Gwanghwamun Korean restaurant after a Jeongdong-gil walk: Modam Dining

It had been a while since I walked Jeongdong-gil near Deoksugung Palace with my daughter, enjoying a leisurely weekend afternoon. Since she's been having a tough time as a rookie office worker, I wanted to treat her to a good meal, so I booked Modam Dining Gwanghwamun. I'd eaten so well at another branch that I didn't hesitate to choose it again.

• Address: 서울 종로구 새문안로2길 10 덕수궁디팰리스 지하1층 (10 Saemunan-ro 2-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, basement 1F, Deoksugung D Palace)
• Hours: Daily 11:00 – 22:00
• Break time 15:00 – 17:00 (no break time Sat, Sun)

Where is Modam Dining Gwanghwamun, and where do you park?

Modam Dining Gwanghwamun is about 540m from Exit 6 of Gwanghwamun Station (Line 5), located in the D Palace building. Parking is free for 2 hours in the building's basement lot. If it's full, you can use the Concordian Building basement lot, which offers parking support on weekdays after 6pm.

It's also close to Deoksugung Palace and Jeongdong-gil, so it's a good pick for a weekend course that includes a walk or an exhibition, like we did.

Private rooms at Modam Dining Gwanghwamun: sizes and seating

The atmosphere caught my eye from the entrance. Calm beige tones, objects reminiscent of stone pagodas, and soft lighting gave the space a modern yet distinctly Korean feel.

What especially stood out were the variety of rooms. There are cozy, clean private rooms for 4 to 8 people, and even the hall is divided nicely with partitions.

It felt private without being stuffy, which would suit family gatherings, meetings between families before a wedding, or hosting important guests.

On weekends there's no break time, and when we visited around 3pm, the earlier guests had already left, so it was quite relaxed.

It was nice to avoid the busy hours and eat slowly with my daughter.

Modam Dining Gwanghwamun menu and set-meal prices

The menu was quite varied, as you'd expect from a hanjeongsik (Korean set meal course) restaurant. There's a weekday-lunch-only Modam Sotbap (hot pot rice) set for ₩19,900, and the abalone tteokgalbi set for ₩35,000.

Menu items available all day included the Korean beef 2++ bulgogi hot pot set for ₩39,000, along with charcoal-grilled deodeok (bellflower root) pork, dried yellow croaker, abalone tteokgalbi, and the abalone shrimp jang and butter rice set.

Given the Gwanghwamun location, even the weekday lunch menu seemed like good value. That day we each picked what we wanted and ordered two sets to share: abalone tteokgalbi set (₩40,000) and abalone shrimp jang and butter rice set (₩40,000).

What comes before the main course at Modam Dining Gwanghwamun

First came salad, water kimchi (dongchimi-style pickled radish in brine), and porridge.

Starting with the smooth, palate-opening porridge already made it clear this Gwanghwamun spot did the basics right.

The refreshing water kimchi and the salads with their tangy dressing were perfect for a vegetable lover like me.

Then came flounder ceviche followed by perilla oil capellini, and the spread was already looking quite abundant before the main course.

It was already a satisfying enough spread that you could leave after just this. But this was only the beginning, haha. The generosity of it all won me over right away at this Gwanghwamun Korean restaurant.

What really grabbed my palate was the perilla oil capellini. At first glance I thought it might be somyeon (thin wheat noodles), but it was thin capellini topped with perilla powder, egg garnish, and shrimp — pretty even before you eat it.

Mixed together, the nutty perilla oil and seeds with a slight tang made it a dish I kept reaching for.

The thick fried shiitake mushroom gangjeong (glazed crispy snack) was also a treat, and by the time we finished the flounder ceviche — sauce and all — we were already starting to feel full, and the main course hadn't even arrived yet.

A small but thoughtful touch: they set out separate serving chopsticks for each shared dish. Little details like that build trust.

Abalone tteokgalbi vs. abalone shrimp jang with butter rice

Finally, the main course we'd been waiting for. Two thick, well-grilled tteokgalbi patties arrived with plump abalone — looking delicious right off the bat.

The tteokgalbi was juicy, with a well-balanced sweet-and-savory seasoning. Pairing it with the tender, chewy abalone was a great combination too.

But for my seafood-loving palate, the combination of seafood jang (soy-marinated seafood) and butter rice was the real winner. The soy sauce wasn't too salty or sweet — the umami and saltiness were just right.

Mixing the rice with butter and topping it with big shrimp jang, abalone jang, octopus, and a soft-boiled egg made for an absolute rice thief of a dish. The tiger shrimp were especially large, and both my seafood-loving daughter and I enjoyed it thoroughly.

Finishing with a cup of plum tea for dessert left our mouths completely refreshed.

Is Modam Dining Gwanghwamun worth it for a family gathering?

Beyond the food, Modam Dining has a range of private rooms from 4 to 8 people, making it well-suited for family meals or meetings between families before a wedding. It's a good place to keep in mind if you're looking for a Gwanghwamun hanjeongsik restaurant or gathering spot. After the meal, my daughter and I even stopped by an art museum. Between the walk on Jeongdong-gil, the delicious meal, and the exhibition, it was a happy, well-fed weekend.