Italian restaurant in Jamsil with free 2-hour parking: Mano di Chef

Today's post is about [Mano di Chef Jamsil Branch], a bisque pasta spot in Jamsil I visited with my sister! We went on a Sunday for lunch, driving over together. We'd decided to have a nice pasta meal over the weekend, and since Mano di Chef is known as a famous pasta restaurant in Jamsil, we picked it.

Where is Mano di Chef Jamsil Branch, and is there parking?

Mano di Chef Jamsil Branch is on basement level 1 of Tower730, at 570 Songpa-daero, Songpa-gu, Seoul. It's within walking distance from Jamsil Station, but we drove and parked directly in the basement.

Parking is free for 2 hours, so we could use it without worry. After that it's ₩1,000 per 10 minutes, so keep that in mind.

Coming up from the underground parking lot, you'll see Artisée — turn left there and you'll spot an ATM, then keep going left and you'll find Mano di Chef Jamsil Branch!

There's a menu board outside, so you can check the menu before going in!

Opening hours and how to book a table

Mano di Chef Jamsil Branch is open Monday to Saturday 11:00–21:30, and Sunday 11:00–21:00.

• Break time: weekdays 15:00–17:00, weekends 15:50–17:00
• Last order: weekdays 14:00 and 20:30 / Saturday 14:50 and 20:30 / Sunday 14:50 and 20:00

Since the break time and last order times differ, it's a good idea to check the schedule before you visit.

Reservations can be made through Naver Reservation, Catch Table, or by phone. I'd recommend booking ahead if you're going on a weekend or in the evening.

Inside the restaurant and the private room

As soon as we walked in, I was surprised at how spacious the place was. There were plenty of seats and the tables were spaced generously, making it comfortable to dine in.

There were families, groups of friends, couples on dates, and even people who looked like they were on blind dates — really a mix of everyone. The age range was diverse too, so it felt like a place anyone could enjoy without any pressure.

The atmosphere would suit a blind date or a regular date really well, and it also seemed like a good spot for a wedding invitation gathering. Besides the regular tables, there's a separate private room too, which seems great when you need a comfortable space for a group to talk.

What kind of brand is Mano di Chef?

Looking it up, I found that Mano di Chef is also known as a Blue Ribbon-recognized restaurant.

The name MANO DI CHEF apparently means the chef's hand (MANO) and the chef's passion and trust (DI CHEF). They say they've kept their principles for Italian food unchanged for 20 years, which made it clear why the place is famous.

What we ordered at Mano di Chef and what it cost

• Red shrimp bisque linguine pasta ₩33,900
• Gamtae pesto & octopus gnocchi ₩31,900
• Red grapefruit ade ₩7,900
• Stick ice cream ₩2,900

There were so many menu items that we ended up carefully reading through the whole menu before deciding on these!

Looking at the menu, there was so much more beyond pasta and gnocchi. Just for pizza there were 6 kinds including Margherita, steak pizza, and blueberry & arugula pizza, plus Korean beef steak, lobster, risotto, and salads — the options were endless. Ordering a set menu makes it cheaper too. You can also freely grab extra plates, which seemed handy for sharing among several people. For dessert and drinks, there's tiramisu, ice cream, ade, coffee, beer, whiskey, highballs, and even wine.

How is the gamtae seaweed pesto and octopus gnocchi?

The gamtae (roasted seaweed) pesto & octopus gnocchi came out first. After just one bite my eyes went wide from how good it was, and I looked at my sister — she had the exact same expression, and we caught eyes and burst out laughing haha. We both really love gnocchi, and this one was seriously amazing.

The gamtae pesto sauce was smooth yet light, and the gnocchi had just the right chewy texture — not hard or dry at all. The octopus was so tender it practically melted in my mouth. The ingredients came together so well that I could go back just for the gnocchi again.

Red shrimp bisque linguine: how does it taste?

Next up was the red shrimp bisque linguine pasta!

I first tried the octopus in the pasta, and it had a distinct smoky char flavor, with a different charm from the octopus in the gnocchi. This one was also incredibly tender!

Then I had the sauce with the noodles together, and the red shrimp flavor came through so strongly — it was truly the best. There was no fishy taste at all, and the sauce itself was so rich that I kept reaching for more noodles to coat in it. It's no wonder this place is known as a bisque pasta spot in Jamsil!

Red grapefruit ade

The red grapefruit ade paired well with the food too. It wasn't too bitter — just the right grapefruit ade flavor. Sipping it between bites of pasta and gnocchi felt refreshing and cleansed the palate.

Stick ice cream for dessert

Even after eating so much, dessert is a must haha! The ice cream came in a manageable mini size, and finishing off a meal of varied flavors with something sweet was just right.

Final verdict on Mano di Chef Jamsil Branch

I had such a great time with my sister after a long while. The space was spacious, the atmosphere was nice, and the food was all delicious — it was such a happy time! I'd recommend this to anyone near Jamsil Station looking for good pasta or gnocchi, or anyone looking for a spot in Jamsil for a date, blind date, family gathering, or wedding invitation meetup :) Next time I'll have to go back and try other menu items haha.