Yeoksam Italian restaurant, dinner for three ₩94,700: Mano di Chef

We decided to grab dinner somewhere between Gangnam and Yeoksam, and honestly I was getting tired of always going to the same spots, so I looked for somewhere new. That's how I ended up at Mano di Chef Gangnam! I'd heard the name before but this was actually my first time going. All three dishes we ordered were delicious, but the steak pizza was seriously insane ㅠㅠ

📍Location 129 Teheran-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, B1 Bithumb Finance Tower / ⏰Hours Mon–Sat 11:00–21:30, Sun 11:00–21:00 (break time 15:00–17:00) / 🅿️Parking building parking lot, 2 hours free from the restaurant

Where is Mano di Chef Gangnam, and how does parking work?

Mano di Chef Gangnam is on the basement floor of Bithumb Finance Tower, so the building was easy to find. It's a quick walk from Exit 4 of Yeoksam Station! The building is huge, so even someone as directionally challenged as me didn't get lost haha.

There are a lot of restaurants inside the building too, so it seems like a good lunch spot for nearby office workers! The parking lot is downstairs and was bigger than I expected. There were plenty of spots and wide gaps between the pillars, so parking was easy! Mano di Chef also gives you 2 hours of free parking — just register your car number at the kiosk in the restaurant and you're set. We had plenty of time left even after eating haha.

Inside the basement-floor dining room and its seating

As soon as you go down to the basement floor, the Mano di Chef sign is right there. The lighting is so soft from the entrance that you barely feel like you're underground.

When we opened the door and walked in, the interior was way prettier than I expected! The mix of wood and marble gave it a clean, upscale feel overall. The ceiling lighting was pretty too, so I kept taking photos haha. The ceilings are high, so it never felt cramped!

The tables were spaced out well, so we could eat comfortably without worrying about the next table over! There are also bigger tables and group seating separate from the main floor, so it seems good for gatherings or company dinners. Rooms are available for groups of 8 or more, and group seating can hold over 40. Looking around, there were quite a few couples too — the atmosphere seemed good for a blind date. Good luck to them..⭐️⭐️

What is on the menu at Mano di Chef Gangnam, and how much does it cost?

There were so many menu items we spent a long time deciding before even ordering haha. Pasta, gnocchi, risotto, pizza, and even steak plates — there was really a lot to choose from. There were so many things I wanted to eat that it was hard to pick ㅠㅠ

• Creamy mushroom gnocchi ₩28,900
• Premium tomato seafood pasta ₩28,900
• Steak pizza ₩36,900
• Red shrimp bisque linguine ₩33,900
• Carrot purée & octopus gnocchi ₩31,900
• Margherita pizza ₩27,900

Pastas and gnocchi are in the high-₩20,000s range, and pizzas are around ₩30,000!

How did the steak pizza, chamsongi mushroom cream gnocchi and seafood pasta taste?

We picked creamy mushroom gnocchi, premium tomato seafood pasta, and steak pizza! The pasta and gnocchi came out first.

The seafood pasta was packed with mussels and shrimp, and it was slightly spicy so it wasn't heavy or greasy — really tasty! The tomato sauce was rich but not heavy, so I kept eating more.

And then the steak pizza, which was seriously amazing...! Tenderloin steak piled on top of squid-ink dough, with romaine, cherry tomatoes, and cheese all over!

The creamy mushroom gnocchi was also really good. They said the potato dough is made in-house and aged, and the texture showed it — chewy on the outside, soft and fluffy inside. The cream sauce wasn't too heavy and had a subtle mushroom aroma, perfect for alternating bites with the pasta!

With the pizza, the thickness of the meat caught my eye the moment I picked up a slice haha. The steak wasn't chewy at all, it was genuinely tender ㅠㅠ The dough was thin, so you could really taste the meat and vegetables too. If I had to pick just one of the three to eat again, it's the steak pizza, no question!!

Total bill for three and the final verdict

The total for three dishes came to ₩94,700. It was a bit much for three people, but it was so good we basically finished it all haha. It's not exactly cheap, but for this kind of atmosphere and taste in Gangnam, I think it's worth going at least once.

It's a good pick for anniversaries or blind dates when you want somewhere with a nice atmosphere, and the parking support makes it convenient if you're driving. Next time I'll definitely order the steak pizza again, and I want to try the risotto I didn't get to have this time!