Sweet shrimp capellini course at Gwanghwamun hanjeongsik: Modam Dining

Today was my anniversary with my husband 👰‍♂️🌸 If you've been following my blog, you know I've fallen completely for Korean food lately, so I broke my own equation of anniversary = Western food and went to a hanjeongsik (Korean set-course) restaurant for our anniversary for the first time. The place I went to is Modam Dining, a well-known spot for gatherings near Gwanghwamun.

Where is Modam Dining Gwanghwamun, and what is the hall seating like?

Modam Dining is in the basement of the Deoksugung D-Palace building. You know that basement level here has a surprising number of good restaurants with decent prices and atmosphere. It's a great spot for gatherings!

There are plenty of private rooms, but we just sat in the hall, and even the hall seats had high enough backs that we could enjoy a cozy time together as a couple.

Modam Dining set menu and prices

Let me show you the menu. Every single item looked delicious, so it took us forever to decide haha

⚪️ Modam Table Setting ⚪️

• Deodeok charcoal-grilled pork set ₩32,000
• Jindo scallion and crispy bulgogi set ₩34,000
• Bori-gulbi (dried yellow corvina) set ₩37,000
• Korean beef 1++ bulgogi hot pot set ₩39,000
• Korean beef 1++ gopchang hot pot set ₩39,000
• Abalone tteokgalbi set ₩40,000
• Abalone shrimp jang and butter rice set ₩40,000

Since I wanted to try a variety of things, I ordered the bori-gulbi set and my husband ordered the tteokgalbi set. I thought these would just come as single dishes, but they actually came as a full course!

The opening course: mung bean porridge to sashimi

It starts with mung bean porridge. Starting light with a porridge that's easy on the stomach was a nice way to begin.

They also brought out two kinds of salad. Both dressings were refreshing and not the least bit greasy, so I kept picking at them.

And then the dongchimi (watery radish kimchi) — better than what my mom makes. My grandmother really is amazing at making dongchimi, and this came close to her level. Beautifully fermented! My husband, who's obsessed with dongchimi broth, was satisfied too.

Modam Dining, a well-known Gwanghwamun spot for gatherings, is apparently also famous as a venue for sangyeonrye (formal meetings between families before a wedding). Eating from shared dishes can feel awkward on those occasions, so I thought it was a nice touch that they provide separate chopsticks for every dish. Though for us as a couple, we didn't need that — we just went 'let's just dig in, okay?' and ate haha

And sashimi came out too! It seemed to be aged sashimi, and the umami flavor was really good.

Shiitake fritters and sweet shrimp capellini

This is the fried shiitake mushroom. It was super crispy with great texture, and the combination of the sweet sauce with the shiitake was excellent.

And then the dish that made me fall for Modam Dining — the sweet shrimp capellini cold pasta. I genuinely love this dish, so whenever a pasta place has it on the menu I order it without fail, and I was so happy to find it here too.

The combination of perilla oil and sweet shrimp was excellent. The sauce was really delicious.

The bori-gulbi set: a main deboned for you at the table

I was already pretty full at this point, but then today's real star, the main dish, arrived. A whole bori-gulbi came out and I was a bit taken aback, but the staff member deboned it for us with real craftsmanship.

She removed even the tiny bones so skillfully that I could eat with total ease. The side dishes were great too. It felt like round two was starting haha. The earlier course was already good, but round two arrived just as generous — really great.

The bori-gulbi had thick, moist flesh with a chewy texture that I loved, and the salty, savory flavor that came through more with every bite was really delicious 😆😆 That distinctive aged umami paired especially well with rice, and when I poured green tea over rice and topped it with bori-gulbi, it had a clean, refreshing taste that reset my palate completely — I couldn't stop eating haha

The green tea broth wasn't just a simple side pour — it had a subtle aroma and clean taste that balanced out the saltiness of the bori-gulbi and made the whole meal feel much more refreshing. Bori-gulbi with green tea rice is an unbeatable combination.

How was the tteokgalbi set?

The tteokgalbi (grilled short rib patty) was browned nicely on the outside with a gentle smoky char, while the inside stayed moist and tender, giving a deep meaty flavor with every bite. The seasoning wasn't overly sweet or salty either — just the right sweet-salty balance that made it easy to enjoy. The savory, juicy flavor characteristic of tteokgalbi was especially good, and eaten with rice it made for a satisfying, hearty meal.

To finish, they gave us plum tea to help with digestion, which wrapped things up nicely. If you're looking for a good spot near Gwanghwamun for a gathering, an anniversary dinner, or a sangyeonrye, I highly recommend Modam Dining Gwanghwamun.