IFC Mall Seoul Korean restaurant seafood jang butter rice: Modam Urban

I used to live near Yeouido and often went to The Hyundai Seoul and IFC Mall. This time, while looking for somewhere to eat with my mom, I visited Modam Urban, a Korean restaurant inside IFC Mall that I hadn't been to in a while!

I love Korean set-course meals (hanjeongsik) because the dishes come out neatly and you get to try a little of everything, and my mom was super satisfied too, so here's my honest review haha.

• 📍Location: L3, 10 Gukjegeumyung-ro, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul
• ⏰Hours: 11:00 - 22:00 (last order 21:30)
• ✨Reservations and group gatherings available

How to find Modam Urban in IFC Mall, Yeouido

Modam Urban's Yeouido branch is on L3 of IFC Mall. Go into IFC Mall, take the escalator down to L3, and keep walking forward — you'll see the store! I have zero sense of direction so I wandered a bit ^^;;lol

From the entrance, Modam Urban already felt modern and upscale. A round arched doorway, soft lighting, and calm wood tones came together for a slightly more refined take on traditional Korean dining.

Inside Modam Urban: dining room and private rooms

Inside Modam Urban, alongside the regular tables there were well-set-up private rooms too. They looked great for quiet conversation over a meal, so I think they'd suit family dinners as well as anyone looking for a meeting spot in Yeouido or a place for a parents' first meeting (sangyeollye).

Modam Urban menu and prices

Looking at Modam Urban's menu, the lineup ranged from à la carte mains to course meals to a formal set for parents' first meetings. If I'd known about this place before getting married, I could've brought both sets of parents here — the vibe was tidy and comfortable enough for it lol.

What we ordered that day was crab broth octopus pasta for ₩29,900 and mixed seafood jang with gim (seaweed) butter rice for ₩29,900. What I especially liked about Modam Urban was that ordering a main gets you six appetizers as well 😊

What are the six appetizers at Modam Urban?

Modam Urban's appetizers come as a set of six when you order a main. The menu listed mung bean porridge topped with black sesame, a salad with whole-grain yuja (citron) dressing, sliced mushroom with truffle-dressed chamnamul (aster), spicy mushroom gangjeong (glazed crisps), smoked duck naengchae (cold salad), and perilla oil cappellini.

At first I thought it'd just be a light palate-opener, but so many different dishes kept arriving one by one that the table was already full before the mains even showed up. The plating and presentation were neat too, so it was fun just to look at — my mom loved how pretty the food looked.

After soothing my stomach with the soft mung bean porridge, the salad and cold salad refreshed my palate. The sliced mushroom stood out for how densely packed the mushrooms were, and it was fragrant paired with the chamnamul 🤭 The glossy spicy mushroom gangjeong had a nice chewy texture, and the smoked duck naengchae came with vegetables that made it easy for my parents to enjoy too.

The perilla oil cappellini in particular, topped with shrimp, gim flakes, and egg garnish, was a memorable and unusual appetizer to find at a Korean restaurant. Mixing all the ingredients together brought out a nutty flavor that wasn't too heavy, leading naturally into the next dish.

The appetizers alone felt like a full course meal — definitely a place to remember when looking for good food in Yeouido 👍

Crab broth octopus pasta and seafood jang with gim butter rice

Then the crab broth octopus pasta I'd been waiting for arrived! A whole thick octopus leg sat on top of a deep orange sauce, catching my eye right away with its look.

The octopus was plump and cut into easy bites to eat with the noodles, and the crab-broth sauce blended into the pasta well, giving a savory depth different from your usual cream or tomato pasta.

It was surprising how naturally Korean cuisine and pasta could go together 💕

The mixed seafood jang with gim butter rice was just as generous as its name suggested. Shrimp, abalone, octopus, meat, soft-boiled egg, and vegetables were all arranged nicely in a glossy jang (seasoned sauce).

It was fun picking out each piece of seafood, and pairing it with the gim butter rice softened the salty flavor of the jang nicely — a great combination. Between the plump shrimp and chewy octopus, I got to enjoy a variety of flavors and textures in a single bowl.

Rice, soup, and side dishes were neatly served alongside the mains too, making the whole meal really filling 👍 Honestly, the appetizers alone had already filled me up quite a bit before the mains, but every dish felt different so my chopsticks kept moving haha.

Looking at the à la carte price alone it's not exactly a light meal, but considering it comes with six appetizers and a full spread, it was a satisfying, unhurried meal with my mom.

Dessert: Modam Urban's milk pudding

Modam Urban finishes with a milk pudding for dessert, and even this was perfect! The white, smooth pudding was bouncy yet soft when scooped with a spoon, and its mild, subtle milk flavor cleaned up the palate nicely after the meal.

Even though we'd said we were full, my mom and I finished it completely lol. It wasn't overly sweet, so it was an easygoing dessert for parents to enjoy too.

Is Modam Urban good for a family meal or meeting the parents?

Overall, Modam Urban had a spacious, clean layout and neatly presented food, which made the meal enjoyable even for me, taking my mom out. With private rooms available, it also seemed like a good fit for family gatherings that need conversation, meeting-the-parents lunches, or work gatherings.

Rather than sticking strictly to traditional Korean dishes, the menu mixes in familiar-yet-different items like octopus pasta or cappellini, which seems great for younger visitors and parents to enjoy together. My mom loved everything from the atmosphere to the food to the final milk pudding, so I'd recommend Modam Urban to anyone looking for a Korean restaurant meeting spot in Yeouido — a place I'd like to revisit for a relaxed meal before or after shopping at IFC Mall or a stroll through The Hyundai Seoul.