Ansan Jungang Station pre-movie lunch at That Man's Italian restaurant

It was the day my mom and I were going to watch the movie Odyssey together. While looking for something to eat before the film, I found a nice-looking restaurant near Ansan Jungang Station and decided to try a slightly fancier menu this time.

It's a place where you can enjoy both pasta and steak, so it seemed like a good spot for a lunch date with my mom, and I went for it.

Where is That Man's Italian Restaurant & Lounge? Location, parking and hours

That Man's Italian Restaurant & Lounge is on the 6th floor of the Dongwon Building, 40 Gojan 1-gil, Danwon-gu, Ansan-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. It's open Tue–Sun 12:00–22:00, with a break time from 15:00 to 17:00.

• Parking: 1 hour free parking registration available at 5 lots — in front of Dongwon Building (where the restaurant is), Geumsan Building, Jungang Heights Villa, Lotte Department Store, and Megabox
• If you use the Lotte Cinema Central Rock parking lot, you also get a ₩2,000 discount on your meal

It's on the 6th floor of the Dongwon Building, right across from Lotte Cinema at Ansan Jungang Station.

Inside That Man's Italian: an 18-seat private room, high chairs and outdoor tables

Walking inside, the space had a long, narrow layout overall, and there was also a room-style table area toward the back. They said the room can seat up to 18 people, which seemed great for having a slightly more private meal during group gatherings.

Baby chairs were also on hand, so it looked comfortable for anyone visiting with kids.

There were also outdoor tables outside the restaurant,

currently used as a space for dessert and drinks, though they mentioned they're preparing to eventually offer full meals outside as well.

On a nice day, eating outside would probably feel like a totally different vibe.

What we ordered: today's cream soup, burrata cheese tomato pasta and lamb chop steak

The menu was laid out like this, and we decided to try the pasta and the steak. What we ordered was:

• Today's cream soup
• Burrata cheese tomato pasta
• Lamb chop steak

Bread and today's soup: the corn cream soup

First, the pre-meal bread came out along with today's soup. That day's soup happened to be corn soup,

and it had a nicely thick yet smooth texture with a subtle, pleasant corn aroma coming through. It also worked well dipping the bread into it, and the bread itself was plain enough to enjoy on its own. A nice light way to start the meal.

Burrata cheese tomato pasta

Next up was the burrata cheese tomato pasta.

A light drizzle of olive oil sat on top of the burrata cheese,

and eating the tomato sauce together with the burrata, the umami of the tomato combined nicely with the soft, nutty richness of the cheese — a pretty good pairing.

Rather than being an intensely bold flavor, it was a gently enjoyable tomato pasta, and pairing the burrata with the sauce made the flavor feel even deeper.

Lamb chop steak with grilled vegetables

And the last dish to arrive, which caught the eye purely from its looks, was the lamb chop steak.

The lamb chops were plated beautifully with various sauces and grilled vegetables arranged around them.

The grilled vegetables were eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms, and cherry tomatoes. Tasting the lamb, it was really much more tender than I expected, and the juices felt moist.

We like enjoying the flavor of the lamb itself, so more often than using the sauces provided, we ate the meat and grilled vegetables plain,

and the grilled vegetables in particular were tastier than expected, so alternating between them and the lamb worked really well. Being able to enjoy vegetables along with the meat made the whole composition even more satisfying.

The before-2pm service: peach sherbet and an iced americano

We arrived around 1pm, and it turns out they offer a complimentary drink or peach sherbet to guests who visit before 2pm.

Thanks to that, we got a peach sherbet and an iced americano on the house.

The peach sherbet we had to finish off the meal was cool and sweet, tasting of yellow peach with a hint of tart plum. Starting with a warm soup, moving through pasta and steak, and finishing with a cool sherbet and coffee — it felt like a properly indulgent lunch.

Wrapping up a lunch date with mom before the movie

Most of all, my mom kept saying how delicious everything was throughout the meal, looking so happy, which made me happy too. These days, going out to eat something delicious with my mom is a small but pretty big joy for me, and this time too, we got to spend a fun time together over a good lunch before the movie. Another successful mom date today!

If you're looking for a nice-atmosphere restaurant near Ansan Jungang Station where you can enjoy both pasta and steak, or want a slightly fancier meal with someone special on a special day, this place is worth keeping in mind. It's stuck with me as an Ansan Jungang-dong restaurant I'd like to visit again.