Italian restaurant near Coex with vegetarian swaps: Mano di Chef

I went to the Coex baby fair and stopped by nearby Mano di Chef Samsung Branch afterward. Browsing all the baby gear made me hungry pretty fast, but when I checked the nursing room at the fair, there was no baby chair and the space was awkward, so feeding the baby's baby food was a real hassle haha. I had to feed the baby and we also needed a proper meal, and since I'm a vegetarian, eating out usually comes with a lot of restrictions.

Mano di Chef had accommodated my requests well before, and I remembered eating comfortably there with my mom. So we went for lunch at Mano di Chef Samsung Branch, a Coex-area favorite and probably the easiest Italian restaurant for a vegetarian to eat out at.

Where is Mano di Chef Samsung Branch near Coex?

Mano di Chef Samsung Branch is about an 8-minute walk from Exit 5 of Samseong Station, on the basement level of the Hana Bank building. It's directly across from Coex Starfield and the Trade Tower, so the route from the baby fair was very convenient.

This Samseong Station favorite is a well-known Coex Blue Ribbon restaurant recognized for both its food and atmosphere, and it's also widely known as a gathering spot near Coex or Samseong Station.

• Reservations available via Naver / Catch Table
• Parking, Wi-Fi, baby chairs, group rooms available

There were three of us — two adults and one baby! We reserved a spot for lunch. When you're out with a baby, mealtimes have to work around them, and 1pm is perfect for me because that's right when the baby is happiest after eating baby food, and just before naptime — a golden window for a meal.

Seating with a baby: baby chair and round sofa seat

When we walked into Mano di Chef Samsung Branch, they had already set up a baby chair at our reserved table.

We were shown to a round sofa table where it was just us — with a baby, being able to eat comfortably without worrying about people around us made this seat really great.

Can you order vegetarian pasta and risotto at Mano di Chef?

We ordered one pasta and one risotto.

Amatriciana pappardelle, and black sesame & pine mushroom risotto.

The amatriciana pappardelle is a pappardelle (a flat, wide noodle) pasta known for its fresh tomato sauce with bacon, capers, and the spicy kick of pepperoncino. It normally comes with bacon, so I asked if they could leave it out, and the staff member asked first whether we were vegan or vegetarian. Then she let us know that the black sesame & pine mushroom risotto we'd also ordered normally contains oyster sauce, and offered to leave that out too. The staff were so kind! So out came two customized dishes with the bacon and oyster sauce removed. Overall the food tasted really clean and good.

Amatriciana pappardelle without bacon

I usually prefer thicker pasta noodles like fettuccine or lasagna sheets, and this was my first time trying pappardelle. The noodles were cooked just right, with a good texture, and they went really well with the sauce — clean-tasting and delicious.

Black sesame & pine mushroom risotto without oyster sauce

Black sesame can sometimes make a dish a bit heavy, but there was none of that here — just pure nuttiness, and it was delicious. The mushrooms were left whole and large, so cutting into them with a knife and taking a bite along with the risotto brought out even more savory depth.

As a standout Coex restaurant, this place serves a wide range of Italian dishes, and I heard their pasta made with a rich, flavorful seafood bisque sauce is especially famous. Next time I come back with my husband, I definitely want to try that bisque pasta, the signature dish of this Coex bisque pasta spot.

Is Mano di Chef Samsung Branch good for dining out with a baby?

They accommodated my vegetarian palate well and gave us a seat comfortable for eating with a baby, so it was a really satisfying meal. The space was nice and the food was clean-tasting, so I think we'll be back again soon. If you're looking for a restaurant near Coex that's good to visit with a baby, I'd recommend giving this one a try~