Gijang brunch café for ragu pasta and fresh bread: Mandali To Go

Mandali To Go Ilgwang Branch visitor information

It is on the first and second floors at 60-1 Ilgwang-ro, Ilgwang-eup, Gijang-gun, Busan, South Korea. It is open daily from 08:00 to 19:00, with last orders at 18:00. Parking is available, and reservations and takeaway are available too.

The group room fits 4–6 people and can be reserved with an order of ₩100,000 or more.

The Mandali main branch is in Gijang, while Mandali To Go is near Ilgwang Beach. The main branch is crowded and lively, but Mandali To Go is great when you want to relax somewhere quiet.

Parking support is available when using Ilgwang Public Parking Lot. Bring a paper receipt after dining at the Mandali main branch or Mandali To Go to get 10% off takeaway bread. Takeaway bread is 20% off from 17:30 to 19:00, and showing a public servant ID gives 10% off food and drinks. Leave a Naver photo review and you can receive a pot containing carrot and arugula seeds.

Looking around the bread and groceries

They also sell pasta, pasta sauce, cookies, all kinds of cooking spices, and jam.

Since it was evening, a lot of the bread had already sold out, but there were focaccia and brioche, plus lots of baked treats such as palmiers, financiers, cookies, and florentines. They also sell ham, cheese, butter, and wine. It is fun just looking around, haha.

There is a notice saying they sell group lunch boxes, and I spotted blankets, pretty fresh flowers, and little decorative items too. Separate men's and women's restrooms are by the stairs to the second floor, and there is another women's restroom upstairs. Every little item, plant, and flower is totally my style ..♡ There are tables for two through four people.

There is also a self-packing station where you can freely pack up leftover bread. They have two heights of high chairs for babies, too.

There are group seats as well. Overall, it has the warm, comfortable feel of a European home, so I felt relaxed just looking around. The flowers dotted throughout are all fresh, and every detail felt thoughtfully arranged.

Ordering and child-friendly facilities

There are so many menu options. You can see the full bakery menu on Naver Place.

I ordered on the first floor and found a seat upstairs. When the pager buzzes, pick up your order from the first-floor pickup desk. Along with high chairs, they also provide a diaper-changing table and children's tableware.

• Citrus white ragu pasta
• Basil garlic-butter bulgogi panini
• House-made jambon apple cream-cheese sandwich
• Maldon salt focaccia
• Crystal sugar brioche

The presentation is incredible, right?

The citrus white ragu pasta I recommend most

The citrus white ragu pasta combines cream-based ragu with De Cecco mafaldine pasta. It had generously large pieces of minced meat, and it was so delicious! Squeeze over the lemon and it stays delicious without becoming heavy right to the end. Dipping bread in the sauce was really good too, haha. This is my number-one menu recommendation.

Bulgogi panini and jambon sandwich

The basil garlic-butter bulgogi panini is packed with basil and bulgogi, just as its name promises. It felt like eating a delicious house-made bulgogi burger. It is a perfect combination with the sauce served alongside.

The house-made jambon apple cream-cheese sandwich is generously filled with jambon, French-style cooked ham, made by Mandali itself. It is full of carrots and vegetables, and the apple cream cheese was rich and tasty. A lightly spicy sauce spread on the bread nicely cut through the richness.

Bread that paired beautifully with the pasta sauce

First, the Maldon salt focaccia was chewy and fluffy. It was delicious on its own and dipped in the pasta sauce too. The crystal sugar brioche had pretty crystal-like sugar pieces on top, with a strong egg-and-butter flavor, so it was soft and sooo delicious. I normally love bread, and this place is seriously a bread gem.

I took home the carrot seeds from the receipt-review event, along with the leftover bread and sandwiches. For bread you cannot finish that day, seal it and freeze it, then warm it in an air fryer before eating to enjoy it in almost the same condition as when it was fresh.

Mandali To Go is somewhere I had often visited and paid for myself, too. If you are looking for great bread and brunch in Ilgwang, Gijang, definitely visit ❤️