# Itaewon Korean fine dining weekday lunch with 5 appetizers: Modam - By Haon (https://superchart.com/en/@seoul-fork-street/) - Written Sep 14, 2026 - Local places › Restaurants › Yongsan, Seoul - Sponsored: This post was written based on a meal provided as a store-visit sponsorship. - English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@seoul-fork-street/modam-itaewon-weekday-appetizers-sorbet/ - Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@seoul-fork-street/modam-itaewon-weekday-appetizers-sorbet/index.md) ## In short Modam Itaewon is a heritage Korean fine-dining restaurant on the first floor of the Mondrian Hotel near Noksapyeong Station in Yongsan, Seoul. On a quiet weekday afternoon the two set menus ordered were the assorted seafood jang (marinated seafood) with gamtae seaweed butter rice and the charcoal-grilled Beopseongpo dried corvina, each 45,000 won, both starting with five appetizers such as amberjack ceviche and shiitake sweet and sour and ending with a perilla leaf lime sorbet. With private rooms seating 4 to 8, Modam Itaewon suits formal occasions like meeting the in-laws. ## Good to know - **Location**: 1F Mondrian Hotel, 23 Jangmun-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul (921m from Noksapyeong Station Exit 3) - **Hours**: 11:00-21:30, break 15:00-17:00 - **Last order**: 13:40 and 20:10 - **Assorted seafood jang with gamtae seaweed butter rice set**: 45,000 won - **Charcoal-grilled Beopseongpo dried corvina set**: 45,000 won - **Sparkling water**: 6,000 won - **Private rooms**: Seat 4 to 8 people - **Parking**: Hotel parking lot, 2 hours free for diners *as written by the visitor on Sep 14, 2026* Today I'm sharing my review of Modam, the heritage Korean fine-dining restaurant in Itaewon~ ![Representative photo of Modam, Korean dining at the Mondrian Hotel Itaewon](https://img.superchart.com/images/modam-itaewon-weekday-appetizers-sorbet/modam-itaewon-weekday-appetizers-sorbet-01-3su1l-1200.webp) *Visited September 2026* ## Where is Modam Itaewon? Hours and parking Modam Itaewon is on the first floor of the Mondrian Hotel at 23 Jangmun-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul (22-76 Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul), 921m from Noksapyeong Station Exit 3. Hours are 11:00–21:30 with a break time from 15:00–17:00, and last order is at 13:40 and 20:10. - 📍 1F Mondrian Hotel, 23 Jangmun-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul (921m from Noksapyeong Station Exit 3) - ⏰ 11:00–21:30 / Break time 15:00–17:00 / Last order 13:40, 20:10 - 🚘 Hotel parking available (2 hours free with dining) The weather's getting cooler these days, which is nice, but maybe because of the change of seasons my condition felt a bit off~ At times like this I feel like I need to eat something healthy, mostly Korean food~ With clear skies and nice weather, and hoping to recover a bit, I visited Modam, a Korean dining restaurant~ ![Exterior of the Mondrian Hotel Itaewon building](https://img.superchart.com/images/modam-itaewon-weekday-appetizers-sorbet/modam-itaewon-weekday-appetizers-sorbet-02-jvali-900.webp) ![View of the first-floor lobby of the Mondrian Hotel](https://img.superchart.com/images/modam-itaewon-weekday-appetizers-sorbet/modam-itaewon-weekday-appetizers-sorbet-03-1y9ep-900.webp) Modam serves Korean cuisine that reinterprets signature jang (marinated sauces) and seasonal specialties in a modern way~ It's on the first floor of the Mondrian Hotel, and the space felt modern yet luxurious~ The first-floor lobby was so pretty I ended up staring at it for a while~ ![Entrance to Modam Itaewon](https://img.superchart.com/images/modam-itaewon-weekday-appetizers-sorbet/modam-itaewon-weekday-appetizers-sorbet-04-122ks-900.webp) ![Modam waiting area with mother-of-pearl partition](https://img.superchart.com/images/modam-itaewon-weekday-appetizers-sorbet/modam-itaewon-weekday-appetizers-sorbet-05-yi8mo-900.webp) ## Inside Modam Itaewon on a weekday afternoon: private rooms for 4 to 8 Modam Itaewon is right across from the lobby, directly in front of the Mondrian Hotel's main entrance, so it's easy to find~ Walking in, there's a waiting area on the left, and the mother-of-pearl partitions and fabric ceiling structure were really striking~ To the right of the entrance is a space for serving drinks, and that was gorgeous too~ ![Drink serving area to the right of the Modam entrance](https://img.superchart.com/images/modam-itaewon-weekday-appetizers-sorbet/modam-itaewon-weekday-appetizers-sorbet-06-1jtlt-m-900.webp) *Display of whiskey, wine, and champagne* Maybe because I visited on a weekday, the interior felt pretty quiet~ Overall, with monotone furniture and soft lighting, the whole place felt clean and calm~ Aside from the central hall, there are a lot of private rooms along the walls, which seemed great for meeting the in-laws or other formal gatherings~ I heard the rooms can hold anywhere from 4 to 8 people, so you can pick one that fits your group~ There's a mix of darker and brighter rooms too, so you can choose based on your taste~ ![Interior of Modam with monotone furniture and soft lighting](https://img.superchart.com/images/modam-itaewon-weekday-appetizers-sorbet/modam-itaewon-weekday-appetizers-sorbet-07-1i4ph-900.webp) ## Ordering both sets at Modam Itaewon: seafood jang and dried corvina, 45,000 won each Modam Itaewon is apparently known for its set menus like seafood jang~ I wasn't really in the mood for meat, so I ordered the seafood jang set and the dried corvina set~ - Assorted seafood jang and gim butter rice set: ₩45,000 - Charcoal-grilled Beopseongpo dried corvina set: ₩45,000 - Sparkling water: ₩6,000 ![Table setting at Modam Itaewon](https://img.superchart.com/images/modam-itaewon-weekday-appetizers-sorbet/modam-itaewon-weekday-appetizers-sorbet-08-1x8i8-900.webp) ## The five appetizers served first Not long after ordering, the food arrived~ Ceviche, salads, and more, all so pretty~ There aren't official names for these, so let me introduce them briefly~ (Please note I'm describing them based on taste and appearance, so this may not be exact~) ### Eggplant, mushroom and gim bugak salad with black sesame dressing ![Black sesame salad topped with eggplant, mushroom, and gim bugak](https://img.superchart.com/images/modam-itaewon-weekday-appetizers-sorbet/modam-itaewon-weekday-appetizers-sorbet-09-oyu50-900.webp) *Eggplant, mushroom, and gim bugak black sesame salad* A salad of grilled eggplant, mushroom, melon, and gim bugak (crispy fried seaweed) topped with a nutty black sesame sauce and finished with plum syrup — nutty and refreshing, I loved it~ ![Black sesame salad served with shine muscat grapes and melon](https://img.superchart.com/images/modam-itaewon-weekday-appetizers-sorbet/modam-itaewon-weekday-appetizers-sorbet-10-u4o4n-900.webp) *Eggplant, mushroom, and gim bugak black sesame salad* Shine muscat grapes and melon are served on either side, and they were as pretty in color as they were tasty~ ### Sweet and sour shiitake mushrooms ![Shiitake mushrooms tossed in citrus sauce](https://img.superchart.com/images/modam-itaewon-weekday-appetizers-sorbet/modam-itaewon-weekday-appetizers-sorbet-11-18d1r-900.webp) *Shiitake mushroom sweet and sour* It looked like crispy fried shiitake mushrooms tossed in a sweet citrus sauce, topped with garlic chives and crushed peanuts~ ![Shiitake mushroom sweet and sour topped with garlic chives and peanuts](https://img.superchart.com/images/modam-itaewon-weekday-appetizers-sorbet/modam-itaewon-weekday-appetizers-sorbet-12-1o622-900.webp) *Shiitake mushroom sweet and sour* The chewy mushrooms and crispy batter went really well together, and the sweet, fruity sauce was delicious too~ ### Perilla oil makguksu with bracken fern and Korean melon ![Perilla oil buckwheat noodles topped with bracken fern and melon](https://img.superchart.com/images/modam-itaewon-weekday-appetizers-sorbet/modam-itaewon-weekday-appetizers-sorbet-13-ahosi-900.webp) *Perilla oil buckwheat noodles with bracken fern and melon* The perilla oil makguksu (buckwheat noodles) is tossed with fragrant perilla oil and whole perilla seeds, topped with bracken fern seasoned with perilla powder, sliced melon, scallions, and gim~ ![Perilla oil buckwheat noodles topped with whole perilla seeds and gim](https://img.superchart.com/images/modam-itaewon-weekday-appetizers-sorbet/modam-itaewon-weekday-appetizers-sorbet-14-pnjhl-900.webp) *Perilla oil buckwheat noodles with bracken fern and melon* Full of perilla oil aroma, with softly braised bracken fern and crunchy melon, the flavors were varied overall~ ### Barley shrimp and tofu cube salad ![Barley shrimp salad topped with grilled tofu cubes](https://img.superchart.com/images/modam-itaewon-weekday-appetizers-sorbet/modam-itaewon-weekday-appetizers-sorbet-15-1d20w-m-900.webp) *Barley shrimp and tofu cube salad* The salad comes with fresh vegetables and cube-grilled tofu, topped with a sauce of barley shrimp and whole perilla seeds~ ![Tofu cube salad topped with barley shrimp sauce](https://img.superchart.com/images/modam-itaewon-weekday-appetizers-sorbet/modam-itaewon-weekday-appetizers-sorbet-16-zqvmy-900.webp) *Barley shrimp and tofu cube salad* It tasted like it might have olive oil and white balsamic in the mix~ ### Amberjack ceviche ![Amberjack ceviche topped with a fresh sauce](https://img.superchart.com/images/modam-itaewon-weekday-appetizers-sorbet/modam-itaewon-weekday-appetizers-sorbet-17-ez2w0-900.webp) *Amberjack ceviche* Amberjack ceviche topped with a fresh sauce of tomato, cucumber, red onion, and pickles — chewy texture and a bright taste, I loved it~ ![Amberjack ceviche with tomato and red onion](https://img.superchart.com/images/modam-itaewon-weekday-appetizers-sorbet/modam-itaewon-weekday-appetizers-sorbet-18-1237c-900.webp) *Amberjack ceviche* Overall, all five appetizers were evenly delicious~ ## The full table: how the two Modam Itaewon sets differ Next up came the full set menu spread~ The soup and side dishes are basically the same for both, but the seafood jang set comes with gim butter rice while the dried corvina set comes with plain rice~ The dried corvina set also comes with an extra green tea broth for pouring over rice, which was a nice difference~ ![Full set menu spread at Modam](https://img.superchart.com/images/modam-itaewon-weekday-appetizers-sorbet/modam-itaewon-weekday-appetizers-sorbet-19-1qh5t-900.webp) *A refined full-course spread* ### Assorted seafood jang with gamtae seaweed butter rice First, the assorted seafood jang was gorgeous just to look at~ Shrimp, octopus, mussels, abalone, egg, seaweed, garlic scapes, chili, salmon roe — so many kinds of seafood and vegetable jang, I really loved it~ It's great to mix the gim butter placed on top of the rice with the seafood~ The gim butter had more flavor than I expected, so it held its own against the seafood jang instead of getting buried~ ![Side dishes served with the Modam set menu](https://img.superchart.com/images/modam-itaewon-weekday-appetizers-sorbet/modam-itaewon-weekday-appetizers-sorbet-20-1907e-900.webp) *Refined side dishes* The various side dishes that came with it were all refined and clean-tasting too~ ### Charcoal-grilled Beopseongpo dried corvina ![Charcoal-grilled Beopseongpo dried corvina](https://img.superchart.com/images/modam-itaewon-weekday-appetizers-sorbet/modam-itaewon-weekday-appetizers-sorbet-21-1yexp-900.webp) *Charcoal-grilled Beopseongpo dried corvina* The dried corvina felt less salty and less oily than others I've had before, so it was really clean-tasting yet still had a moderate saltiness and chewy texture~ ![Prepped and plated charcoal-grilled Beopseongpo dried corvina](https://img.superchart.com/images/modam-itaewon-weekday-appetizers-sorbet/modam-itaewon-weekday-appetizers-sorbet-22-m2r9n-900.webp) *Charcoal-grilled Beopseongpo dried corvina* It came well-prepped so it was easy and pleasant to eat~ You can dip the dried corvina in the green tea broth, or pour it over rice soaked in the broth — it gives the fish a totally different feel from eating it plain, and you get to enjoy it in another way~ ### Perilla leaf lime sorbet for dessert For dessert, we got a sorbet made with perilla leaf and lime~ ![Perilla leaf lime sorbet served for dessert](https://img.superchart.com/images/modam-itaewon-weekday-appetizers-sorbet/modam-itaewon-weekday-appetizers-sorbet-23-p6d68-900.webp) ![Close-up of perilla leaf lime sorbet](https://img.superchart.com/images/modam-itaewon-weekday-appetizers-sorbet/modam-itaewon-weekday-appetizers-sorbet-24-1kjty-900.webp) The first taste has a bit of perilla leaf aroma, but it's not overly strong, so even people who aren't fans of perilla leaf should be able to enjoy it comfortably~ ## What kind of gathering is Modam Itaewon best for? Overall, everything at Modam Itaewon was high quality and beautifully presented~ It felt like each dish was made with real care~ That's probably why it's often mentioned for meeting the in-laws or other formal gatherings~ On top of that, it's a restaurant inside a 5-star hotel, yet the prices felt very reasonable~ I'd highly recommend it to anyone wanting a well put-together, healthy meal, or anyone needing a formal gathering at a reasonable price~ ## Where it is - Modam Itaewon (모담 이태원점) - 23 Jangmun-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea (1F Mondrian Hotel) - 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/@seoul-fork-street/modam-itaewon-weekday-appetizers-sorbet/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt