Yeouido Korean restaurant kids can share: Modam Urban barley risotto

On a weekend when the autumn breeze had turned pleasantly cool, I went to IFC Mall in Yeouido with my kid. Between shopping and looking around, lunchtime crept up on us. Eating out with a kid always means a little extra thought when picking a menu.

Rather than anything spicy or too strong-flavored, I was looking for somewhere my kid could eat too while still suiting adult tastes, and this time we ate at Modam Urban. I usually like Korean food and had pictured something like a traditional hanjeongsik (Korean set-course) restaurant, but once inside, the vibe was much more modern and clean than expected.

The baesak bulgogi and the barley cream risotto topped with chicken we ordered that day were both easy to share with my kid, and the way multiple dishes were laid out together as a full spread was impressive too.

Where Modam Urban is in IFC Mall, and what the room feels like

Modam Urban sits on L3 of IFC Mall in Yeouido, which made it convenient to move from shopping straight to lunch. IFC Mall is so large that when you're moving around with a kid, how easy it is to get to the restaurant quietly matters a lot.

Walking in, it felt less like the traditional, weighty atmosphere of a typical hanjeongsik restaurant and more like a clean, sophisticated dining restaurant. There's hall seating as well as booth-style seating, and the whole space didn't feel cramped. When you're eating out with a kid, sitting too close to the next table can make you self-conscious, but here we could sit and eat fairly comfortably.

The appetizer spread that comes with the mains

After sitting down and picking our menu, we ordered the baesak bulgogi and the barley cream risotto topped with chicken that day. As the dishes started arriving one by one, the table quickly filled up.

It wasn't just the main dishes — several appetizers came out together, so there was fun in tasting a bit of everything right from the start. Some were light, salad-like items, and others had a more Korean feel, so the flavors didn't stay one-note. All the colorful dishes laid out together looked pretty too. Most of all, what I liked best was that my kid tried everything without hesitation from the very start.

Eating out with a kid often means ordering separate dishes for adults and for the child, but this time there was plenty we could eat together off the same spread, which was convenient.

What did the baesak bulgogi taste like?

The first thing we tried was the baesak bulgogi. True to its name, it comes out grilled thin and wide, and as soon as it arrived I could smell a faint char-grilled aroma. The outside was grilled slightly crisp while the inside stayed moist, so it wasn't too dry.

The seasoning wasn't the type that hits you with strong sweetness or saltiness — more of a familiar soy-based bulgogi style that went well with rice. I like eating this kind of bulgogi piled on top of rice, and sure enough, it worked well with warm rice. I gave my kid a little rice and meat too, and since the seasoning was mild and familiar rather than spicy, they ate it pretty well.

When we go out for Korean food with my kid, even meat dishes can be hard to get them to try if they're too tough or too strongly seasoned, but the baesak bulgogi here had little of that burden. So I thought it was a solid dish to order when eating Korean food with a kid.

Chicken barley cream risotto: the chewy barley is the point

The dish I was a little curious about that day was the barley cream risotto topped with chicken. Seeing a Korean dining restaurant also serve risotto felt a little unusual.

Unlike a typical rice risotto, using barley instead gave a different texture from the very first spoonful. Rather than softening down, the barley had a bit of a springy bite to it, which made it fun to eat with the cream sauce. The cream was nutty and mild, pairing well with the barley. I tried the chicken on top too, and the combination of clean-tasting chicken and cream sauce was lighter than I expected.

Cream risotto can easily turn heavy, but maybe because of the barley's distinct texture, my spoon kept going back for more. It was a good dish to share, especially if your kid likes cream sauce. We ate the baesak bulgogi with rice and took small portions of the risotto, which worked well for an adult and kid who both like Korean food eating together.

Is Modam Urban a good Yeouido family meal with a child?

What made this meal at Modam Urban comfortable was not having to agonize over the menu separately. Eating out with a kid usually means picking something the kid can eat first, then adding dishes for the adults, but this time both the baesak bulgogi and the risotto were things we could share together.

It's also inside IFC Mall, so it's easy to keep shopping or browsing before or after the meal. It's a place worth considering if you're looking for somewhere to eat with a kid in Yeouido, or want Korean food after shopping at IFC Mall. The clean interior would also work for a meal with parents or a calmer gathering, not just family meals with kids. Most of all, my kid ate the rice and bulgogi well that day, so I as the mom got to eat at a relaxed pace for once too. 😊

Everything ordered at Modam Urban, recapped

• Baesak bulgogi — The faint char-grilled aroma and slightly sweet soy seasoning went well with rice. A dish that was easy to share with a kid too.
• Barley cream risotto with chicken — The springy bite of the barley paired well with the nutty cream sauce. Eating it together with the clean-tasting chicken made for a satisfying meal.
• Appetizers — Several dishes were served alongside the mains as a full spread, letting us taste a variety of flavors in small portions.

Looking for a place to eat at IFC Mall in Yeouido often means ending up at a familiar chain, but this time getting to eat a neat Korean spread alongside a somewhat unusual fusion dish made the meal itself feel a bit different.

It was especially good for picking mild, non-spicy dishes if you're visiting with a kid. If you're looking for an IFC Mall Yeouido restaurant, a Yeouido hanjeongsik place, or a family outing spot with kids in Yeouido, Modam Urban is worth remembering. Being able to combine shopping and a meal in one trip made it a good pick for a meal during a weekend outing in Yeouido. 🍚✨

My kid ate the rice and bulgogi well, so I as the mom got to eat at a relaxed pace for once too.