Baby dishware at a Gwanghwamun Korean restaurant: Modam Dining

It had been a while since we had a full weekend, so we took our baby out for a really good outing. This weekend's plan was the Seoul Museum of History, which is great to explore with a little one!

Since we were eating out with a young baby, of course we had to be careful about the menu and the restaurant's atmosphere. So while trying to figure out where to go, we played it safe and booked a place we'd visited many times before without ever being disappointed.

That's Modam Dining Gwanghwamun, already well known as a go-to Korean restaurant for family gatherings in Gwanghwamun! Since it's a repeat favorite of ours, I'll give you the real, honest review of visiting with a baby along with some menu tips.

Where is Modam Dining Gwanghwamun, and how does the 2-hour parking work? (Discounts don't stack)

Modam Dining Gwanghwamun is on basement level 1 at 10 Saemunan-ro 2-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, near Gwanghwamun and Gyeongbokgung stations. Parking gives you 2 hours in the building's underground lot — park on B3, then head up to B1.

Traveling with a baby, driving is so much more convenient. Park on B3 and the elevator takes you straight down to the B1 restaurant — a really smooth route.

⚠️ One thing you really need to know about parking here! It seems parking hours don't stack across different shops in the building.

That day we registered 2 hours from a bakery in the building and another 2 hours from Modam Dining, so we assumed we'd get 4 hours total — but in the end only 2 hours were applied, and we had to pay extra. If you're planning to visit another café or shop in the same building, keep in mind the parking discounts don't add up!

Is Modam Dining Gwanghwamun stroller-friendly? Hall seating and private rooms

Inside Modam Dining Gwanghwamun, the tables are spaced widely so a baby carrier or stroller never feels cramped, and there are private rooms too. The warm lighting gives the whole place a cozy feel.

This isn't our first visit, but every time we come, the neat interior and upscale atmosphere put us in a good mood. The inside is very clean and the warm lighting makes everything feel cozy overall. The tables are spaced far apart with easy flow, so a baby carrier or stroller is never an issue. There are also well-equipped private rooms for a more intimate meal — hard to beat for a conversation-filled meal in a tidy setting.

What to order at Modam Dining Gwanghwamun: the bori-gulbi set meal, 37,000 won

This time we ordered the bori-gulbi (dried yellow corvina) set meal for 37,000 won and the abalone tteokgalbi (grilled short rib patty) set meal for 40,000 won. Having tried all the main dishes at Modam Dining Gwanghwamun, bori-gulbi is hands down my top pick.

Modam Dining has a variety of neatly composed set-meal courses. This time we ordered the bori-gulbi set meal (₩37,000) and the abalone tteokgalbi set meal (₩40,000).

Menu tips from a repeat visitor to Modam Dining

We've been to Modam Dining often enough to have tried all the main dishes, and overall everything comes out solid and well put together.

But among them, the clear standout is the bori-gulbi! Everything else is reliably good too, but this restaurant's bori-gulbi is genuinely chewy and full of flavor, so we always make sure to include the bori-gulbi set meal whenever we come. (If you want a dish that never disappoints, I highly recommend it!)

+) Also worth noting: if you visit on a weekday for lunch, the same course menu is significantly cheaper, so if you can gather your group on a weekday, going for the weekday lunch special is a great move.

What comes in the course, and how Modam Dining looks after a baby

When we asked for a baby chair and baby dishware at Modam Dining Gwanghwamun, the staff prepared them quickly and kindly, as always. The course is served neatly in ten steps, from seasonal porridge to dessert.

The course is served neatly in this order:

• Seasonal porridge
• Cheongyang chili water kimchi
• Seasonal salad with yuzu dressing
• Mustard greens with pine nut sauce
• Seasonal raw fish and pickle ceviche
• Modam tempura
• Perilla oil cappellini
• Main dish (bori-gulbi / abalone tteokgalbi)
• Meal (rice, today's soup, 4 side dishes)
• Dessert

None of the side dishes are overdone — every single one is at least solidly good and neatly made. The freshly fried Modam tempura (mushroom tempura) in particular is crispy outside and tender inside, a real treat every time.

And one reason we keep coming back to Modam Dining is their attentive, thoughtful service! They thoughtfully left the sesame garnish off the porridge they made for our baby, and throughout the meal a kind staff member explained each dish as it came — 'this one is mild, good for the baby,' 'this one's spicy, just for the adults' — pointing out exactly which dishes the baby could eat. It was genuinely touching.

Thanks to that, I picked apart the tender abalone tteokgalbi and the savory bori-gulbi flesh for the baby, who ate it all up happily — made me feel like a proud, at-ease mom throughout the meal.

Final verdict: would I return to Modam Dining Gwanghwamun?

Not our first visit, but once again a satisfying meal without a single letdown. The clean, upscale atmosphere, the neatly composed dishes, and above all a menu that wins over both adult and baby palates alike make this a solid choice for family gatherings or even a formal meeting between families.

In fact, during our visit there were about three or four large family groups dining at the same time! It's clear why this place is consistently loved as a go-to Korean restaurant for family gatherings in Gwanghwamun.

Thinking back on the kind baby care and the neatly served bori-gulbi spread, I'm 200% planning to come back any time I'm near Gwanghwamun. If you're looking for somewhere to eat comfortably with a baby near Gwanghwamun or the Seoul Museum of History, or just want a reliably clean Korean restaurant, I recommend Modam Dining Gwanghwamun.