Weekend lunch: bulgogi and barley risotto at Modam Urban, Yeongdeungpo

I had plans with a friend in Yeouido, so for weekend lunch we decided to check out Modam Urban :) It's inside IFC Mall, which made it super easy to pick as a meeting spot, and I figured it'd be good if we were in the mood for Korean food. Once inside, the place was pretty clean and the tables were wide, so it was great for chatting while we ate. Best of all, there was a separate room too, so it seemed like a place that could work for anything from a casual meal to a more formal gathering haha.

Where is it in IFC Mall, Yeouido?

Modam Urban is on L3 of IFC Mall, at 10 Gukjegeumyung-ro, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. It's near the escalator by the service center on L3. We went for weekend lunch, and since it's right inside IFC Mall it wasn't hard to find at all. You can eat, grab coffee, and go shopping afterward, so this location is surprisingly convenient when meeting a friend in Yeouido haha. Parking is free for up to 5 hours depending on how much you spend, so it's worth knowing if you're driving.

The vibe and the private room

Walking in, the restaurant was bigger than I expected. It was neatly arranged overall, and the tables were on the wide side, which made it easy to spread out several dishes.

Looking further in, there was also a separate private room. It's fine for a casual meal with a friend, but I thought it'd also be great for something a bit more formal, like a family gathering or a meeting between families before a wedding. If you're looking for a Korean restaurant in Yeouido with that kind of space, this could be a good point in its favor.

What we ordered, and the price

There were two of us that day, so we ordered the smoky bassak bulgogi (bassak bulgogi, meaning crispy-charred bulgogi) and the barley cream risotto topped with chicken. Both are ₩29,900.

Six free appetizers

Ordering a main comes with free appetizers. That day we got six: mung bean porridge (nokdujuk) topped with black sesame, a grilled mini course salad, sliced mushroom with truffle chamnamul (aster) salad, spicy mushroom gangjeong, a cold platter with smoked duck, and perilla oil capellini.

While waiting for the mains, we tried each one, and with so much variety it was fun to share with my friend. They were a bit different from the usual Korean side dish lineup, so tasting each one before the mains even arrived was already enjoyable haha.

Smoky bassak bulgogi

First, the smoky bassak bulgogi comes with 24-hour aged beef bulgogi, served with grilled scallion and mushroom.

The bulgogi was good on its own, but eating it together with the scallion and mushroom made it even better.

Barley cream risotto with chicken

The barley cream risotto topped with chicken comes with chicken thigh, burdock chips, and zucchini pickle. Eating a risotto alongside Korean dishes gave the meal a totally different vibe.

The chicken thigh was moist and paired really well with the risotto!:)

Finishing with the milk pudding that came out at the end was the perfect ending! Since we each ordered a different dish and shared, it was fun to try two completely different things.

From Korean staples to full course menus

Beyond what we ordered, Modam Urban also offers today's clay pot rice, pollack roe clear sundubu (soft tofu stew), loach soup (chueotang) loaded with river snails, minari and hanwoo beef tartare bibimbap, assorted seafood jang with laver butter rice, handmade tteokgalbi (short rib patties), and grilled abalone, among other dishes. There are simple single dishes as well as full Korean course menus, so there's a wide range depending on what you're looking for. It seemed like a place that could work not just for a lunch with friends, but for dates, family gatherings, and more formal meals too.

Weekend lunch wrap-up

This time I came with a friend for weekend lunch, and since it's inside IFC Mall it was easy to find, plus the restaurant was clean enough that we could eat comfortably. The wide tables were great for talking while eating, and having a separate room also seemed useful for times when you need a quieter spot. If you've got lunch plans with a friend in Yeouido, or you're looking for a Korean restaurant in IFC Mall Yeouido for a family meeting or similar occasion, Modam Urban is worth considering haha. There were still dishes I didn't get to try this time, so next time I'm at IFC Mall I want to try some of the other Korean menu items too :)