Haedanghwa

Closed for holidays? At least that’s what the sign said. I wish there had been notice on the website or a phone number that worked

In two words pleasantly surprised.
To be honest when i was told that we were going to a N Korean restaurant i was expecting a low ceiling place with a huge poster of Kim Jong-​un smiling at us while surrounded by people and flowers. all of that while surrounded by the smells and sounds of an Asian restaurant (put somehow politely). Instead i walked to this really classy place got greeted by smiling waitresses dressed like upside down lamp shades (i say that in a cute way) .
The food was exceptional and although it was to hard for me to pronounce it i can say i ate everything that was in my plate. The best thing is the variety you can find anything form meat to fish to vegetarian to chicken and all of that topped with N Korean entertainment. Ok that last one was weird especially the act with the lady and the drum (you will understand when you see it). More over the ladies did make an effort and sang the famous Amsterdam song in Dutch!!!
Added value also brings the smoking room on the upstairs floor and the good wine list

North Korean as oppose to South Korean food… What’s the difference? Being a Korean American that loves Korean food I sadly had no idea? So doing a quick google search the only thing I could find was the kimchee in North Korea is not as spicy as the one from the South and I could definitely taste that difference. I prefer the spicier kimchee from the south. I’m sure there are more differences, perhaps less seafood up in the north?
The place is a higher end dining establishment with modern décor. The waitresses were traditionally dressed and genuinely wanting to accommodate (good customer service). I imagine if you found this place in Korea somewhere, the clientele would be businessmen. Prices are pretty steep. Food was good but I’ve had better and I’m comparing this to other european cities, not Asia or the States. We had pretty much all of the highlights of Korean food. Dolsop bibimbap, kimchee pancakes, variety of different bbq’d meats (which i found to be only decently marinated), mung bean pancakes, chigae etc. but sadly they gave you the tiniest amount of side dishes and a small variety that typically come with all entrees. If i’m paying top prices for korean food, i want all the side dishes that come with your meal, not just the 5 that we got!
The wait staff also randomly break out into traditional song and dance on their makeshift dance floor. It was a memorable evening, in a good way, but not sure if I would return? Thus, the search continues for my favorite Korean restaurant in Amsterdam! But if i could give this place stars based on service only… it would be 5 fat stars!
For people who have never experienced Korean food before, this place is fancy smancy and would not be my first choice in introducing someone to korean food. I prefer the mom and pop way of enjoying a good korean meal.

Brought to you by the chubby cheek bowl-​cut mastermind Kim Jong-​un, comes a journey into North Korean cuisine. Aside from the up-​scale extremely courteous service, here can you enjoy Korean karaōke numbers sung by your waitresses, a spirited Korean dance with beating drum and piano playing, since it’s a known fact that all Koreans learn piano at the age of 2 before they can even say ‘kimchi’.
So what IS Haedanghwa? At the heart of the Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea, lies a magical capital with dragons and ligers called Pyongyang. Within this mysterious land, lies a large building called Haedanghwa Food-​Stuff Company. This company has sponsored making North Korean food stuff, for the pleasure of people who unfortunately live outside the borders of the totalitarianistic «democratic». Boo that we can’t all be North Korean but YAY for us to be able to get a glimpse into their food culture!!! (for those who actually eat…)
And what is the difference between the south and the north in terms of cuisine (and not number of nuclear weapons)? Nothing I was able to figure out! I love me some South Korean food and looking at the menu, I didn’t see anything different! Definitely not a problem for my kimchi-​hungry stomach. I had my all-​time favorite K-​dish which is dolsot bibimbap. I thought the flavor was excellent and I definitely could have had another bowl. Everything else was just… aaaaaight. The bulgogi was surprisingly chicken, while I was hoping for dog. The Kalbi, which usually is super flavorful, lacked that special pear maceration I’ve grown to love. The bancha (little sides) were good, but definitely the kimchi needs to be spicier and possibly more rotten!
If you’ve never had Korean food before, I think you might like this place. The service is VERY Korean/​Japanese (like they put the napkins on your lap and have permanently botoxed smiles), the entertainment is interesting, and if you don’t know what to get, definitely go for Menu A (bulgogi and bibimbap) to ease your pallet into Korean cuisine. But for peeps who are veterans to the K-​game, I think you’ll find this rather meh. Oh, and in case you are wonder, I talked to the waitresses and they say everyone there was allowed to… I mean… they all came from North Korea. Oh and Oh#2, née… hier is het niet mogelijk om nummer 39 met rijst te bestellen… just sayin!

A North Korean restaurant? Didn’t think I’d ever stumble across that, especially here in Amsterdam.
I couldn’t find the place because I expected a small hole in the wall, but instead found an embassy looking large building. The décor is nice and more upscale and the waitstaff is dressed in some crazy traditional dresses. Randomly throughout the night, they sing karaōke, dance, do some drum dance, and play piano. What other entertainment could you want?
The menu seemed pretty similar to South Korean I’ve had, but it was tasty. We had kalbi, bulgogi, bibimbap, chicken wings, buckwheat noodles in a copper bowl and some side dishes. You grill the bulgogi yourself on a small grill they bring out. I liked everything except the buckwheat noodles, but my favorite was probably the bibimbap! I wish I had more of it right now… mmmmmm.
We were 9 people and our total tab was 360 Euro for a few bottles of wine and a lot of different dishes to try!
Definitely worth a try! :)