Deodeok pork and abalone tteokgalbi sets at a Gwanghwamun hanjeongsik

Today I visited Modam Dining in Gwanghwamun. I went with my parents, and it was quiet with a nice atmosphere, so it felt like a great place to eat together.

Whenever I look for somewhere to eat in Gwanghwamun, a lot of places turn out crowded and a bit noisy, but Modam was calm and quiet overall, which made it easy to chat while we ate.

Is the private room at Modam Dining Gwanghwamun good for a family meal?

I liked that Modam Dining Gwanghwamun has proper private rooms. The room itself was quite spacious, with generous table spacing, so it felt well suited to family gatherings, meals with elders, or important occasions.

Overall, the place had that clean, calm atmosphere typical of Korean fine dining.

The three set meals we ordered at Modam Dining

We ordered the 1++ Korean beef bulgogi hot pot set, the fire-grilled deodeok pork set, and the abalone tteokgalbi set!

Seasonal porridge

The seasonal porridge gently opened the meal. It wasn't sharp or strong-flavored — just mild, nutty, and clean, so it made a comfortable first course. The warm, soft texture slowly woke up my appetite and settled my stomach before the dishes to come, haha.

Cheongyang chili water kimchi

The clean, refreshing cheongyang chili water kimchi was memorable too. The usual crispness of water kimchi got an extra kick from the cheongyang chili's mild heat, making it even more delicious, haha.

Seasonal salad with yuzu dressing

A salad with a subtle, bright yuzu aroma rising off it. The crunchy vegetables paired with the fresh, sweet yuzu dressing made for a light, easy bite. It played a good role in resetting the palate between the Korean course dishes.

Mustard greens with pine nut sauce

Personally, I'm always glad when a Korean dining course includes a side like this. The crunch of the chilled vegetables paired with the nuttiness of the pine nut sauce, and the mustard's sharp kick crept in afterward, so the flavor never felt one-note. It finished nutty yet clean — the kind of dish I kept reaching for.

Perilla oil capellini

Capellini with a subtle perilla oil aroma spreading through it. The noodles were thin and slipped down easily, but the nutty scent of perilla oil was quite the standout. Even without a strong sauce, the nutty flavor came through, making it pair well with the rest of the Korean course.

Seasonal raw fish and pickle ceviche

The seasonal raw fish was clean and mild at its core, and eating it with the pickles added a nice savory depth. It was a fun combination — a bit different from typical raw fish — and the tangy, salty pickles brought out the fish's cleanness. It started cold and bright and left a clean finish in the mouth.

Modam fritters

You've got to have crispy fritters somewhere in the middle of a meal, right? These were mushroom fritters, served with a yellow cheese sauce that was really good! Crisp on the outside, relatively moist inside — with the nutty richness of fried food amid all the clean dishes, the course got a nice rhythm going. Best eaten warm, of course.

Comparing the three mains

1++ Korean beef bulgogi hot pot set

Another main was the 1++ Korean beef bulgogi hot pot. Eaten with the warm broth as a proper hot pot, it had a totally different mood from the fire-grilled pork. The tender Korean beef and the sweet, salty bulgogi seasoning blended naturally into the broth, making it great with rice. As the broth simmered, the flavors of the meat and other ingredients kept deepening — fun to keep spooning up warm throughout the meal.

Abalone tteokgalbi set

The tteokgalbi (grilled minced short rib patty) was juicy and mildly seasoned, apparently made with only Korean beef! The abalone was chewy yet tender with a clean flavor that paired well with the tteokgalbi. Together, the two made for a hearty, satisfying dish.

Fire-grilled deodeok pork set

This was the main with the most presence in today's meal. The pork, fire-grilled over an open flame, had a subtle smoky char, and combined with the aroma and texture of deodeok (mountain bellflower root), it tasted completely different from an ordinary stir-fried pork dish. The pork had savory depth from the seasoning plus that smoky char, pairing well with rice, and the deodeok was sliced thin enough to eat comfortably with no bitterness, haha 😍 Its fragrant, slightly bitter note also cut through the richness of the meat.

The rice course and plum dessert

Alongside the mains came rice, soup of the day, and four side dishes. After all those elaborate dishes, finishing with warm rice, soup, and side dishes really is the charm of Korean food. The side dishes worked well with the rice and flowed naturally from the mains. It all ended cleanly with plum for dessert.

Final verdict on Modam Dining Gwanghwamun

What I loved most about Modam today was the quiet atmosphere and the spacious, well-appointed room. Beyond the food, being able to talk slowly over a meal in a comfortable space was really nice.

This is a place that'll come to mind when you want to enjoy a relaxed Korean course meal somewhere quiet in Gwanghwamun — especially for family meals or gatherings that call for a calmer setting. Today, from the warm hot pot to the smoky deodeok pork, the fresh raw fish and salad, and the nutty perilla oil capellini, we got to enjoy a whole range of flavors in one sitting for a hearty, satisfying meal.