# Itaewon date-night hanjeongsik with seasonal appetizers: Modam Itaewon - By Hyunwoo Chae (https://superchart.com/en/@jokbal-street-corner/) - Written Sep 15, 2026 - Local places › Restaurants › Yongsan, Seoul - Sponsored: This visit was sponsored by the business. - English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@jokbal-street-corner/itaewon-korean-course-couple-dinner/ - Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@jokbal-street-corner/itaewon-korean-course-couple-dinner/index.md) ## In short Modam Itaewon is a Korean set-menu restaurant (hanjeongsik) on the first floor of the Mondrian Hotel by Noksapyeong Station in Yongsan, Seoul. For a Friday-evening dinner date, the writer and her husband reserved a table and shared two sets — mixed seafood jang (soy-marinated seafood) with gamtae (seaweed) butter rice at 49,000 won and grilled deodeok (mountain root) with charcoal-grilled tteokgalbi (short-rib patty) at 49,000 won — served as a course that ran from seasonal-vegetable appetizers to a perilla leaf sorbet. It was their fourth visit to a Modam restaurant, and both the mood and the food were good enough that they plan to bring her parents next. ## Good to know - **Location**: Modam Itaewon, 1F Mondrian Hotel, 23 Jangmun-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul - **Hours**: Daily 11:00–21:00 (break 15:00–17:00) - **Parking**: Free for 120 minutes, 8,000 won per additional 60 minutes (max 60,000 won), valet 28,000 won - **What they ordered**: Mixed seafood jang with gamtae butter rice set 49,000 won / Grilled deodeok with charcoal-grilled tteokgalbi set 49,000 won - **Private room**: Seats 4 to 8 people - **Reservation**: Booked for Friday evening; seated right away with no wait - **Price reference**: ₩8,000 ≈ $5.9 · ₩60,000 ≈ $44.5 · ₩28,000 ≈ $21 (2026-09-15) *as written by the visitor on Sep 15, 2026* ![Featured photo of Modam Itaewon](https://img.superchart.com/images/itaewon-korean-course-couple-dinner/itaewon-korean-course-couple-dinner-01-1ma9m-1200.webp) Modam Urban in Yeouido is a place I've been to for lunch several times. I liked the menu every time and wanted to bring my husband along too, so when I heard that a Modam had opened at the Mondrian Hotel near our place, I booked a table for a date night. This was our fourth visit to the Modam brand. Here's my honest take on the mood at Modam Itaewon, the set-course lineup, and the prices. ## Modam Itaewon location, hours and parking ![Entrance to Modam Itaewon on the first floor of the Mondrian Hotel](https://img.superchart.com/images/itaewon-korean-course-couple-dinner/itaewon-korean-course-couple-dinner-02-1efkd-900.webp) 📌 Location 23 Jangmun-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul 1F Mondrian Hotel, Modam Itaewon 📌 Hours Daily 11:00–21:00 Break time 15:00–17:00 📌 Parking - Free for 120 minutes Additional ₩8,000 per 60 minutes, max ₩60,000 Valet available for ₩28,000 There's a parking entrance to the left of the vehicle entrance, and valet is also available on the first floor. ## Friday evening visit: was there a wait? ![Entrance to Modam Itaewon visited with a Friday evening reservation](https://img.superchart.com/images/itaewon-korean-course-couple-dinner/itaewon-korean-course-couple-dinner-03-1g7g0-900.webp) ![Reception area at Modam Itaewon](https://img.superchart.com/images/itaewon-korean-course-couple-dinner/itaewon-korean-course-couple-dinner-04-loq1b-900.webp) We visited on a Friday evening with a reservation. Thanks to booking ahead, we were seated right away without waiting. When I visited it was fairly relaxed, but since this is a hotel restaurant that's also popular for gatherings, I'd recommend reserving ahead for weekends or special occasions. ## Inside Modam Itaewon and the 4–8 person private room ![Spaciously arranged hall seating at Modam Itaewon](https://img.superchart.com/images/itaewon-korean-course-couple-dinner/itaewon-korean-course-couple-dinner-05-183fv-900.webp) ![Interior mood of Modam Itaewon](https://img.superchart.com/images/itaewon-korean-course-couple-dinner/itaewon-korean-course-couple-dinner-06-1lt9g-900.webp) The seats themselves were large and spaced generously, so I could eat without feeling too aware of the next table. It was quiet enough for a good conversation, and it seemed like it would suit not just a couple's date but also more formal occasions like a parent's birthday or a meeting between two families. ![Private room at Modam Itaewon that seats 4 to 8 people](https://img.superchart.com/images/itaewon-korean-course-couple-dinner/itaewon-korean-course-couple-dinner-07-506xx-900.webp) There's also a private room that fits anywhere from 4 to 8 people, which would be perfect for a family meeting or a group gathering. (Truly recommend this...!!!) ## Modam Itaewon menu and prices ![Set menu board and prices at Modam Itaewon](https://img.superchart.com/images/itaewon-korean-course-couple-dinner/itaewon-korean-course-couple-dinner-08-1vqe0-900.webp) There was a range of set menus including dried corvina, tofu meatball steak, and bossam (boiled pork wraps). We ordered - ✔️ Mixed seafood jang with gim butter rice set (₩49,000) - ✔️ Grilled deodeok with charcoal tteokgalbi set (₩49,000) . ![Two set-menu table settings at Modam Itaewon](https://img.superchart.com/images/itaewon-korean-course-couple-dinner/itaewon-korean-course-couple-dinner-09-oz4qe-900.webp) Choosing different menus and sharing a bit of each meant we got to taste both mains, which was great. Both sets started with an appetizer, followed by the main dish and then three desserts as the course continued. Instead of everything landing on the table at once, dishes came out in sequence, so we could eat at a relaxed pace. ## Seasonal-vegetable appetizer course ![Modam's appetizer spread using seasonal ingredients](https://img.superchart.com/images/itaewon-korean-course-couple-dinner/itaewon-korean-course-couple-dinner-10-12ktf-900.webp) I really love Modam's appetizers. They're built mostly around seasonal vegetables, and they completely break the equation that vegetables = boring. The combinations are unfamiliar but so, so delicious!!! And with chopsticks laid out at every dish for sharing, the whole thing feels quite refined and pampering. ![Seasonal bean porridge topped with cherry tomatoes and chervil](https://img.superchart.com/images/itaewon-korean-course-couple-dinner/itaewon-korean-course-couple-dinner-11-14ezs-m-900.webp) ![Flounder carpaccio with a sweet-and-tangy sauce](https://img.superchart.com/images/itaewon-korean-course-couple-dinner/itaewon-korean-course-couple-dinner-12-11yrq-900.webp) The seasonal porridge was a bean porridge. Topped with dried cherry tomatoes and chervil, it let us start the meal with a bean porridge that tasted quite different from usual. The flounder carpaccio with a sweet-and-tangy sauce paired the fish's soft texture with a bright sauce that really woke up the palate. The gentle richness of olive oil plus the freshness of lemon kept it clean with no fishy taste at all. ![Green salad topped with barley shrimp chips](https://img.superchart.com/images/itaewon-korean-course-couple-dinner/itaewon-korean-course-couple-dinner-13-1ii7j-900.webp) The green salad topped with barley shrimp chips had a nice combination of crisp vegetables and crunchy chips. The dressing wasn't heavy either, which was just right for whetting the appetite before the main course. ![Seasonal fruit and grilled vegetables with black sesame dressing](https://img.superchart.com/images/itaewon-korean-course-couple-dinner/itaewon-korean-course-couple-dinner-14-suzdz-900.webp) ![Seasonal fruit and grilled vegetable plate with fried seaweed](https://img.superchart.com/images/itaewon-korean-course-couple-dinner/itaewon-korean-course-couple-dinner-15-pcpua-900.webp) The seasonal fruit and grilled vegetables with black sesame dressing had really sweet fruit, and the crispy fried gimbugak (fried seaweed) added a textural shift within a single plate. ![Bracken and perilla oil buckwheat noodles](https://img.superchart.com/images/itaewon-korean-course-couple-dinner/itaewon-korean-course-couple-dinner-16-177uw-900.webp) ![Perilla oil buckwheat noodles plated for sharing](https://img.superchart.com/images/itaewon-korean-course-couple-dinner/itaewon-korean-course-couple-dinner-17-vrn87-900.webp) The bracken and perilla oil buckwheat noodles were nutty and light, easy to eat without feeling heavy. ![Mushroom gangjeong coated in a sweet-and-tangy sauce](https://img.superchart.com/images/itaewon-korean-course-couple-dinner/itaewon-korean-course-couple-dinner-18-11yok-900.webp) ![Plate of crispy fried mushroom gangjeong](https://img.superchart.com/images/itaewon-korean-course-couple-dinner/itaewon-korean-course-couple-dinner-19-8xczn-900.webp) The mushroom gangjeong (sweet crispy fried dish) was crispy fried mushroom coated in a sweet-and-tangy sauce. I've been fooled before by claims that fried mushroom tastes like chicken, but this one honestly tasted like something else entirely, not mushroom at all. ## Mixed seafood jang with gamtae butter rice set (49,000 won) ![Mixed seafood jang with abalone, shrimp, and octopus](https://img.superchart.com/images/itaewon-korean-course-couple-dinner/itaewon-korean-course-couple-dinner-20-1svc3-900.webp) My mixed seafood jang came loaded with abalone, shrimp, octopus, mussels, and more. The soy sauce seasoning wasn't strong enough to mask the seafood's own flavor. Even just mixing the soy sauce into the rice was tasty on its own. The big shrimp had a rich flavor reminiscent of soy-marinated crab. ![Seafood jang with a large shrimp](https://img.superchart.com/images/itaewon-korean-course-couple-dinner/itaewon-korean-course-couple-dinner-21-1bhts-900.webp) ![Gim butter rice topped with seafood jang](https://img.superchart.com/images/itaewon-korean-course-couple-dinner/itaewon-korean-course-couple-dinner-22-6l37o-900.webp) I mixed the seafood jang into the gim butter rice, and even though there didn't seem to be much gim in it, it still had a deep ocean flavor. ![A spoonful of seafood jang with chili, garlic scapes, and tot](https://img.superchart.com/images/itaewon-korean-course-couple-dinner/itaewon-korean-course-couple-dinner-23-qi60h-900.webp) The seafood jang also came with textured vegetables like chili peppers, garlic scapes, and tot (a type of seaweed), so mixing them in with the seafood gave a much more varied texture and flavor. If you like seafood, I'd recommend the mixed seafood jang with gim butter rice set between the two. ## Grilled deodeok with charcoal-grilled tteokgalbi set (49,000 won) My husband's set came with charcoal-grilled tteokgalbi and grilled deodeok. The tteokgalbi was browned nicely on the outside with a faint smoky char, and moist and tender inside without being chewy. The more you chewed, the more the meat's clean juiciness blended with the slightly sweet seasoning, and a sharp mustard sauce on the side cut through any richness cleanly, so it was easy to enjoy all the way through. ![Full spread of the charcoal tteokgalbi and grilled deodeok set](https://img.superchart.com/images/itaewon-korean-course-couple-dinner/itaewon-korean-course-couple-dinner-24-nxzzq-900.webp) Deodeok's characteristic bitterness also paired well with the seasoning. Alternating between it and the tteokgalbi worked better than eating the tteokgalbi alone, giving a nicer balance of flavors. Between the two menus, my husband liked the tteokgalbi set more. ## How the course ends: perilla leaf sorbet After the meal, a perilla leaf sorbet arrived. I was curious what a dessert made from perilla leaves would taste like, and it turned out to have a subtle but refreshing perilla fragrance. After the main dishes, it cleaned the palate nicely and made for a fitting end to the course. ## Is Modam Itaewon worth it for a date night? Modam Itaewon was satisfying not just for the food but for the whole experience of eating slowly in a quiet space. I've always wished I could have hosted a family meeting dinner at Modam and never got the chance, and it's still a bit of a regret. Even on this fourth visit, the mood and the food quality were both satisfying enough that next time I definitely want to bring my parents along. ## Where it is - Modam Itaewon (모담 이태원점) - 1F Mondrian Hotel, Modam Itaewon, 23 Jangmun-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea - 서울특별시 용산구 장문로 23 몬드리안 호텔 1층 모담 이태원점 - 37.5285648, 126.9931163 - Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%EB%AA%A8%EB%8B%B4%20%EC%9D%B4%ED%83%9C%EC%9B%90%EC%A0%90/@37.5285648,126.9931163,17z --- Superchart · https://superchart.com/en/@jokbal-street-corner/itaewon-korean-course-couple-dinner/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt