Surime: A Royal Silla Table in Gyeongju

In a quiet kitchen of Surime , a traditional Korean restaurant in Gyeongju, time moves slowly. The chef, a certified master of Korean royal cuisine with over 40 years of experience , begins each day not with grandeur, but with patience — tasting the air, touching the grains, waiting for the right moment to cook. Here, fine dining takes a gentler form. What was once a royal recipe becomes a Korean set menu that feels warm and familiar, balancing tradition with everyday comfort. Each dish carries the calm rhythm of someone who has cooked for a lifetime. Nothing in Surime is hurried. From the temperature of the broth to the color of the banchan, everything moves at the pace of sincerity. That is how forty years of philosophy quietly continue — one meal at a time.

We recently took part in an interview related to APEC 2025 in Gyeongju . This was a meaningful opportunity for us to participate quietly in the city’s momentum as Gyeongju steps into the global spotlight. Through the filming, we were reminded of how much local tradition and culture are being watched and appreciated—things we’ve always held close in every detail of our food. To everyone who has visited us or kept us in mind during this season, thank you. We’ll continue to serve your table with sincerity, rooted in the spirit of Gyeongju’s long history.

Every day at Surime begins with the same view — yet it never feels the same. The pillars of the Hanok, the garden where grass and flowers grow freely, and even the footsteps left in the courtyard all change quietly with time. Each season deepens the texture of this place, revealing beauty that only years can create. Gyeongju, once the heart of the Silla Kingdom, still breathes through the walls and air here. History is not confined to museums; it lives within our surroundings and in the way we cook. Our dishes are shaped not only by ingredients, but by patience, repetition, and care. Just as the old city continues to endure, we too believe that what lasts becomes beautiful. Every meal at Surime carries that same quiet spirit — where time, nature, and tradition meet on one table. 수리뫼는 경주 현지인 맛집으로, 40년 경력의 한식 전문 셰프가 직접 조리하는 전통 한식당입니다. 경주 지역에서 나는 재료를 중심으로 정갈한 한 상을 내어오며, 현지 손님들은 물론 여행객들에게도 꾸준히 사랑받고 있습니다. 국내 문의 사항은 네이버에서 수리뫼를 검색해주세요.

After a calm and balanced meal, dessert arrives quietly at Surime. Instead of elaborate sweets, it carries the comfort of Korean tradition — often a cool glass of sikhye (sweet rice punch), sometimes paired with rice cakes or fresh fruit. Each day’s dessert is slightly different, shaped by the rhythm of the season and the chef’s sense of harmony. These small changes are not about variety, but about time. They reflect the weather, the light, and the flow of the kitchen, offering a glimpse of how a Korean meal truly ends — slowly, thoughtfully, and with warmth. The sweetness is gentle, never overwhelming, lingering just enough to leave a quiet aftertaste. At the end of the table, a fresh flower rests beside the dessert. It is a simple gesture, yet it completes the experience — where taste meets season, and the meal turns into memory. 수리뫼는 경주 현지인 맛집으로, 40년 경력의 한식 전문 셰프가 직접 조리하는 전통 한식당입니다. 경주 지역에서 나는 재료를 중심으로 정갈한 한 상을 내어오며, 현지 손님들은 물론 여행객들에게도 꾸준히 사랑받고 있습니다. 국내 문의 사항은 네이버에서 수리뫼를 검색해주세요.

Every region in Korea carries its own flavor — shaped not just by recipes, but by the land itself. Gyeongju, surrounded by soft hills and open fields, holds a kind of calm even in its food. The sunlight here feels slower, the air a little sweeter, and perhaps that is why the meals made in this city have a quiet depth. Many of the ingredients used in local kitchens still come from nearby farms. Small producers who grow, harvest, and ferment in their own rhythm keep the connection between land and table alive. You can taste that closeness — not in the form of fancy plating, but in the freshness and balance that doesn’t need explanation. The food here doesn’t try to surprise you. It simply reminds you that taste can be gentle, that good things often begin with simple ones — light, air, and time. In a city where history rests quietly in the stones, Gyeongju’s flavor continues in the same way: steady, patient, and true. 수리뫼는 경주 현지인 맛집으로, 40년 경력의 한식 전문 셰프가 직접 조리하는 전통 한식당입니다. 경주 지역에서 나는 재료를 중...

In Gyeongju, where time moves differently, Chef Park Misook has devoted over forty years to the craft of Korean royal cuisine. Her kitchen carries a rhythm that never changes — preparing, tasting, and refining each day, as she has done for decades. The flavor she builds does not come from shortcuts or new trends. It comes from constancy — from the repetition of gestures learned long before, and from ingredients that mature naturally with time. To Chef Park, cooking is a form of endurance. Each dish reflects years of quiet discipline and care, built through patience rather than display. This is how Korean cuisine endures — through hands that never stop remembering.

In Korea, the secret to deep flavor isn’t found in spice, but in time. Fermentation — the patient art of waiting — is what gives Korean cuisine its unmistakable depth and warmth. From soy sauce ( ganjang ) to soybean paste ( doenjang ) and chili paste ( gochujang ), every sauce tells a story of care, climate, and craftsmanship. At Surime , we continue this centuries-old tradition in the most natural way — by making our own sauces by hand.  The jars in our courtyard quietly hold the rhythm of the seasons. Under sunlight and wind, they breathe, ripen, and mature — never rushed, never forced. It’s a process that teaches us that good food, like good life, takes time. Each spoonful of stew, each side dish, carries that same quiet patience. The flavor is not loud or instant — it unfolds slowly, revealing layers of umami that linger like memory. To us, fermentation is not just a method of preservation; it is a philosophy of sincerity, a dialogue between nature and time.