Ilsan steak restaurant lunch with chili wasabi sauce: Upstairs Kitchen

Upstairs Kitchen, a Bamridan-gil favorite Hours 11:30–21:20 Break time 15:00–17:00 Last order 20:30

Upstairs Kitchen on Ilsan's Bamridan-gil: a lunch stop after a car wash

Upstairs Kitchen is a Western restaurant on Bamridan-gil in Ilsan. I'd stopped by Ilsan to get my car washed, and it turned out I was right by the famous Bamridan-gil! While debating where to have lunch, I ended up here at Upstairs Kitchen for steak.

Where to park at Upstairs Kitchen in Ilsan

There's parking for about three cars in front of the restaurant, but it's likely to be full during lunch hours, so I'd recommend parking at the nearby Jeongbalsan temporary public parking lot instead. There's an elementary school right in front, so roadside parking looks difficult.

Inside Upstairs Kitchen: a sunlit room that calls for daytime wine

The space is full of sunlight with tasteful interior design, so wherever you look it's pretty — you could just snap a photo anywhere and it'd look like a postcard... it's just so pretty. Whether day or night, it feels like a fully realized space you'd want to come sit down with a glass of wine, making it perfect for a date spot. I never expected to have lunch somewhere this pretty, so it was surprisingly exciting.

Upstairs Kitchen menu and prices

This is Upstairs Kitchen's menu. There's gnocchi, risotto, pasta, and lots of variety, but we ordered steak with a salad. Upstairs Kitchen is also known for its affordable yet delicious bruschetta — at ₩6,000, it's a great finger-food bite, so I'd recommend it too!

The basic table setting already in place when you sit down

Guacamole salad, 17,000 won: tangy with a quiet kick of heat

Guacamole salad, ₩17,000. I was trying to figure out what would pair well with the steak — I was also tempted by Upstairs Kitchen's gnocchi — but I remembered reviews saying the guacamole salad was delicious, so I picked this! And it turned out to be an excellent match with the steak. Good pick 🫶

It's a salad of guacamole and chicory with a tangy dressing drizzled on top, and it has a subtle kick of spice. I figured the combination of tangy dressing and spicy flavor would go perfectly with the steak, so I paused before eating it as a starter and waited to have it together once the steak arrived.

300g sirloin steak, 54,000 won: how big and how thick

Sirloin steak 300g, ₩54,000. Wow, this is a proper steak. 300g is definitely not a small portion, and it's thick, so it'd also work well to order one steak plus another dish to share.

The broccoli and potato garnish comes in generous, substantial pieces you can pop right in your mouth, and they pair perfectly with the steak. The broccoli was grilled beautifully so I sliced into it with the knife, and the potato had red tomato paste on top — just looking at it felt like color-food therapy and put me in a good mood 🥰💕

As expected, the salad and steak were a great combination. Alternating between the thick sirloin steak and the tangy-spicy freshness of the guacamole salad, I thought — today's menu choice was on point, super satisfied 💚

Chili wasabi sauce and house-made whole-grain mustard sauce

The two sauces served with Upstairs Kitchen's steak are a chili wasabi sauce and a house-made whole-grain mustard sauce. Both were impressive. I'd never seen a sauce mixing fresh wasabi with minced chili before, and I'd never seen a honey whole-grain sauce without regular mustard mixed in either — I wondered where you could buy something like this, so I looked it up, but couldn't find any whole-grain sauce like it on the market. Turns out it was made in-house at Upstairs Kitchen.

I'd definitely recommend trying Upstairs Kitchen's steak at least once. Enjoying this colorful plate — with its novel sauces and beautifully browned garnish — in Upstairs Kitchen's sun-filled space made for such a great atmosphere and delicious meal. I'd love to come back for an anniversary and enjoy it with wine in the evening.