Itaewon Korean restaurant maekjeok grilled pork lunch: Modam Itaewon

Modam Itaewon

Modam Dining H Itaewon is a Korean dining restaurant with a sophisticated atmosphere that captures Korea's unique beauty with a modern sensibility.

The elegant plating and refined presentation, along with tidy, healthy Korean cuisine and sophisticated service, left a strong impression. With private rooms available, I'd recommend it for special family gatherings or a formal meeting-the-in-laws lunch.

Where is Modam Itaewon, and how does hotel parking work?

Modam Itaewon is located inside the Mondrian Hotel Itaewon. Parking is available at the hotel, and 2 hours are free with a purchase at the restaurant.

The space had a distinctly Korean mood. There were hall tables for 2–6 people as well as several private rooms — I got a glimpse of one and the atmosphere looked really good, but I couldn't take photos since reservation guests were already inside, haha. The hall table seating was also calm and comfortable, great for conversation.

Modam Itaewon menu and set prices

Weekday lunch menus at Modam Itaewon range from ₩27,000–69,000, while weekday dinner and weekend/holiday menus range from ₩35,000–69,000. The special courses — the meeting-the-in-laws set, the Modam set, and the Seoksura set — run ₩65,000–109,000.

• Weekday lunch: Modam hot-pot rice set / Modam vitality-boosting set / doenjang-marinated charcoal-grilled maekjeok set / tofu meatball steak set / mixed seafood jang and gamtae butter rice set / deodeok (bellflower root) grill and charcoal-grilled tteokgalbi set / charcoal-grilled Beopseongpo dried corvina set / Modam Korean beef sirloin set — ₩27,000–69,000
• Weekday dinner & weekend/holiday: Modam vitality-boosting set / tofu meatball steak set / mixed seafood jang and gamtae butter rice set / deodeok grill and charcoal-grilled tteokgalbi set / charcoal-grilled Beopseongpo dried corvina set / Modam Korean beef set — ₩35,000–69,000
• SPECIAL: meeting-the-in-laws set / Modam set / Seoksura set — ₩65,000–109,000

What we ordered: the 1++ Korean beef sirloin set (₩69,000) and the doenjang charcoal-grilled maekjeok (₩37,000).

What comes in the Modam Itaewon lunch course, in order

The lunch set started with a pre-meal bean porridge. The porridge was pure smoothness itself, with sun-dried tomato added for a delicate touch — a lovely opening dish.

The amberjack, served ceviche-style with a refreshing sauce and vegetables, was thick-cut with great texture.

Grilled eggplant dish

With a rich black sesame sauce, the moist eggplant paired with crispy fried gim (seaweed) chips, melon, and Shine Muscat grapes for a wonderfully varied dish.

The savory, clean-tasting perilla oil buckwheat noodles had bracken fern topping as the kick!

The generous salad served alongside these dishes had a delicious Korean-style soy sauce dressing,

and the crispy-outside, tender-inside fried shiitake mushrooms with a spicy kick at the end were as tasty as a snack.

And now, the full Korean table spread makes its entrance 🇰🇷

Doenjang charcoal-grilled maekjeok pork: weekday lunch only, 37,000 won

The doenjang charcoal-grilled maekjeok (₩37,000) is only available for weekday lunch. This grilled meat dish, marinated in a sweet-savory soy sauce with no harsh seasoning, was a familiar yet delicious main dish that people of all ages would love.

1++ Korean beef sirloin set, 69,000 won and available all day

The 1++ Korean beef sirloin set (₩69,000), available anytime throughout the day, is Modam Itaewon's signature dish. The grilling was flawless — no explanation needed — and the melt-in-your-mouth beef made me want to dance in my seat. A fantastic meat dish with excellent garnish too, love it.

The neatly arranged side dishes were more than enough to round out a full meal.

Dessert to finish was a lime basil sorbet. Its chewy, gelato-like texture and deep tanginess were the perfect ending to Modam's flawless set menu.

With its sophisticated mood, a calm atmosphere great for conversation, and attentive, kind service, Modam Itaewon inside the Mondrian Hotel really stood out. I've also visited Modam Gwanghwamun recently and other locations in downtown Seoul with my parents, but the taste and atmosphere at the Itaewon branch were the best by far! I think this is a place I'll come back to for special family gatherings.

Visiting Modam Itaewon: hours, rooms and reservations

• Address: 1st floor, Mondrian Hotel, 23 Jangmun-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul (22-76 Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul)
• Hours: Daily 11:00–21:30 / Break time 15:00–17:00
• Parking: Parking/valet available, first 120 minutes free (₩8,000 per additional 60 minutes, max ₩60,000)
• Transit: 16-minute walk from Itaewon Station (Line 6), Exit 4