North Korean restaurants springing up around Asia to raise money for regime

Experts say waitresses staffing an estimated 100 branches of Pyongyang chain are confined to compounds to prevent escape

At precisely 7.30pm, the waitresses put down their trays and start to perform. Wearing traditional Korean Choson-ot dresses in bright colours, they dance to a curious mix of western pop covers and North Korean national songs.

We're in a vast, strip-lit venue that serves up dog stew washed down with soju and some form of kimchi in virtually every dish but the restaurants main selling point is that it offers a window onto the worlds most secretive state.