Ilsan steak restaurant, oven-baked sirloin for two: Upstairs Kitchen

Upstairs Kitchen is a Bamridan-gil spot in Ilsan that my husband and I were really happy with. We went through a Supermembers experience program, but the moment we walked out I knew we'd have to come back on our own dime. The atmosphere was lovely, but what stuck with me was how polished every single dish was. The sirloin steak and bacon cream gnocchi in particular were among the best I've had, easily.

What is the atmosphere at Upstairs Kitchen Bamridan-gil Branch like?

You can feel the stylish vibe from the outside. It fits right in with the cozy mood Bamridan-gil is known for.

Inside, the decor was even cuter and warmer than I expected from the outside. Props and little decorations are placed all around, so just looking around is fun. It feels comfortable yet stylish, and I thought it would make a great date spot. If you're looking for a nice restaurant in Ilsan or a date spot on Bamridan-gil, I'd recommend it.

Upstairs Kitchen menu and what we ordered

The menu has a range of Western dishes, from steaks to pasta and risotto. Items like the wagyu sirloin steak, abalone risotto and flatfish minari pasta stood out as having their own personality.

Here's what we ordered.

• Bruschetta No. 1 (2 pcs)
• Sirloin steak, 300g
• Bacon cream gnocchi

We got the bruschetta by joining the review event. Even the appetizer, a nice way to whet your appetite before the mains, was better than I expected. Let me go through them one by one.

What does the review-event bruschetta taste like?

Two pieces of bruschetta came as part of the review event: crispy toasted bread topped with cream cheese, olive oil, grilled eggplant, tomato sauce and basil.

From the first bite, the way everything came together was great. Crunchy bread, soft cream cheese and smoky grilled eggplant, with the aroma of tomato sauce and basil on top, made a perfect opener. My husband and I even said we should try making it at home! It would be hard to get the exact same taste, but the ingredients are fairly simple and it looks pretty, so I thought it would be nice to make when having guests over.

300g sirloin steak baked in its own dish

The 300g sirloin steak was one of the most memorable dishes of this meal. Honestly, my husband and I don't eat steak out very often. When we do, it's at a chain like Outback, or we buy meat and grill it at home, so finding a place that cooks steak this well was a treat.

The steak is reportedly baked in the oven in the same dish it's served in. Maybe that's why the outside had a barbecued feel while the inside stayed juicy. The meat itself was flavorful, but the sauces and sides that came with it were really impressive too.

House-made whole grain mustard that even my mustard-hating husband cleaned up

We dipped the steak alternately in the house-made whole grain mustard and the chili wasabi, and both made the meat taste even richer. My husband doesn't usually like whole grain mustard much, but he said this one was really good and scraped it clean! Apparently Upstairs Kitchen even shares how to make the mustard on its Instagram. If you like steak, I hope you'll try it. Personally, I felt it's the kind of taste you'll crave again once you've had it.

How is the cheesy bacon cream gnocchi?

We ordered the bacon cream gnocchi along with the steak. I've had gnocchi in plenty of places, but this one had a charm all its own. The pieces were larger than usual and filled with cheese, so it was nutty yet mild, and I liked the chewy texture too.

Above all, the cream sauce was really good. Crispy breadcrumbs, onion and garlic mingled with the cream and cheese, giving a deep savory taste with every bite. Cream dishes are often great for the first few bites and then get a bit heavy, but this one stayed delicious to the very end.

When my husband and I had pasta at a famous chef's restaurant in Hapjeong, it tasted a little bland for us, which was disappointing. Here, I felt each dish had a well-balanced flavor, and the ingredients worked together instead of each going its own way.

Finishing with a caramel treat on the way out

We enjoyed the food so much that before we knew it the plates were spotless.

To finish, we popped in the caramel treat given on the way out. From the mains to that last sweet bite, it was a really happy meal.

Overall verdict on Upstairs Kitchen on Ilsan's Bamridan-gil

We visited Upstairs Kitchen Bamridan-gil Branch together. Since it was an experience visit, I wasn't expecting much, just a relaxed meal, but it was far more satisfying than I thought. The juicy sirloin, the house-made whole grain mustard and the cheese-filled bacon cream gnocchi are still on my mind.

It's not just a restaurant with a nice mood; the food delivered too. The fact that my husband and I said we'd come back on our own money says how satisfied we were. If you're looking for a good date restaurant on Ilsan's Bamridan-gil, or a place for tasty steak and gnocchi, I'd recommend Upstairs Kitchen.