Constantly smiling waitresses clad in identical floral dresses attend to the primarily Asian clientele. Paintings of mountains, waterfalls and horses adorn the walls. A lonely looking keyboard is set up on the stage, while a TV in the corner plays a loop of karaoke videos with the sound muted.

Welcome to the Middle East’s only North Korean restaurant — Pyonyang Okryu-Gwan.

But first you have to find the restaurant. It’s probably not surprising, considering the guarded nature of North Korea, that a restaurant from the communist state is difficult to locate.

The restaurant can be found in a quiet corner of Deira, not far from the clock tower in Business Village. It’s suitably understated.

Upon arriving, the door is opened for you by a waitress, who stands constantly looking out for customers. Once inside the attentive staff greets you like a long-lost family member.

The service can’t be faulted, with drinks constantly topped up and questions about the extensive menu answered enthusiastically, if not convincingly.

Popular dishes include raengmyon, which are described as traditional, cold North Korean noodles, and kimchi, a pickled cabbage delicacy.

But it’s not only the food that makes Pyonyang Okryugwan stand out. During the evening, diners can expect to be treated to live entertainment, featuring dancing and singing shows, performed by the waitresses. Adding to the atmosphere is the strange mix of traditional Korean performances and modern Western songs, which are played on electric guitars and a keyboard.

At the end of the dining experience, customers can even buy a North Korean souvenir to remind themselves of the experience. North Korean stamps, postcards and other unusual gifts are available.

Many diners are understandably reluctant to talk about the restaurant considering its reputed links with the North Korean government. One customer, a British resident of Dubai who declined to be named, said: “I had read about Pyonyang Okryugwan and expected something weird, perhaps murals of Korean workers and portraits of Kim Jong II on the walls, but it was in face so much more eerie than that. There’s Korean TV or karaoke on the TV, which has some of the most bizarre clips I have seen. Some massive kitsch paintings of horses and the mountain backdrops add to the mood. Service is ironically friendly, polite but with graceful, military-like punctuality.”

When contacted regarding this article, various members of the staff from Pyonyang Okryugwan told Khaleej Times that “no-one is available to talk” and “the manager is outside on business.”

chris@khaleejtimes.com