Gwanghwamun group-dinner hanjeongsik, pine-nut mustard salad: Modam

I was looking for a place to meet up near Gwanghwamun for a Korean set meal and found Modam Dining Gwanghwamun. From the clean interior to the neat food, it was a great restaurant near Gwanghwamun for a family gathering or a meal with parents.

• ⏰Hours: Daily 11:00–22:00 (weekday break time 15:00–17:00)
• 🔔Reservations available via Naver and Catch Table
• 🍽️Private rooms available – 1.5-hour time limit
• 🚗D-Palace building basement level 3 – 2 hours free *if full, use Concordian Building underground parking (Concordian Building not available weekdays before 6pm)

Modam Dining Gwanghwamun is located on basement level 1 of the Deoksugung D-Palace building, between Gwanghwamun and Seodaemun stations. There are stairs leading straight down from outside, and an escalator inside as well.

What is the entrance and waiting area at Modam Dining Gwanghwamun like?

From the exterior of Modam Dining Gwanghwamun to the waiting area and the passageway leading inside, the atmosphere was perfectly upscale yet calm.

When you're visiting with family or parents, these little details matter a lot, and I could see why this place is known as a go-to Korean restaurant for meetings near Gwanghwamun.

Hall tables, private rooms and group seating at Modam Dining

Modam Dining Gwanghwamun is a Korean restaurant with a hall divided by partitions, private rooms, and seating for large groups. As a well-known Korean restaurant near Gwanghwamun, the hall was packed even on a weekday evening, but the tables were spaced generously, so it didn't feel crowded at all even in the hall.

There are rooms too, and apparently a lot of people use them for matchmaking meetings?! There's also seating for large groups, so it looked great for company dinners as well — a solid Korean restaurant near Gwanghwamun.

Weekday dinner and weekend menu prices at Modam Dining Gwanghwamun

Modam Dining Gwanghwamun's weekday dinner/weekend set meals run from ₩32,000 to ₩40,000. I visited in the evening, so I got the weekday dinner/weekend menu. Weekday lunch seems to offer Modam's set meals at a somewhat lower price, so office workers nearby might want to keep that in mind ✨

• Charcoal-grilled deodeok pork set: ₩32,000
• Jindo scallion crispy bulgogi set: ₩34,000
• Bori-gulbi (dried yellow corvina) set: ₩37,000
• Hanwoo 1++ bulgogi hot pot set (min. 2 people): ₩39,000
• Hanwoo 1++ gopchang hot pot set (min. 2 people): ₩39,000
• Abalone tteokgalbi set: ₩40,000
• Abalone shrimp soy sauce and butter rice set: ₩40,000

Those are Modam's weekday dinner/weekend set menu items and prices. At ₩35,000–40,000 you get a full course-style Korean set meal, which feels like great value. The special menus, 'Modam Suraing' and 'Modam Hanwoo Grill Set,' seem perfect for matchmaking meetings or special occasions.

The starter course: seasonal porridge and three appetizers

Modam Dining Gwanghwamun's set meals start with seasonal porridge. First came the 'seasonal porridge,' probably mung bean porridge, which was soft and mellow — comforting and gentle on the stomach.

Then came three starter dishes served together. Chopsticks were provided so we could share small portions of each. The vivid green, refreshing colors of Modam Dining Gwanghwamun's food already got my appetite going.

The 'seasonal salad with yuzu dressing' had a lovely, fragrant yuzu aroma. Salad vegetables live and die by freshness, and these had no wilted parts at all — perfectly crisp.

The 'cheongyang mul-kimchi' (water kimchi) was clean and refreshing! I expected it to be spicy since it's named after cheongyang chili, but it wasn't spicy at all — just perfectly fermented water kimchi.

The 'pine-nut sauce mustard salad,' with lotus root, cucumber, tomato, and broccoli tossed in a savory sauce. The nuttiness of the pine nuts and the sharp tang of the mustard came together so well that this was my favorite of the three.

Ceviche, Modam tempura and perilla oil capellini

Another round of starters came before the main dish. The 'seasonal raw fish and pickled radish ceviche' had a sauce that was tangy with a hint of fermentation, and eating the fresh seasonal raw fish together with the aged kimchi meant there was no fishy smell at all — really tasty.

But if I had to pick, this next combination might have been my favorite part of Modam Dining Gwanghwamun's starter menu.

The crispy fried shiitake mushroom, called 'Modam tempura.' A whole shiitake mushroom was fried whole, giving it a soft yet chewy texture that rivaled meat. The sauce coating it tasted somewhat like sriracha mayo — a little spicy with a smooth finish that paired perfectly with the fried mushroom.

The 'perilla oil capellini' topped with sweet shrimp. With the nutty aroma of perilla oil lingering, this dish couldn't not be delicious. The thin capellini noodles made it easy to eat without feeling full before the main dish.

I visited with my parents that day, and they kept saying it was delicious with every single bite — it really felt like the perfect place to arrange a meal with parents! I get now why so many people hold matchmaking meetings at Modam Dining Gwanghwamun.

How does the 32,000 won charcoal-grilled deodeok pork set taste?

Modam Dining Gwanghwamun's charcoal-grilled deodeok pork set is ₩32,000 and comes with four side dishes. Now, finally, the main dish! It's served with four sides — gungchae namul (herbal greens), sautéed mushrooms, napa cabbage kimchi, and salted seafood.

The 'charcoal-grilled deodeok pork set,' with thinly flattened deodeok (bellflower root) and pork stir-fried until crisp over an open flame.

Look at how the seasoning clings to the meat!! This is total rice-thief territory;;

I assumed the deodeok would come stir-fried together with the pork, so I was a bit surprised to find it pale and served separately — but that turned out to be exactly the key point ⭐

Adding the fragrant deodeok to the spicy, salty pork balanced out the seasoning perfectly and made it really delicious! There was no pork smell at all, and the meat itself was very tender.

Is the 39,000 won hanwoo 1++ bulgogi hot pot set enough for two?

Modam Dining Gwanghwamun's hanwoo 1++ bulgogi hot pot set is ₩39,000 for a minimum of two people, and the photo shows a two-person portion. It's loaded with a variety of mushrooms, minari (water dropwort), napa cabbage, and bean sprouts.

True to being hanwoo 1++ grade, the meat quality really looked excellent. This was the amount for two people, and it was plenty — no shortage at all.

I wondered if the broth might be a bit thin, but once the vegetable stock developed, it was more than enough. One sip of the slightly sweet broth was enough to make you forget how cold it's gotten outside!

As a vegetable lover, I loved how many different vegetables there were to pick out 💚 The meat wasn't tough at all — tender and full of rich flavor.

The flavor wasn't overpowering, just clean, so this seems like a great dish to order if you're visiting with kids.

Dessert at Modam Dining: plum tea

For dessert, 'plum tea' is served. It wasn't overly sweet, making it a nice way to wrap up the meal.

If you're looking for a great Korean set-meal restaurant near Gwanghwamun, I'd recommend Modam Dining Gwanghwamun. From the composition to the flavor, everything was satisfying — a neat, tidy Korean restaurant that's perfect for gatherings or matchmaking meetings.