Spicy kkanpung cutlet and basil oil pasta in Gyeongju: Midam Kitchen

What kind of place is Midam Kitchen?

Midam Kitchen is a new Western-style restaurant on Hwangnidang-gil in Gyeongju, serving pork cutlet, pasta, pizza, risotto and ade drinks. Hwangnidang-gil has so many good restaurants, but Midam Kitchen is one you'd be happy to put on the itinerary whether you're a traveler or on a date.

With its cozy little garden and stylish atmosphere, Midam Kitchen sells pork cutlet, pasta, pizza, risotto and ade, and takeout is also available.

The small front yard has such a Gyeongju feel to it. The friendly owner makes the meal even more enjoyable, so satisfaction was really high — if I ever come to Hwangnidang-gil with my kids, I'm definitely coming back to Midam Kitchen. I hope this post, which I've filled with care, helps anyone planning a visit.

Inside Midam Kitchen: mood and seating

Midam Kitchen feels even warmer once you step inside than it looks from the outside.

The space is divided into sections, so you can have a fairly private meal, and since you can reserve ahead on Naver, it's a spot you can enjoy without waiting even on a Gyeongju trip.

Opens at 10:30am with no break time

Midam Kitchen opens early, which makes it perfect for travelers as a Hwangnidang-gil restaurant. Opening from 10:30am means you can wake up late and still have a leisurely breakfast — which is such a nice thing to do while traveling.

Enjoying breakfast at a different hour than usual is exactly the kind of relaxed taste of freedom that travel gives you! There are tables for 2, for 4, and for 5–6, so let me take photos of every corner for anyone planning a reservation!

The space with the big windows even gives you a nice open, breezy feeling.

With its gray sophistication plus the coziness of wood tones and accent lighting, Midam Kitchen has such a great atmosphere that I'd recommend it as a Hwangnidang-gil restaurant for a family trip too.

Ordering at Midam Kitchen is by keypad

At Midam Kitchen, you order the menu using a keypad.

There is a Naver menu too, but the actual keypad has even more items on it.

What we ordered — kkanpung pork cutlet (spicy), basil oil pasta (mildly spicy), green grape ade, lemon ade

Our order arrived. The look and the smell were both perfect. It's the kind of smell that just gets right into your nose :)

Basil oil pasta with two whole prawns

Midam Kitchen's basil oil pasta was so good I scraped up even the sauce. From the first spoonful of sauce to the prawns, I ate everything except the shells.

Two plump prawns show up in the dish — plump, so of course the texture is great. They're grilled shell-on, so the prawn aroma is even more intense.

They're pretty long, right?! Haha

With that basil aroma and a really generous portion, I blew on it to cool it down, twirled it up, and dipped in the potato, tomato and prawn tucked into the pasta — all delicious.

How spicy is the kkanpung pork cutlet?

Midam Kitchen's kkanpung pork cutlet is spicy enough that kids couldn't handle it. I had run a 10K the day before, so my body was carrying a lot of fatigue — it felt more like mental fatigue than physical, honestly, and the kkanpung pork cutlet cured that hangover of the mind. I'm glad I ordered it, and it's fiery enough that I already want to order it again next time.

Of course, it's too spicy for kids, so if you're with children you should order the sirloin cutlet with the sweet sauce instead. But honestly, thinking it over, the kkanpung pork cutlet really deserves to be the signature dish. Even after the taste keeps coming back to mind, the cutlet portion is as generous as the plate itself, so you'll be full.

If you share it alongside several kinds of pasta, it might disappear in the blink of an eye — it's that good. This kkanpung pork cutlet is something you really have to go and try. Haha

The spicy kkanpung sauce, the crispy batter, and the juicy meat inside are all perfect together. This cutlet is honestly one I'd rank among my favorites — I'm completely won over.

Green grape ade and lemon ade

The lemon ade tastes like it was really squeezed from real lemons — so refreshing, so lemony. The green grape ade is sweetness itself!! I'm glad we ordered two different flavors — each one has its own strong charm, and both are delicious.

A cozy meal without the little ones around — of course you have to raise a glass of refreshing ade for that. Haha

Is Midam Kitchen worth a second visit?

From the cozy garden atmosphere alone, visiting Midam Kitchen just keeps giving you good stories to tell. The friendly owner seems to keep an ear out at every table, taking care of whatever you need — that was the first moment I was touched. The smile that never leaves her face — that was the second. The quality of the food relative to the price — that was the third. With that much to be touched by, coming back is a given!

Families with kids were already in the middle of their meal when we were there, and the owner's warm words as each family left after finishing lingered with a real sense of affection. If you want good food and a meal on your trip that fills you with good energy, step on into Midam Kitchen!!