Ilgwang Beach brunch café for a weekday lunch date: Mandali To Go

Why Mandali To Go Ilgwang Branch for a weekday lunch date

Mandali To Go Ilgwang Branch (만달리 투고 일광점) is a brunch café in Ilgwang-eup, Gijang, Busan. I booked a weekday brunch and drove over to Ilgwang for a light lunch date with my boyfriend. As a Gijang local, I've tried plenty of Western and brunch places, and Mandali To Go Ilgwang is one of the few I can count among my favorites~!

Mandali To Go Ilgwang Branch opening hours and parking

Mandali To Go Ilgwang Branch is at 60-1 Ilgwang-ro, Ilgwang-eup, Gijang-gun, Busan, on the 1st and 2nd floors. It's open Tuesday to Sunday, 08:00–19:00 (last order 18:00), and closed on Mondays. You can park in the lot in front of the shop or in the Ilgwang Beach public parking lots.

Even on a weekday lunch, the lot in front of the building was already full of cars. I thought around eleven would be fine, so I was a bit flustered, lol. So we used Ilgwang Beach public parking lots 1 and 2 next to the shop. After your meal, just ask the shop to register your parking.

First-floor bakery picks: butter salt brioche and salt ciabatta

On the first floor of Mandali To Go Ilgwang Branch, I picked one brioche butter salt and one salt ciabatta. The bread caught my eye first as we came in after parking, and it all looked too good to just eat a meal and head upstairs! The salt ciabatta had two stars on it, which made me even more curious, so I put it in my basket.

It's fun to browse not just the brunch menu but also the breads and little goods together.

What to order at Mandali To Go Ilgwang Branch

At Mandali To Go Ilgwang Branch, I'd start by choosing a category! The menu is split into five categories, and I recommend ordering one item from each!

• Panini/sandwiches
• Salads
• Pasta
• Soups
• Drinks

The menu can also be checked online. I chose the [Refreshing Leisure Glass set] (산뜻한 여유 한 잔 세트), which comes with an arugula jambon-beurre sandwich, sweet potato fries and a beer. My boyfriend chose the [Warm Cup set] (따뜻한 한 컵 세트), with sweet pumpkin curry soup, a house baguette and an Americano.

Order downstairs, eat upstairs: the space at Mandali To Go Ilgwang Branch

At Mandali To Go Ilgwang Branch, you pick your bread and order on the first floor, then eat on the second. There were so many ingredients and small goods to look at that my eyes were busy even before heading up the stairs. Every little item was placed so prettily that the interior felt really well done.

Once we went up to the second floor and settled in, it finally felt like we'd come for lunch. Looking around the space and waiting for our food was never boring.

Seating options and how to book the room table

The second floor of Mandali To Go Ilgwang Branch has 4-person tables and round tables that suit 2–3 people. There's also a large round table for 4–5 people, though someone was using it so I couldn't take a photo. There's a room table as well, which can reportedly be reserved for one party each morning and afternoon, for up to ten people!

Two set menus for two: how big are the portions?

The two sets at Mandali To Go Ilgwang Branch were really generous for two people. While we settled in and looked around, the buzzer went off and we went to pick up our food. Seeing everything laid out at once, we were both speechless for a moment.

So much for eating light, haha. The portions looked really generous, and I figured we'd either leave food behind or burst. Since we'd also picked out bread, we decided to take it slow and taste one thing at a time.

Sweet potato fries with basil cream

The first thing we reached for was the sweet potato fries with basil cream. Dipping the fries into the basil cream was a great combination. The sweetness of the fries plus the aroma of the cream kept me going back for more.

Kabocha squash curry soup with house baguette

The sweet pumpkin curry soup at Mandali To Go Ilgwang Branch was different from the pumpkin soup I'm used to. Rather than being purely sweet, it was seasoned enough to work like a proper meal. Eaten with the house baguette, even one bowl of soup was pretty filling.

Arugula jambon-beurre sandwich: too big for one?

The star of the day was the arugula jambon-beurre sandwich, and with my small mouth it was so big I couldn't take it in one go. It was packed with fillings and the butter flavor was really good. The arugula was fresh too, so in every bite the bread and filling didn't feel separate. At first I just nibbled the end and wondered how to eat it, lol.

In the end I cut off the top bread and switched to sharing it like an open sandwich. Then I reassembled it to eat, which made for a slightly clumsy lunch, haha. If the size feels like too much, you might plan on splitting it from the start.

As expected, we were too full to finish the bread. We decided to take the salt ciabatta home along with the brioche.

Verdict: a Gijang local's regular since the soft opening

Even though this was a sponsored visit, Mandali To Go isn't just somewhere new to us. We love the Western restaurant <Mandali> (만달리), so we've been coming since what felt like the soft opening, when <Mandali> created the brunch café <Mandali To Go Ilgwang Branch>.

I'd heard the bread is baked fresh each morning, and you can clearly feel the generous use of fresh ingredients the whole way through the meal. It's not just that the ingredients are fresh; they're combined so well that the result tastes special in a way you can't find elsewhere!

Group lunch boxes, pets and kids at Mandali To Go

Mandali To Go Ilgwang Branch reportedly makes group lunch boxes too, so ask ahead on days you need one. Pets are allowed only at the outdoor terrace seats, so keep that in mind if you're looking for a pet-friendly brunch café in Gijang. High chairs are available, so it's also good to visit with kids.

If you're looking for a good place near Ilgwang Beach and want a slightly special brunch, I recommend <Mandali To Go Ilgwang Branch>.