# First bori-gulbi on a date at a Gwanghwamun Korean restaurant: Modam - By Jaeha (https://superchart.com/en/@seoul-tea-towel/) - Written Sep 18, 2026 - Local places › Restaurants › Jongno, Seoul - Sponsored: This post was written after a meal provided by the restaurant. - English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@seoul-tea-towel/gwanghwamun-hanjeongsik-boribeer-jeonbok-modamdining/ - Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@seoul-tea-towel/gwanghwamun-hanjeongsik-boribeer-jeonbok-modamdining/index.md) ## In short Modam Dining Gwanghwamun is a hanjeongsik (Korean set-menu) restaurant on the first basement floor of Deoksugung D Palace, near Exit 6 of Gwanghwamun Station in Jongno, Seoul. Two of us ordered one bori-gulbi (dried yellow croaker) set and one abalone tteokgalbi set and shared them, a course that opens with seasonal porridge, moves through neatly plated side dishes and closes with plum tea. The bori-gulbi, tasted here for the first time, had no fishy smell at all, just a firm, chewy bite and deep savory flavor, making Modam Dining Gwanghwamun an easy choice when you need to treat someone well. ## Good to know - **Location**: B102 and B103, B1F Deoksugung D Palace, 10 Saemunan-ro 2-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul (near Gwanghwamun Station Exit 6) - **Hours**: Daily 11:00–22:00 - **Break time**: 15:00–17:00 - **Parking**: 2 hours free on D Palace B3; spaces are limited, so check when booking - **What we ordered**: Bori-gulbi set and abalone tteokgalbi set (one serving each) - **Course**: Seasonal porridge → Cheongyang chili water kimchi, seasonal salad with yuzu dressing, mustard salad with pine nut sauce → rice, soup and side dishes → plum tea *as written by the visitor on Sep 18, 2026* Ever been stuck wondering where to take an old friend, a coworker, or a business contact when you want somewhere with a good atmosphere to treat them well? If you're looking for a restaurant near Gwanghwamun that's good for hosting, I'd recommend Modam Dining. ![Table setting at Modam Dining Gwanghwamun](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-hanjeongsik-boribeer-jeonbok-modamdining/gwanghwamun-hanjeongsik-boribeer-jeonbok-modamdining-01-1qoo8-1200.webp) We had the bori-gulbi set and the abalone tteokgalbi set, and honestly, both the food and the atmosphere made it a really good place to dine even with someone you don't know that well yet. ![Bori-gulbi set and abalone tteokgalbi set together](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-hanjeongsik-boribeer-jeonbok-modamdining/gwanghwamun-hanjeongsik-boribeer-jeonbok-modamdining-02-1thcq-966.webp) ## Where is Modam Dining Gwanghwamun? Deoksugung D Palace basement, Exit 6 Modam Dining Gwanghwamun is on the basement level (B1) of Deoksugung D Palace, 10 Saemunan-ro 2-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul. It's near Exit 6 of Gwanghwamun Station, so it wasn't hard to find. ![Entrance to Modam Dining in the Deoksugung D Palace basement](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-hanjeongsik-boribeer-jeonbok-modamdining/gwanghwamun-hanjeongsik-boribeer-jeonbok-modamdining-03-newxw-966.webp) ![Business hours sign at Modam Dining Gwanghwamun](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-hanjeongsik-boribeer-jeonbok-modamdining/gwanghwamun-hanjeongsik-boribeer-jeonbok-modamdining-04-1ux7m-966.webp) It's open daily from 11am to 10pm, with a break time from 3pm to 5pm. Parking is free for 2 hours at the D Palace building's B3 level, but since spaces aren't that plentiful, I'd recommend booking ahead and confirming before you go. ![Clean, sophisticated interior of Modam Dining](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-hanjeongsik-boribeer-jeonbok-modamdining/gwanghwamun-hanjeongsik-boribeer-jeonbok-modamdining-05-db28o-900.webp) ![Stylish dining hall seating at Modam Dining](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-hanjeongsik-boribeer-jeonbok-modamdining/gwanghwamun-hanjeongsik-boribeer-jeonbok-modamdining-06-b3105-966.webp) The interior was clean and sophisticated in tone — the moment we walked in, it felt like a place suited to a more formal occasion. ## Bori-gulbi set vs abalone tteokgalbi set: order one each and share If you're torn over which set to pick at Modam Dining Gwanghwamun, ordering different sets and sharing like we did is a good option. My boyfriend and I ordered one bori-gulbi set and one abalone tteokgalbi set so we could share easily. The table next to us ordered three bori-gulbi sets alone, so it seems to be a popular choice. ![Set menu board at Modam Dining](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-hanjeongsik-boribeer-jeonbok-modamdining/gwanghwamun-hanjeongsik-boribeer-jeonbok-modamdining-07-tfa0l-900.webp) ![Menu description for the bori-gulbi and abalone tteokgalbi sets](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-hanjeongsik-boribeer-jeonbok-modamdining/gwanghwamun-hanjeongsik-boribeer-jeonbok-modamdining-08-166al-966.webp) ![Seasonal porridge served at the start of the meal](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-hanjeongsik-boribeer-jeonbok-modamdining/gwanghwamun-hanjeongsik-boribeer-jeonbok-modamdining-09-tcp04-966.webp) ![Bowl of chungyang water kimchi](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-hanjeongsik-boribeer-jeonbok-modamdining/gwanghwamun-hanjeongsik-boribeer-jeonbok-modamdining-10-1x98u-900.webp) ![Seasonal salad with yuzu dressing](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-hanjeongsik-boribeer-jeonbok-modamdining/gwanghwamun-hanjeongsik-boribeer-jeonbok-modamdining-11-lvofg-900.webp) ![Pine-nut mustard salad side dish](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-hanjeongsik-boribeer-jeonbok-modamdining/gwanghwamun-hanjeongsik-boribeer-jeonbok-modamdining-12-11hz3-900.webp) Both sets started with seasonal porridge, followed by pre-meal side dishes like chungyang water kimchi, a yuzu-dressed seasonal salad, and a pine-nut mustard salad. Then came rice, soup, and side dishes, before the meal wrapped up with plum tea — a full course format. ![Neatly plated set-menu side dishes](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-hanjeongsik-boribeer-jeonbok-modamdining/gwanghwamun-hanjeongsik-boribeer-jeonbok-modamdining-13-1v6u8-900.webp) ![Rice and soup laid out with the set meal](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-hanjeongsik-boribeer-jeonbok-modamdining/gwanghwamun-hanjeongsik-boribeer-jeonbok-modamdining-14-1qgrw-900.webp) ![Full Korean course meal spread](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-hanjeongsik-boribeer-jeonbok-modamdining/gwanghwamun-hanjeongsik-boribeer-jeonbok-modamdining-15-1dxre-966.webp) ![Plum tea served at the end of the meal](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-hanjeongsik-boribeer-jeonbok-modamdining/gwanghwamun-hanjeongsik-boribeer-jeonbok-modamdining-16-1lo5a-966.webp) Every single side dish came out neatly plated, and I genuinely felt taken care of the whole time we ate. ## What is bori-gulbi? Tasting the dried yellow croaker for the first time Bori-gulbi (barley-aged dried croaker) isn't a fish you'd normally run into. It's made by salting yacho croaker, drying it to a firm, half-dried texture, then aging it buried in barley. ![Bori-gulbi from the set at Modam Dining](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-hanjeongsik-boribeer-jeonbok-modamdining/gwanghwamun-hanjeongsik-boribeer-jeonbok-modamdining-17-1nh9w-966.webp) > 📍TIP As it ages in the barley, the fishy smell fades and the savory flavor deepens. Tasting it myself, there was no fishiness at all — just a chewy texture and rich umami, so even people who don't usually eat gulbi could probably enjoy this without any hesitation. ![Bori-gulbi with the flesh picked apart](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-hanjeongsik-boribeer-jeonbok-modamdining/gwanghwamun-hanjeongsik-boribeer-jeonbok-modamdining-18-ot6g1-966.webp) ![Abalone tteokgalbi topped with abalone](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-hanjeongsik-boribeer-jeonbok-modamdining/gwanghwamun-hanjeongsik-boribeer-jeonbok-modamdining-19-1su96-966.webp) The abalone tteokgalbi had that signature soft tteokgalbi texture, elevated by the added abalone for a more upscale feel. ## Is Modam Dining Gwanghwamun good for hosting guests? Final verdict To sum up, Modam Dining Gwanghwamun has a neatly composed menu and a calm atmosphere, making it a genuinely great place to dine with someone you're not fully comfortable with yet. Whether it's an old friend, a coworker, or a business meeting, if you need somewhere that covers both hosting and atmosphere, this place is hard to beat. ![Full view of both set meals at Modam Dining](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-hanjeongsik-boribeer-jeonbok-modamdining/gwanghwamun-hanjeongsik-boribeer-jeonbok-modamdining-20-1woj7-966.webp) ![Calm-toned table setting at Modam Dining](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-hanjeongsik-boribeer-jeonbok-modamdining/gwanghwamun-hanjeongsik-boribeer-jeonbok-modamdining-21-vuq7k-966.webp) ![Main dish plate from the set meal](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-hanjeongsik-boribeer-jeonbok-modamdining/gwanghwamun-hanjeongsik-boribeer-jeonbok-modamdining-22-18kws-966.webp) ![Close-up of hanjeongsik side dishes](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-hanjeongsik-boribeer-jeonbok-modamdining/gwanghwamun-hanjeongsik-boribeer-jeonbok-modamdining-23-1mbu9-966.webp) ![Table setting at Modam Dining after finishing the meal](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-hanjeongsik-boribeer-jeonbok-modamdining/gwanghwamun-hanjeongsik-boribeer-jeonbok-modamdining-24-1bk0u-966.webp) The food and atmosphere were both so good that I'd confidently recommend it for a meal with my parents next time too. I'd especially recommend this to people like these: - ✅ Looking for a good restaurant near Gwanghwamun to host guests - ✅ Want a quiet place for coworkers or a business meeting - ✅ Want a calm meal with an old friend you're meeting after a while - ✅ Trying to decide where to take your parents or elders If you're trying to figure out where to take someone near Gwanghwamun, I'd recommend visiting Modam Dining. A neat hanjeongsik course is bound to leave a good impression no matter the occasion. Which do you prefer for hosting — hanjeongsik or another kind of course meal? ## Where it is - Modam Dining Gwanghwamun (모담다이닝 광화문점) - B102, B103, B1F Deoksugung D Palace, 10 Saemunan-ro 2-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea - 서울특별시 종로구 새문안로2길 10 덕수궁디팰리스 지하 1층 B102호, B103호 - 37.5687024, 126.9720468 - Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%EB%AA%A8%EB%8B%B4%EB%8B%A4%EC%9D%B4%EB%8B%9D%20%EA%B4%91%ED%99%94%EB%AC%B8%EC%A0%90/@37.5687024,126.9720468,17z --- Superchart · https://superchart.com/en/@seoul-tea-towel/gwanghwamun-hanjeongsik-boribeer-jeonbok-modamdining/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt