Jongno Korean restaurant for bulgogi set meals: Modam Dining

After work on a Saturday when I had to work, I went to Modam Dining Gwanghwamun with my husband, a place well known for family-meeting meals. With fresh ingredients and neatly presented full-table meals, it is well regarded in Gwanghwamun for family dining, hosted meals, and gatherings, so you may be satisfied if you are looking for a polished Korean meal.

Modam Dining Gwanghwamun location and parking

Modam Dining is a Gwanghwamun Korean restaurant popular for its upscale interior and neatly composed course menus. It is on the first basement floor of D Palace, right next to the Wongiok location I had visited before.

When we visited, the D Palace underground parking lot was full, so we parked at the Concordian Building across the street and walked over. Please note that parking support is unavailable there before 6 p.m. on weekdays.

There are massage chairs and a resting area right in front of Modam, so it would be nice to have a light chat after your meal or use a massage chair.

We arrived around 1:30 p.m., and every seat was taken. All four private rooms were also full of guests holding family meetings or family gatherings.

Jindo green onion and crisp bulgogi set meal

We ordered two Jindo green onion and crisp bulgogi set meals. At Modam Dining, everything is not set on the table at once; dishes arrive one by one like a course. It moves from light porridge to salad, rice, and main dishes, and the careful service makes you feel well looked after, which is probably why so many people consider it for family-meeting meals.

They first served a clean-tasting mung bean porridge. I liked its mild flavor, and it was nice for settling my stomach at the start of the meal.

The salad with yuzu dressing had a refreshing sauce with a pleasant tang. It was a nice, clean bite before moving on to the main dishes.

Personally, I was very pleased with the Cheongyang water kimchi. It was seasoned just right and fermented to a satisfying point. It also paired well with the main dishes.

The mustard vegetables with pine-nut sauce consisted of cucumber and chicken breast. I cannot eat cucumber, so I picked out only the sauce and meat, and the nutty, sharp flavor was clean and lovely.

The porridge came with the first three dishes, course-style, and I liked that they provided separate serving chopsticks rather than expecting us to share with personal ones.

Perilla oil capellini and Modam fried mushrooms

This was perilla oil capellini, combining the nutty perilla oil of Korean cooking with thin capellini noodles. The scent of perilla leaves was lovely, and I could taste the tsuyu-based seasoning. The noodles were thin and light to eat, with whole perilla seeds and perilla seed powder adding more fragrance. It felt like a cold pasta, just right for a light taste before the main course.

The Modam fried mushrooms, which made my husband and me open our eyes wide, were mushroom gangjeong (crispy glazed fritters). The coating was beyond crunchy—really crackly—and not overly seasoned. The rosé-like cream sauce was soft and sweet, and we both said this was truly delicious.

This was fresh seasonal raw fish and jangajji (soy-pickled vegetables) ceviche. Mild, chewy flounder sashimi sat over a sauce incorporating Korean pickles, with white kimchi underneath. Tasting it all together, including the sauce, was really delicious.

Crisp bulgogi and beef radish soup

For the full meal, four side dishes, beef radish soup, and the main crisp bulgogi arrived.

Each side dish was seasoned just right, which I liked.

The beef radish soup had a rich savory depth from the beef broth, and the gentle sweetness drawn from the radish was satisfying. Eating it with the bulgogi made for a clean finish.

The bulgogi was stir-fried dry without broth, so it had a subtle smoky flavor. It leaned well-seasoned, salty and sweet, making it good with rice.

We finished today's meal with plum tea for dessert.

A space suited to family meetings and gatherings

The clean interior had Korean decorative pieces placed here and there, and the calm lighting made it feel like such a refined space. The Korean course meal was not overly heavy, so it felt formal while also being comfortable. Every staff member who served us was kind.

Private rooms are available with reservations for four or more people, allowing a more independent meal for family events, which seems to be why many people seek them out. Beyond what we ate, there are many options, including the signature Korean beef grill set, surasang royal table, 1++ grade Korean beef bulgogi hot pot, 1++ grade Korean beef tripe hot pot, spicy pork, abalone tteokgalbi, and bori-gulbi (dried yellow corvina). If you are looking for a gathering or family-meeting dining spot in Gwanghwamun, Modam Dining may be worth a visit.