Gwanghwamun hanjeongsik with 90-minute rooms and highball 2+1: Modam

A hanjeongsik (Korean course meal) spot in Gwanghwamun, Seoul. I visited 'Modam Dining Gwanghwamun', famous for its neat hanjeongsik courses in a modern hanok atmosphere near Gwanghwamun, Seoul! Here's my review after enjoying the tteokgalbi set and the abalone shrimp jang set at Modam!

Modam Dining Gwanghwamun hours, break time and parking

Modam Dining Gwanghwamun is open every day from 11:00 to 22:00, with a break time from 15:00 to 17:00. Building parking is available.

• Open days | Every day
• Hours | 11:00 - 22:00
• Break time | 15:00 - 17:00
• Last order | 20:10
• Parking | Building parking available

You can park on B3 of the D Palace building! ✶ 2 hours free building parking ✶ (register your car at the store counter)

A gallery-like room on basement level 1 of Deoksugung D Palace

Take the escalator down to the basement floor and ta-da — there's Modam! (It's located at unit B102 on the basement floor of the D Palace building.)

Walking through the entrance, a cozy, gorgeous space greets you, like stepping into a small gallery!

Inside, Modam is decorated in beige and wood tones with soft lighting as the highlight, giving off a modern yet luxurious vibe! ⊹

The hall table seats are separated by partitions, making it private and comfortable for chatting while eating - !

Besides the main hall, there's a spacious group seating area and private rooms too, which is why Modam Gwanghwamun is famous as a spot for sangyeonrye (formal meetings between families before marriage) and family gatherings ໒ ꒱ (room usage time is 1 hour 30 minutes)

Modam Dining Gwanghwamun menu and set prices

• Modam Table

• Deodeok grilled pork set 32.0
• Jindo scallion crispy bulgogi set 34.0
• Dried yellow corvina set 37.0
• Korean beef 1++ bulgogi hot pot set (2+ people) 39.0
• Korean beef 1++ tripe hot pot set (2+ people) 39.0
• Abalone tteokgalbi set 40.0
• Abalone shrimp jang and butter rice set 40.0

• Modam Special (must order the same menu for all)

• Modam Sura table 64.0
• Modam Korean beef grill table 88.0

The course opens with mung bean porridge

What we ordered that day was the abalone tteokgalbi set at 40.0 and the abalone shrimp jang and butter rice set at 40.0.

The seasonal porridge came out as mung bean porridge! The rich, nutty flavor unique to mung bean was full and comforting, gently filling my stomach without feeling heavy -!

Seven appetizers, from salad to perilla oil capellini

Next came two kinds of refreshing salad and mul-kimchi (watery kimchi) to wake up the palate!

Seasonal salad with yuzu dressing! The vegetables were fresh and topped generously with fragrant yuzu dressing — refreshing and so delicious!!

Mustard vegetable salad with pine nut sauce! The crunchy cucumber texture was great, and the nutty pine nut sauce combined with a subtle tangy mustard sauce made for a well-balanced flavor .ᐟ

Cheongyang mul-kimchi! The napa cabbage and radish were nicely crisp, and the refreshing broth cleared my palate the moment I took a sip!

Seasonal raw fish and pickle ceviche! The chewy flounder paired with crunchy aged kimchi and a very tangy sauce was fantastic!

Modam fritters! Whole shiitake mushrooms deep-fried, crispy outside and juicy inside — the combination with the sweet sauce was really delicious!

The ultimate in nuttiness — perilla oil capellini! The noodles were full of perilla oil aroma, topped with various garnishes and sweet shrimp — so delicious I couldn't help but rave about it! 👏🏻👏🏻

Main: the abalone tteokgalbi set, 40,000 won

Now the main dish arrived -!

Four side dishes came out — kimchi, salted pollack roe, stir-fried eggplant, and zucchini -!

Abalone tteokgalbi! The juicy tteokgalbi (grilled short rib patty) was mildly seasoned, and topping it with sharp wasabi and crunchy sliced onion made for a great balance of flavors .ᐟ The abalone was chewy and the sauce on top was perfect — the best!

Main: the abalone shrimp jang and butter rice set, 40,000 won

Abalone shrimp jang and butter rice set! This one is truly a specialty, and I highly recommend it!!

The abalone shrimp jang came loaded with red shrimp, soy sauce-marinated shrimp, octopus, abalone, sliced boiled meat, white wood ear mushroom, egg, and more -!

The big red shrimp had plump, chewy flesh, and the rich, savory flavor of the roe spread through my mouth with every bite .ᐟ

Mixing the nutty butter rice with the mildly salty soy sauce dressing and topping it with seafood — this is basically the ultimate rice thief!

Dessert and the omija and whiskey highball 2+1 event

For dessert, sweet plum tea 〰️! From the seven appetizers to the abalone tteokgalbi and fresh abalone shrimp jang, Modam kept my palate happy right to the end! If you want to enjoy a neat, elegant course meal, I definitely recommend stopping by Modam Dining!

An omija (schisandra berry) and whiskey highball 2+1 event was also running, so keep that in mind when you visit .ᐟ

Both the luxurious atmosphere and the course meal were perfect at Modam Dining Gwanghwamun ໒꒱ ˖* If you're looking for a hanjeongsik restaurant for a date in Gwanghwamun, I highly recommend Modam!!