Three set meals compared at a Gwanghwamun Korean restaurant: Modam

Where is Modam Dining Gwanghwamun?

Modam Dining Gwanghwamun is a Korean restaurant tucked into the basement of the Deoksugung D-Palace building, great for family gatherings. There's also a Modam Dining at Seoul Botanic Park that I really enjoyed, and apparently there are branches in Gwanghwamun, Itaewon, and Yeouido too. Nice to see good Modam Dining branches popping up everywhere. I used to go to Modam Hanjeongsik in Gimpo a lot too — seeing overlapping menu items made me wonder if it's the same group.

Modam Dining sits in the basement of Deoksugung D-Palace, and while the area around it is busy, stepping into the building gives off such a calm, quiet feeling that it felt like entering another world. The path down to the restaurant is so nice-looking that if I ever have guests visiting from abroad, this is probably the first place I'd bring them.

Modam Dining Gwanghwamun menu lineup and prices

Modam Dining Gwanghwamun has plenty of set meals in the ₩30,000s. We were starving, so we ordered as soon as we sat down — a mix of the fire-grilled deodeok pork set, the Jindo scallion bassak bulgogi set, and the bori-gulbi set. There's also a Modam Special Sura Course and a Hanwoo Grill Course, which seem handy for matchmaking lunches or business entertaining.

Seasonal porridge and side dishes before the mains

At Modam Dining Gwanghwamun, dishes come out one at a time before the main course arrives, like a proper course meal. First comes a spread of seasonal porridge, cheongyang chili water kimchi, a seasonal salad with yuzu dressing, and pine nut sauce mustard greens.

The porridge that day was mung bean porridge — mild, smooth, and nutty.

The cheongyang chili water kimchi in particular, made with ground cheongyang peppers, had a refreshing yet spicy kick that stood out.

Every dish was clean and tidy in flavor. The dishware was also so pretty that just looking at the plating was fun in itself.

There was a red berry on top of one dish — not sure what it was, but it was tangy. I also liked that each dish came with extra chopsticks so everyone could share.

Seasonal raw fish, pickle ceviche, and Modam tempura

Next was seasonal raw fish (hwaleohoe), pickle ceviche, and Modam tempura. The raw fish was tender, and even without ssamjang or wasabi, it was delicious with the accompanying sauce. Aged kimchi rounded out the seasoning nicely and the flavors worked well together.

The tempura was shiitake mushroom. The mushrooms were big, and the staff explained the dish and cut it for us before leaving. The tempura was incredibly crispy. The sauce felt a bit like chipotle sauce — slightly spicy. Generous portion and great flavor.

Perilla oil cappellini at Modam Dining

Doesn't the look alone tell you this isn't your average dish? Cappellini, thinner than spaghetti, tossed with perilla oil, ground perilla seeds, whole perilla seeds, perilla leaves, and shrimp on top! Great little pops of texture and flavor in every bite. I honestly thought — why not sell this as a standalone main? I wanted more.

Three sets compared: bassak bulgogi, fire-grilled deodeok pork, bori-gulbi

Finally, the main dishes arrived. Rice, soup, and basic banchan came together too, making for another generous spread — Jindo scallion bassak bulgogi, fire-grilled deodeok pork set, and bori-gulbi set. Not pictured, but green tea water is served alongside.

They gave us two of each basic banchan too. This place clearly favors clean, mild flavors overall.

Rice and soup came out, and the radish soup was also tasty.

The Jindo scallion bassak bulgogi was closer to soy sauce-based bulgogi than what I'd call 'bassak' (crispy). I expected minced beef grilled crispy, but it was delicious, so no complaints.

The fire-grilled deodeok pork set came with kkwari chili peppers and smoky-charred meat, plus raw deodeok (bellflower root) on the side, letting you enjoy its fresh aroma.

The bori-gulbi set was also great, with plenty of meat on the fish. Laying a big chunk over rice soaked in green tea water made for a bowl I finished in no time. If you're looking for a Gwanghwamun hanjeongsik (Korean set-course meal) spot for gatherings that isn't the usual well-known crowd-pleaser but somewhere clean and quiet instead, I'd recommend Modam Dining Gwanghwamun.

Atmosphere and parking: is Modam Dining right for a family gathering?

Modam Dining Gwanghwamun sits inside the Deoksugung D-Palace building, and the interior — Korean in feel yet modern — left a strong impression.

I didn't get a photo of the tables while people were eating, but the overall atmosphere is really upscale. It seems like a great place to bring people you really want to treat well, which is probably why Modam Dining is known as a Korean restaurant for family gatherings near Gwanghwamun. It would also work well for a matchmaking meal. If you're looking for a Gwanghwamun hanjeongsik spot for group gatherings, I'd recommend Modam Dining Gwanghwamun.

Since it's known as a family-gathering spot near Gwanghwamun, there were a lot of families around. Parking is provided for 2 hours too, so we took a stroll around the nearby history museum afterward, which was lovely. Thanks to Modam Dining Gwanghwamun, it turned into a really pleasant weekend outing.