Normally we’re not fans of North Korea winning anything – glad they didn’t triumph in the Sony Hack battle, c’mon, ‘The Interview’ was pretty funny; who doesn’t like Katy Perry and Margaritas? But, in lieu of winning a nuclear war and smashing down capitalism, we’ll give ‘em this one: Kimchi. That’s right, everyone’s favourite fermented foodstuff has recently been a bone of contention between the North and South when the U.N. added South Korean Kimchi to UNESCO’s prestigious list of the world’s ‘intangible cultural heritage” two years ago. Now, North Korea’s very own version of ‘Red Kimchi’ (must be that special shade of Communist) is on a list of nominations about to be rubberstamped, just like the D.P.R.K elections, for inclusion.

It’s the perfect time for the vote as Kimchi making season is just getting underway in the land of Lotte, and, unfortunately, not really starting in the North due to the one-two punch of drought and flooding.

Thankfully this slight snub two years ago didn’t boil over into anything more serious like the fierce rivalries between families, regions and communities down South for whose Kimchi is superior, or like the trade spat between China and South Korea in 2005 when parasitic eggs found in Kimchi started an escalation of trade embargoes.

With 95% of South Koreans eating Kimchi every day, as well as all 150% of Kim Jong Un eating it 100% of the time, Kimchi is serious business. Hopefully one day we can all put down our feuds and pick up our foods in peace.

With snow in Seoul and D.P.R.K visas a bit troublesome to arrange, why not stay right here in town and enjoy Korean Cuisine?

BenJia (本家) @ 1339 WuZhong Lu – Korean BBQ at its best. We love the Gubei branch because Gubei is authentic as you can get. Make sure to smash some Soju and Makkgeoli (the wine and beer equivalent of fermented rice drinks) while gorging on all their bountiful D.I.Y BBQ. The waitresses’ Korean accents while speaking Chinese only add to the fun.

ShanChaHua Family Korean Restaurant (山茶花韩国家庭料理) @ SML Center Dapuqiao, 4F F-11 – Is another great BBQ spot that’s a bit closer than Benjia in Gubei. Don’t miss out on their salt steamed shrimp for cooking on the BBQ or the rich and hearty soybean stew flavour in their Doenjang Chiggae. Perfect for the winter.

North Korean Pyongyang Restaurant (上海平壤阿里郎朝鲜演艺餐厅)@ 1050 WuZhong Lu – Great leader, we weren’t leaving you out! All proceeds from this North Korean restaurant (seriously run by the North Korean government) go right to Kim himself. While the food isn’t nearly as good as any other South Korean restaurant in town, this place is all about the show. Yup, the waitresses stop what they’re doing to thrown down an amazing 80’s synth keytar, guitar, bass, drum, song and dance show that will blow your socks off. We were gutted when the ZhaoJiaBang Lu branch right by our office shut down. We have good memories of a CNY company dinner there.

For those who prefer to dine in the comfort of home, don’t forget – we deliver! Grab some Bibimbap from Bibimbap Story, sample iconic Korean chicken from BBQ Premium Chicken, or get all of the good stuff with Celebration Palace.

Now, please excuse us while we go make some custom Kimchi stickers for our WeChat account.