Pasta restaurant in Gangnam: red shrimp aglio e olio, Mano di Chef

I went on a date with my friend around Samsung Station, and the atmosphere was so lovely and so private that we could chat comfortably while enjoying Western food. (It's a great spot for pasta and gnocchi!) The food was really delicious too, haha. If you're looking for a good Western restaurant near Samsung Station, I recommend Mano di Chef Samsung Branch. Let's start the review!

Mano di Chef Samsung Branch: location and opening hours

• Location: B1, Dongseong Building, 21 Teheran-ro 87-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
• Hours: Mon–Sun 11:00–21:30
• Parking: 2 hours free in the building / valet parking ₩5,000
• Reservations: Available; group and room bookings possible

It's within walking distance of Samsung Station Exit 5, which was so convenient, haha. Best of all, The Hyundai Department Store is nearby, so it's a great spot for hanging out after your meal♥ I walked from Samsung Jungang Station, and it turned out to be a walkable distance from there too!

The restaurant is on the basement level of the building. You can go inside the building and take the elevator down, or use the stairs from outside the building that lead straight to B1, just so you know~

Private seats with partitions: what's the interior like?

This is the inside of Mano di Chef Samsung Branch. It's so pretty! The lighting is warm and it has a Christmas-y feel, so I think it would be perfect for a year-end party, a farewell get-together or a year-end date. There's a white-toned dining area like this,

and we were guided to a private seat, so we enjoyed the whole meal in comfort. It's a round table with a partition, which makes it private, haha.

It's prettily decorated all over, haha. I think it would be even prettier and more atmospheric around Christmas or the year-end season, aww.

There's a separate wine fridge too, and you can see how many kinds of wine they have!!

There are also large tables like this, so I think it would be good for groups. The inner area was already completely full, so I couldn't take photos of it..

Menu and how to order

This is the menu at Mano di Chef Samsung Branch. I liked that there's such a wide variety, haha. They have course meals too, so keep that in mind~

The two of us ordered one carrot purée & octopus gnocchi, one red shrimp aglio e olio pasta and one Sprite. I was curious about the carrot purée, and the red shrimp aglio e olio was listed as a recommended dish, so I tried it, hehe.

There's a call bell on the table, you know? Just press the call bell to order!

How do the carrot purée & octopus gnocchi and red shrimp aglio e olio taste?

Drumroll.

First, the carrot purée & octopus gnocchi. My friend and I were both curious about it, and the gnocchi was cooked just right with a nicely balanced dough, the octopus had a great texture, and the carrot purée was sweet and went really well with the gnocchi!!!

Next is the red shrimp aglio e olio. Can you see how plump the red shrimp are? It's lightly salty, and I recommend it if you like aglio e olio (garlic and olive oil pasta). The noodles are unusual too, which I think made it even tastier♥ They're different from regular pasta noodles. It's the signature pasta, so if you can't decide on a pasta, I recommend the red shrimp aglio e olio~

It was just plain delicious. Good food deserves a second round. The dishes were pretty too, and it was a perfect space to come and enjoy in private.

Mano di Chef Samsung Branch has a lovely atmosphere, and the food was delicious and neatly presented!! I hear it's a Blue Ribbon restaurant, haha. If you're looking for a good Western restaurant near Samsung Station, I recommend Mano di Chef Samsung Branch~