Gijang brunch and grocery shopping at Mandali To Go, Busan

Every weekend, I find myself wondering where to take the kids. My oldest has been absolutely loving trains lately, so this time we left the car behind and took the Donghae Line from Ulsan to Ilgwang. I found Mandali To Go while looking for somewhere we could walk to from Ilgwang Station. A train ride with the kids, a delicious brunch, and plenty to look around at—it seemed like the perfect weekend outing, so I went with my husband and the children.

A Gijang brunch café within easy walking distance of Ilgwang Station

Mandali To Go, a brunch café in Gijang, Busan, is about a 10-minute walk from Ilgwang Station, so it is easy enough to visit by public transport. There is also parking in front of the building for those arriving by car, which made it convenient for families too.

The exterior already had such a warm, inviting feel, and there were outdoor tables too. On a nice day, it would be lovely to enjoy a relaxed brunch outside.

Looking around the grocery shop before brunch

Before even stepping inside this standalone Gijang brunch café, Mandali To Go, I could feel its warm atmosphere, which reminded me of a European home. The cute little objects placed throughout and the thoughtful interior made it feel as though I had briefly stopped by a pretty little house in Europe while travelling!! I fell for the place before I had even gone in.

What made Mandali To Go, near Ilgwang Beach in Busan, a little different from a typical Gijang brunch café was that it also runs a grocery shop on the first floor.

Inside on the first floor, there was a wide range of ingredients on display, from the pasta noodles used in its own dishes to sauces, oils, and fruit jams.

It was fun to browse ingredients that I could use when cooking at home.

They sold everything from tableware such as plates and cutlery to fresh flowers, so it felt like a café visit naturally turned into a little shopping trip!

The refrigerated display held a variety of panini that would make a great brunch or light meal, along with the butter, cheese, and jambon used at Mandali To Go. There was also a selection of bottled drinks to have with brunch, so it was genuinely fun to look through everything.

Bread baked fresh every morning

At Mandali To Go, the Gijang brunch café in Busan, breads baked fresh each morning are displayed in one corner.

There were baguettes, focaccia, and other breads baked in-house, plus a good variety of baked treats and cookies. It would be great to take some bread home after brunch too.

In particular, customers who order a meal get 10% off when taking bread to go, so bread lovers may want to keep that in mind.

A spacious and warm second-floor space

Upstairs, the mood was relaxed in a different way from the first floor. The window-side tables were high up, with a nice view. There were large tables for groups and a separate group room as well, so it looked suitable for family gatherings or larger parties.

The space was roomy overall, so even with the kids, we could eat comfortably without feeling cramped.

A varied brunch and drink menu

Looking over the menu, there was everything from panini and sandwiches to pasta, salads, and brunch plates. There were especially many dishes made with fresh ingredients, making it a nice place for a lighter brunch. We ordered the Grocery Plate, which let us taste several things, and the Broccolini Mushroom Focaccia. Drinks ranged from coffee and ade to freshly squeezed fruit juice, so it was easy to choose something that matched the food.

Mandali To Go's signature Grocery Plate

Our order at Mandali To Go, the Gijang brunch café, was its signature Grocery Plate, Broccolini Mushroom Focaccia, an iced café latte, orange ade, and Lamington cake for dessert, coming to ₩53,000 in total.

We started with the signature Grocery Plate. It arrived generously filled with so many different foods on one plate that it already felt satisfying just to look at. It seemed like every table had ordered one of these, haha.

It was a combination that let us try lots of things at once: warm tomato vegetable soup, three kinds of bread baked fresh each morning, orange chunk salad, sous-vide chicken thigh with yuzu wasabi sauce, scrambled eggs, a yogurt bowl, and fried sweet potato.

The orange in the Grocery Plate salad made it bright and refreshing, while the sous-vide chicken thigh was moist, with a gently zippy yuzu sauce that kept it from feeling rich.

More than a heavy, intensely seasoned brunch, Mandali To Go's Grocery Plate felt like a light, wholesome meal where you could enjoy lots of fresh ingredients!

Seeing the freshly baked breads on display, I simply could not walk past them. Of course, we ended up choosing one, and we tried the Broccolini Mushroom Focaccia, which looked the most tempting. Mushrooms and broccolini were tucked into the chewy yet mild focaccia, making it easy to enjoy without feeling too heavy. Crisp outside and soft inside—exactly my kind of bread!

It came with Kandia salted butter jam, basil pesto dipping sauce, and balsamic olive oil, so it was fun to see how the same bread tasted different with each sauce. If you enjoy the nutty, mild flavor of the bread itself, it is plenty delicious without any sauce too.

Lastly, Lamington cake for dessert! It had mango mascarpone cream and passion fruit glaze between rich butter cake layers, with plenty of coconut flakes on the outside. One bite brought together mango's sweetness and passion fruit's distinct tartness, so it was much fresher and brighter than I expected. It was just right with coffee after brunch.

We took the Donghae Line because my oldest wanted to ride a train, and I loved finding a Gijang brunch café like this so close to Ilgwang Station. It is easy to reach without a car and close to Ilgwang Beach, so it would be great to take a walk by the sea after brunch. Above all, it is not just a place to eat brunch: there is a grocery shop and bakery to browse too, so the kids did not get bored.

The portions were more generous than expected, making it nice to share several dishes, and all menu items are available for takeout too. If you are planning a weekend trip from Ulsan on the Donghae Line around Ilgwang Station, I think Mandali To Go is well worth stopping by for brunch and grocery browsing. I would absolutely visit again—recommended!!