Busan café for mafaldine fricassee pasta: Working Holiday Minrak

Why we chose Working Holiday Minrak for ocean-view brunch in Gwangalli

My friend and I decided to grab brunch in Gwangalli, and while hunting for an ocean-view brunch spot there, I found Working Holiday Minrak. I feel like I went to a Working Holiday location in Daeyeon-dong years ago — turns out they've got several branches now.

The building is the 7th floor of Bada Maru. The panorama floor-to-ceiling windows give you an insane ocean view. And apparently this place is a brunch café by day but turns into a dining restaurant at night.

The moment you step off the elevator, the ocean view hits you right at the entrance. The vibe is insane.

Ordering at the kiosk inside the entrance

You order at the kiosk near the entrance. There's also a paper menu next to it, just so you know!

Enter your buzzer number, grab one, and wait for it to go off.

A large-scale Gwangalli brunch destination with a panoramic high-rise view on the 7th floor of Bada Maru, overlooking Gwangan Bridge and the blue sea. The pizza — with generous burrata cheese, salty jambon, and nutty pistachio in a 7:3 flavor balance — stands out along with a moist chicken fricassee. Stylish furniture layout and roomy space make it easy to settle in for a meal, coffee, and dessert all in one visit.

How big is Working Holiday Minrak, and what are the seats like?

Walking in, Gwangalli Beach was clearly visible. The place was bigger than I expected — I was genuinely surprised, haha.

They also sell several kinds of wine. Seemed like a great spot for wine with brunch during the day, or paired with dinner in the evening.

The place was genuinely huge, haha. From 2-person tables to tables seating 4–6 or more, it looked like it could cover groups of all sizes.

A view that's healing just to look at.

The space was spacious and the interior mixed several different styles, but somehow they all blended together without feeling cluttered — surprisingly nice. Plants scattered throughout added a lot too.

Even though we went at an off-peak time, the window seats were still packed — makes sense given it's an ocean-view hotspot. But sitting there looking out at the sea, you totally get why.

Pickup and returns happen over here. It's an open kitchen, so you can occasionally catch glimpses of the cooking.

There were really so many little decor pieces and posters everywhere, all full of character. There are also seats with outlets, so it looked like a good spot to work or study too.

There are also comfy sofa seats like this, great for lounging and chatting.

What we ordered at Working Holiday Minrak

Pistachio cream jambon pizza with burrata, eaten by hand

The pistachio cream jambon pizza was way bigger than I expected, haha, I was a little startled when it arrived. Interestingly it came cut into four pieces, and it tasted best when you folded a slice so the jambon and pistachio burrata cheese inside came together in one bite — eating it by hand was definitely the way to go.

At first, since it's called "pistachio cream," I assumed the center filling would be pistachio-related, but it turned out to be burrata cheese in the middle. Eating the fresh, soft burrata center together with the pizza was insanely nutty and delicious. The jambon (ham) was also more generous than expected — the salty, chewy texture of the jambon at 6 and the crunchy nuttiness of the whole pistachios at 4 made for a perfect match.

Everything came together in harmony, making for a clean pizza with zero greasiness.

Chicken fricassee pasta: how the mafaldine holds the cream sauce

The fricassee pasta we ordered alongside used mafaldine — ruffled, ribbon-shaped noodles — which felt like they clung to the cream sauce more than regular pasta noodles would. The white cream sauce was reduced down to a thick consistency, but it wasn't dry or hard to swallow — it was smooth and moist, which I appreciated. Sometimes when I order cream pasta it's so dense it's hard to eat.

The chicken inside was cut into big chunks too, tender and pulling apart along the grain without any toughness, and the chewy king oyster mushrooms alongside the mafaldine noodles added variety to the texture.

After the meal, we didn't need to move to a separate café — we could finish off with coffee and dessert right there with the ocean view, so the whole time felt relaxed and comfortable.

There was also arugula mixed in, which made it even better — such a pretty pasta visual.

What to know before visiting Working Holiday Minrak, and the verdict

On clear days, the natural light pouring through the floor-to-ceiling windows combined with sparkling sea glints makes for amazing lighting to shoot photos in.

Beyond pasta and pizza, there's also a solid lineup of wine, sandwiches, and roasted coffee, making this place great for brunch gatherings as well as a dinner-time dining course to enjoy sunset and night views.

Underground parking is available behind the Bada Maru building, so accessibility is good. Recommended for anyone in Gwangalli looking for a large-scale brunch café that delivers on view, food, and comfortable space all at once.