Although milmyeon — flour noodles served either in a cold broth or spicy marinade — is most closely associated with the southeastern city of Busan, Gyeongju is also a secret hotbed for this hot-weather favorite. Different from naengmyeon, made with buckwheat noodles, milmyeon noodles are much softer. Cut them with scissors before mixing into the cold broth, and add a splash of vinegar and mustard for the ultimate cool-down. [$]

Garlicky fried chicken is easy to find in Gyeongju, but each spot has its own special recipe. Here, the chicken is marinated in soy sauce after being fried, and then it gets smothered in a heap of garlic and onions. For those who want an even more refreshing kick, Minsu’s offers a soy dipping sauce that’s been liberally seasoned with hot pepper. The spice-salty-crunchy combination is irresistible. [$$]

Migguraji, or mudfish, is the star ingredient of the regional delicacy known as chueotang, a thick soup made with fermented soybean paste. The Gyeongju style is thought to be an energy-booster; the fish is ground into a powder and boiled, rather than stewed whole. This particular chueotang specialist sells 150 servings a day, so go early or phone ahead. [$]

This shop is most known for its samgyetang, a famously energizing chicken-and-ginseng soup. The classic style comes with sticky rice served inside a chicken stomach, but this restaurant’s crispy variation comes with nurunggi, or crunchy rice, and a side of boozy ginseng spirit by request. [$$]

No visit to Korea is complete without some KFC — Korean fried chicken — and beer. This spot in Jungang Market is ideal for both. Here, they marinate the chicken in curry for added spice, and serve the double-fried pieces with a garnish of fresh minced garlic. One serving is enough for two, or take the extra to go. [$$]

This teahouse was the setting for director Zhang Lu’s popular 2014 romantic comedy Gyeongju, featuring actors Shin Min-a and Park Hae-il. A front terrace greets visitors on their way into the hanok-style building, where they can linger with a cup of tea in the sunlight. Inside is filled with paintings and an array of cups and pots for the house selection of teas. The shop’s owner fell in love with the building in 2002, and began serving drinks here to ensure it wasn’t demolished. Today it’s one of the city’s best places to sip. [$]

Garlic lovers swoon for the spicy, garlicky braised pork here, which comes with a variety of vegetable banchan. Wrap some rice and pork in a lettuce leaf for a perfect ssam bite, and ask for a side of bokeumbab, or fried rice, to soak up any leftover sauces. [$$]

This beloved bakery has been making its namesake pastry —  a thin crusty bun stuffed with sweet red bean paste — since 1939. Here you can watch the bakers at work and buy fresh packs to relish immediately or take home in elaborate souvenir boxes. There are many imitators throughout the city, and even in Seoul, but these are the original and often considered the best. [$]

Take a break with a late-morning coffee served in a building that artfully mixes the old and the new of Gyeongju. The roof of this indie cafe keeps the wooden structure typical of hanok, a traditional Korean home, but rests on sleek modern concrete blocks typically seen in many modern coffee shops across Korea. You can either opt for drip coffee or espresso with your choice of beans from Guatemala, Colombia, Indonesia, or Brazil. Steven Smith’s tea selections are available as well. [$]

An ancient stone wall surrounds this small hanok, which feels more like a family home than any sort of formal restaurant. This is true Korean homestyle cooking, where diners sit either inside or beneath a covered patio in the garden for a traditional Korean meal known as jungsik. A simple bowl of rice and soup is accompanied by an elaborate spread of banchan. Stop there, or splurge for the superb bulgogi or pajeon. [$$]

This is the next best thing to being invited to dinner at someone’s home. Hong and Lee Table serves some of the region’s most popular homestyle dishes as well as a few excellent banchan. Diners choose from a rotating selection of mains — kimchi stew or beef doenjang stew, for instance — to eat with rice and a sweetened rice drink called sikhye to complete the meal. [$]

Close to the famous swooping archway of Bulguksa Temple, one of the most popular tourist destinations in Gyeongju, this restaurant serves Korean temple-style food, which is vegetarian, but made without pungent vegetables like onions, garlic, chives, and leeks. The meal is an inside look into what monks eat as part of their daily training and mediation. Dishes are made with seasonal ingredients and you get about 10 banchan, or side dishes, in addition to your rice and soup. [$$]

Dine as Korean royal families would have dined in the palaces of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) at Surime. The chef is trained in historic regional cooking techniques, and the space outside the traditional buildings is used to keep jangdok, large earthenware pots where seasonings and condiments are fermented for years. A more simplified, affordable set meal is available for lunch on weekdays, and the chef also offers cooking classes for those who wish to delve deeper. [$ - $$$]