Sushi in Pyongyang: Japanese chef opens rare restaurant
在平壤吃寿司:日本大厨开出了罕见的餐厅
Associated Press March 5, 2017
美联社3月5日报导
In this Feb. 19, 2017, photo provided by Paektu Cultural Exchange, Japanese sushi chef Kenji Fujimoto works behind the counter of his new restaurant in Pyongyang, North Korea.
在这张由白头山文化交流提供的摄于2017年2月19日的照片中,日本寿司大厨藤本健二在他朝鲜平壤新开餐厅的寿司台后工作。
In this Feb. 19, 2017, photo provided by Paektu Cultural Exchange, a sushi set is displayed on a table at the restaurant of Japanese sushi chef Kenji Fujimoto in Pyongyang, North Korea.
同样由白头山文化交流提供,摄于2017年2月19日,该店出品的寿司套餐。
This Feb. 19, 2017, photo provided by Paektu Cultural Exchange shows restaurant "Takahashi" of Japanese sushi chef Kenji Fujimoto in Pyongyang, North Korea.
白头山文化交流提供,摄于2017年2月19日,“高桥屋”内景。(G19注:根据文章内容,此照片为与寿司店开在一起的日式拉面店)
PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) — Sushi in Pyongyang? At a restaurant run by a Japanese sushi chef famous for working for North Korea's late leader Kim Jong Il?
朝鲜平壤(美联社)——在平壤吃寿司?在朝鲜前领导人金正日的御用寿司大厨开的餐厅里?
Kenji Fujimoto has opened his sushi restaurant in the North Korean capital, according to Canadian Michael Spavor, a consultant with a long record of working in the communist state. He was involved with NBA star Denis Rodman's trips to North Korea, and the two spent days with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who succeeded his father after his death in 2011.
藤本健二在朝鲜首都平壤开出了他的寿司店。这是由长期在这个共产党国家担任顾问工作的加拿大人Michael Spavor带来的消息,他参与了NBA球星丹尼斯罗德曼的朝鲜之旅,和罗德曼两个人一起与朝鲜领导人金正恩度过了不少日子。
Spavor said he was introduced to Fujimoto just last year, when he learnt about the chef's plans to open a restaurant in Pyongyang and tried to track it down early this year.
Spavor说直到去年他才被介绍认识了藤本,当他得知这位大厨计划在平壤开一家餐厅后在今年早些时候跟进了一下。
"I was quite excited, because I'd heard quite a lot about him," Spavor said. "So one day, for lunch, we met up, and we got along great, he speaks fluent Korean, so we spoke Korean, and that's when he mentioned to me he was planning on opening up a ramen restaurant or a sushi restaurant in Pyongyang."
“我很兴奋,因为我听说过他的很多事情,”Spavor说。“于是有一天,我们见面一起吃午餐,我们聊得非常好,他可以说流利的朝鲜语,所以我们用朝鲜语沟通,就是这次他提到了准备在平壤开一家日式拉面馆或者寿司餐厅。”
It's rare to find a Japanese business openly operating in North Korea, because of strained relations between the two countries.
因为两国之间的紧张关系,很难在朝鲜找到由日本人公开经营的生意。
But Fujimoto is a special case. He worked for Kim Jong Il for many years. After Kim's death, Fujimoto reappeared in Pyongyang meeting with the new leader in images he shared with Japanese media.
但藤本健二是个特殊例子。他为金正日工作过很多年。在金正日去世后,藤本重新出现在平壤并面见了新一代领导人,他向日本媒体提供了这次会面的照片。
Fujimoto's new restaurant in Pyongyang bears the name "Takahashi" outside its door. The main room with a sushi counter is very small, with just a handful of seats.
藤本在平壤的新餐厅门外挂着“高桥屋”的牌子,里面有一个寿司台,非常小只有几个座位。
Raw fish dishes sushi and sashimi have been available in Pyongyang for many years, but usually the fish is frozen before it comes to the table, so the customer can chose either to crunch it frozen, or wait until it defrosts and loses its texture. Neither option meets the usual standards.
生鱼寿司和生鱼片出现在平壤已经有很多年了,但是通常鱼端上桌前是冷冻的,所以顾客们要么选择嘎吱嘎吱的带着冰碴啃,要么等到鱼化冻后失去质感。没有一样是达到应有水准的。
According to the latest images, the food at Fujimoto's is much better. But prices are high by Pyongyang standards, starting at $50 for a sushi set, and running to more than $100.
而根据最新的照片,藤本餐厅的出品要好很多。但是就平壤的物价水平来说可不便宜,寿司套餐50美元起,贵的超过100美元。
There are also cheaper options available from the noodle restaurant that operates together with Fujimoto's sushi room.
与藤本的寿司店开在一起的面馆则提供了便宜一些的选择。
"I think everyone in the world is aware that North Korea has its challenges and economic difficulties," Spavor said.
“我想全世界的人都了解朝鲜在经济上遇到了困难,”Spavor说。
"That being said, there are many Koreans in Pyongyang who are able to afford these kind of high-end restaurants," he said. "And keep in mind also that Pyongyang has a lot of foreign diplomats, U.N. workers, businessmen from China and other countries who can also dine at this restaurant."
“然而这说明在平壤仍然有很多朝鲜人有钱在这样的高端餐厅里吃饭”,他说。“另外请记住平壤还有很多外交官,联合国工作人员,中国和其他国家的商人也会在这里用餐。”