Itaewon Korean restaurant: tteokgalbi with lotus root purée at Modam

My husband and I wanted a slightly special Korean meal, so we visited Modam Itaewon (모담 이태원점). I like hanjeongsik, but I prefer something that isn't too heavy, a course-like style where you enjoy one dish at a time. Modam brings out a variety of seasonal dishes in order, so I was very happy with it.

🤍An Itaewon Korean restaurant where you can unhurriedly enjoy seasonal ingredients and neat, tidy Korean food🤍

Modam Itaewon location, hours, parking and reservations

Modam Itaewon is on the first floor of the Mondrian Hotel at 23 Jangmun-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul. It is open daily from 11:00 to 21:30, with a break from 15:00 to 17:00. Being inside a hotel, it felt like a good spot for a family gathering or a special meal.

• Parking: first 120 minutes free, then ₩8,000 per 60 minutes, max ₩60,000
• Valet: available, ₩28,000
• Reservations: since it's a course-style meal, I recommend booking before you go

What is the atmosphere at Modam Itaewon like?

The restaurant is modern and calm, and felt far more refined than an average hanjeongsik place. The tables are spaced widely, so it was easy to relax over the meal, and it would suit an anniversary or a visit with your parents.

The staff were attentive too, which made it even easier to enjoy the food.

Modam Itaewon menu

The menu has set menus and a special table, and you can't mix orders between them. The menu shows in detail which dishes come with each set.

How does the deodeok gui and charcoal tteokgalbi set come out?

We ordered Modam Itaewon's deodeok gui and charcoal tteokgalbi (grilled short rib patties) set. It isn't a full course, but the dishes and the rice were brought out separately.

A robot brought it!! haha

Seasonal porridge: summer soybean soup

The first dish, the seasonal porridge, was a summer soybean soup (kongguk)? It was cool and opened the meal gently. Sun-dried tomato and mint on top made it sweet and tangy, and it wasn't strong at all, just right for waking up the appetite.

Green salad with barley shrimp chips

The green salad was topped with crispy barley shrimp chips, and the texture was really good. Fresh vegetables and nutty shrimp chips went well together, making it a light bite.

Seasonal fruit and grilled vegetables with black sesame dressing

Next came seasonal fruit and grilled vegetables with a subtle black sesame dressing, nutty and memorable. The natural flavors of the mushroom and eggplant really came through. Eating it on top of gimbugak (crispy seaweed chips) gave a great texture too~ It was one of my favorite dishes.

Fernbrake perilla oil buckwheat noodles and flounder ceviche

The next dish was buckwheat noodles with fernbrake and perilla oil. The perilla oil aroma spread softly, and the clean taste of the noodles and the texture of the fernbrake worked together, with a charm quite different from the buckwheat noodles I usually eat.

Flounder ceviche is on the menu of just about every trendy Korean restaurant these days, and I finally tried it. The pickles inside cleaned up my palate nicely. The chewy fresh flounder and the light dressing went well together and made me look forward to the next dish.

Mushroom gangjeong

The mushroom gangjeong (crispy fried pieces in sweet glaze) was crunchy outside and moist inside. You could taste the mushroom's own flavor, and the sauce wasn't overdone, so I kept reaching for more.

How do the deodeok gui and charcoal tteokgalbi mains taste?

Once we finished the dishes, the main meal was brought out.

The charcoal-scented deodeok gave off a fragrant flavor the more I chewed, and its crunchy texture was great with the meat. The charcoal tteokgalbi was juicy and tender. The seasoning wasn't sweet, with a faint charcoal aroma, so it went well with rice, and with the deodeok you could feel that harmony typical of Korean food. Dipped in the lotus root purée, it was so good I couldn't ask for anything more.

Mushroom rice, dried radish greens soybean paste soup and side dishes

With the main came mushroom rice, siraegi doenjang soup (dried radish greens in soybean paste soup), three main side dishes and kimchi. The rice, faintly scented with mushroom, eaten with the hearty soup, felt comforting all the way down. Cheongyang pepper water kimchi and three small side dishes let me enjoy a course that could have felt heavy cleanly to the end.

Modam Itaewon: overall review

What I liked 🤍

• I could enjoy a varied Korean course using seasonal ingredients.
• The combination of deodeok gui and charcoal tteokgalbi was excellent.
• The fernbrake perilla oil buckwheat noodles and flounder ceviche were impressive.
• Every dish was neatly plated and well made.
• The atmosphere suits dates, family gatherings and anniversary meals.

Recommended for 🤍

• Anyone looking for a great Korean restaurant in Itaewon
• Anyone looking for a great Korean restaurant near Itaewon Station
• Anyone who wants a special Korean course
• Anyone looking for a place to eat with their parents
• Anyone deciding on a spot for an anniversary or date

What stayed with me most were the fragrant deodeok gui, the charcoal tteokgalbi and the fernbrake perilla oil buckwheat noodles. It was a satisfying meal that showed off many sides of Korean food. 🤍