Jongno Korean restaurant for deodeok pork lunch: Modam Dining

When you want a Korean course lunch in Gwanghwamun

I recently went back to Modam Dining Gwanghwamun, a place I sometimes visit when I have a lunch appointment near the office. The food has always come out neatly presented and the atmosphere is lovely, so I reserved for three at 11:30 and went for lunch. It is one of the places that comes to mind when I want a proper Korean course meal in Gwanghwamun, and one I am personally very happy with.

Modam Dining Gwanghwamun is on B1 of the Deoksugung D-Palace building, behind the LX Gwanghwamun Building between Seodaemun Station and Gwanghwamun Station. It is fairly easy to get to, and two hours of parking support makes it less burdensome for gatherings arriving by car.

I did not know when I came for lunch, but corkage is free, so I thought it would be nice to bring a bottle of wine next time. Since the food is Korean-based, I think it would pair well with wine too.

Courses served one by one after ordering set meals

Thanks to the advance reservation, our table was set for three. We ordered two deodeok charcoal-grilled pork set meals and one abalone tteokgalbi set meal! The set meals at Modam Dining differ only in their main dish; the preceding course is the same. Each dish arrives one by one, like a course meal.

It begins lightly with seasonal porridge. It was as soft as pumpkin porridge, with a subtle sweetness, so it was easy to eat before the meal. Starting with warm porridge settled the stomach and made it feel as though the meal was properly beginning.

The Cheongyang mulkimchi (watery kimchi) cleared the palate nicely. It was a little spicy yet refreshing, making it good to spoon up between bites. The seasonal salad with yuzu dressing was sweet-tart and refreshing, and the bright yuzu sauce really woke up the appetite. Having a salad like this among the Korean courses made the overall lineup feel fresher.

Then came the seasonal raw fish and pickled-vegetable ceviche, which I personally really enjoyed. Salmon was served that day, prepared ceviche-style with jangajji (pickled vegetables). The soft salmon and the tangy, salty pickles went together surprisingly well. Dishes like this scattered through the meal gave the course a Modam Dining character that felt a little different from a typical Korean set meal.

Next was perilla-oil capellini. You mix the thin pasta with perilla leaves, seaweed flakes, perilla seeds, and sweet shrimp, and the nutty aroma of perilla oil works beautifully with the noodles. Pasta in a Korean course is an unusual touch, and mixing all the ingredients evenly made it nutty and full of savory depth. The Modam fritter is not to be missed either. It was a whole shiitake mushroom fried crisp, with sauce adding a clear flavor highlight.

A complete meal with deodeok pork and abalone tteokgalbi

After working through the courses one at a time, the main dishes finally arrive. We ordered two deodeok charcoal-grilled pork set meals and one abalone tteokgalbi set meal, and the mains came with white rice, soup, and four side dishes. After the appetizer-like courses, ending with rice, soup, and banchan (side dishes) truly made it feel like a complete meal.

The deodeok charcoal-grilled pork had a gentle smoky flavor and was delicious on its own, while deodeok's distinctive pleasantly bitter note added another appeal. And of course, I like making ssam (lettuce wraps) best. Putting the pork and deodeok together in a wrap made the smoky flavor and the deodeok aroma work so well together. There were plenty of leaves too, which made it feel like a proper rice meal.

There was quite a bit of meat in the soup too, making it good with rice, and with the four side dishes, it was a very filling lunch. I also tried a bite of the abalone tteokgalbi, and the abalone added to the clean, nutty flavor of the grilled minced beef patty. Ordering different mains and sharing them was a great choice.

A plum drink arrived for dessert to finish things neatly. Ending a Korean course with this sweet, cool drink left my mouth feeling refreshed. Overall, every dish was clean and neatly presented, while the menu composition felt a little different from an ordinary Korean set meal, which I liked.

From family gatherings to important meals

Above all, the restaurant has an upscale, calm atmosphere, so it would be good for a family meal as well as a date, company dinner, or an important occasion. There are private rooms too, making it even better for groups wanting a quiet meal. It is somewhere I would think of when looking for a Korean restaurant for a family gathering in Gwanghwamun or a place to dine with parents. For an occasion where atmosphere matters more, such as a formal meeting between families before a wedding, it would suit that kind of Korean meal as well. In particular, if you are looking for a Gwanghwamun gathering spot where you can talk over a meal in a calm setting, it is worth a visit.