Sushi in Pyongyang: Japanese chef opens rare restaurant
PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) — A Japanese chef famous for working for North Korea's late leader Kim Jong Il has returned to Pyongyang to open a sushi restaurant.
According to Canadian consultant Michael Spavor, who met Kenji Fujimoto last year, the restaurant — a rarity in the North Korean capital — is a hit with foreign diplomats, U.N. workers and business people.
It's uncommon to find a Japanese business openly operating in North Korea, because of strained relations between the two countries. But Fujimoto is a special case. After Kim's death in 2011, he met with his son, the new leader Kim Jong Un, and the restaurant opened early this year.
Prices are high by Pyongyang standards, starting at $50 for a sushi set, and running to more than $100.
