanese serving style, Takahashi’s fish is usually frozen as brought to the table.
This means customers can either crunch their sushi frozen or wait for it to defrost and then savor it.
There are practically no Japanese businesses in North Korea but founders of Takahashi don’t seem to worry and interestingly enough think of the restaurant as a way to welcome foreign investment.
Fujimoto and his partner have already opened a noodle restaurant in Pyongyang that has successfully targeted local customers as the prices are closer to Pyongyang standards.