Charcoal-grilled dried corvina set at Modam Itaewon, Itaewon dining

The refinement of the Mondrian Hotel meets Itaewon Korean set-menu dining at Modam! 🍚✨

Looking for a Korean set-menu restaurant in Itaewon that's good for meeting the in-laws? If you want a hotel-dining feel with an upscale atmosphere, I'd recommend Modam Itaewon haha

Located on the 1st floor of the Mondrian Hotel, this place really had a great hotel-dining vibe. Modam Dining H Itaewon is a spot serving Korean food that reinterprets its signature sauces and seasonal specialties in a modern way 💚

From tasting the Beopseongpo bori gulbi (dried yellow corvina) set and the tteokgalbi (Korean beef patty) and deodeok-gui (grilled bellflower root) set, to seeing the upscale private room perfect for meeting the in-laws and the spacious hall — let me reveal all of Modam's charms now! 🌟

Where is Modam Itaewon? Korean dining on the 1st floor of the Mondrian Hotel

Modam Itaewon is a Korean set-menu dining restaurant on the 1st floor of the Mondrian Hotel, 23 Jangmun-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Just being located on the ground floor of a hotel gave it a distinguished sense of class among Itaewon's Korean restaurants.

What the hotel dining room at Modam Itaewon feels like

The first impression made it clear — this was a sleek, refined space, different from an ordinary Korean set-menu restaurant 👌

Signature house sauces and seasonal produce, modernised

Modam Dining H Itaewon serves Korean food that reinterprets its signature sauces and seasonal specialties in a modern way — that's the philosophy of Modam, adding a modern touch to traditional Korean cuisine ✨

Clean-tasting grills with a charcoal aroma

Being able to experience a refreshed Modam through fresh ingredients prepared daily and light, clean grilling with a charcoal aroma really built anticipation 💫

Is the Modam Itaewon private room good for meeting the in-laws?

Modam Itaewon has both an upscale private room great for meeting the in-laws and a spacious hall for simple gatherings. Use the room when hosting both families' elders, and the hall for a casual family get-together.

How formal is the private room at Modam Itaewon?

'Upscale' was exactly the right word for the private room, too. You know how important it is for a room hosting both families' elders to have both formality and comfort at once — Modam's room satisfied both perfectly 👌

The wide hall at Modam Itaewon, fine for casual gatherings too

The hall was spacious enough to be great for simple gatherings too — a flexible layout that works for everything from formal meetings to casual family get-togethers ✨

What comes in the appetizer course at Modam Itaewon

Modam Itaewon's appetizers moved from grilled tofu salad, grilled eggplant and seasonal fruit salad, perilla oil buckwheat noodles, shiitake gangjeong (crispy candied mushroom), cold soybean porridge, to jaetbangeo (amberjack) ceviche — a lineup built to open the appetite before the main set course.

Eek~~ the visuals from the very first appetizer were incredible :)

Grilled tofu salad: light and clean

The grilled tofu salad had a clean, healthy flavor that eased the palate before the real course began 👌

Grilled eggplant salad with black sesame dressing

The grilled eggplant and seasonal fruit salad, drizzled with black sesame dressing, was a harmonious start balancing the softness of grilled eggplant, the nuttiness of black sesame, and the freshness of seasonal fruit

Buckwheat noodles fragrant with perilla oil

The perilla oil buckwheat noodles were a neat, tidy bowl where the rich aroma of perilla oil balanced with buckwheat's clean flavor 🍜

Crispy shiitake gangjeong (sweet crisp-fried mushrooms)

The shiitake gangjeong offered a unique texture combining the chewiness of shiitake mushroom with crispy candied coating ✨

Cold soybean porridge, cool and smooth

The cold soybean porridge was a welcome summer dish, letting you enjoy soy's distinctive nuttiness in a chilled form 💫

Fresh jaetbangeo (amberjack) ceviche

The jaetbangeo (amberjack) ceviche was a bright, upscale appetizer — fresh fish marinated in a tangy sauce 🐟

Beopseongpo bori gulbi set and its subtle charcoal aroma

Modam Itaewon's Beopseongpo bori gulbi set features bori gulbi (dried yellow corvina) from Beopseongpo, grilled gently over charcoal. Crispy on the outside and moist inside — a perfect grill that made it fun to tear off bite after bite with chopsticks 👌

Why Beopseongpo bori gulbi is the real thing

The Beopseongpo bori gulbi set earned trust from the start, simply from the authenticity of using bori gulbi actually from Beopseongpo.

The deep flavour of well-dried bori gulbi

True to well-dried Beopseongpo bori gulbi, the deep umami built up through a long aging process blended with the charcoal aroma to complete a truly special meal ✨

Tteokgalbi and grilled deodeok set, the signature dish at Modam Itaewon

Modam Itaewon's tteokgalbi (Korean beef patty) and deodeok-gui (grilled bellflower root) set pairs handmade tteokgalbi aged for 24 hours with grilled deodeok. That the handmade tteokgalbi goes through such a long aging process was genuinely impressive.

Handmade tteokgalbi: tender and juicy

The handmade tteokgalbi was tender to chew while staying full of juice — a polished, well-made flavor 👌

Grilled deodeok and its fragrant balance

The deodeok-gui, with deodeok's distinctive sharp, slightly bitter aroma, struck a perfect balance with the sweet-savory tteokgalbi. A depth of flavor that lived up to the name 'signature menu' ✨

Perilla leaf lime sorbet, the unusual dessert at Modam Itaewon

The course wrapped up with a perilla leaf lime sorbet. A truly unique dessert combining the Korean ingredient perilla leaf with the freshness of lime.

How the course ends at Modam Itaewon

Being able to finish cleanly with a cool, refreshing sorbet after a heavy Korean set-menu course was a thoughtful touch unique to Modam

Parking at Modam Itaewon? Free for 2 hours

Modam Itaewon also offers free parking for up to 2 hours. That's a really convenient condition in an area like Itaewon 👌

I think Modam Itaewon is more than just a good Korean set-menu restaurant in Itaewon — it's modern Korean dining infused with the refinement and care of the Mondrian Hotel 🌟

• The refined atmosphere of hotel dining
• An upscale private room great for meeting the in-laws
• The charcoal aroma of Beopseongpo bori gulbi
• The care behind the 24-hour-aged tteokgalbi
• The harmony of varied appetizers
• The uniqueness of the perilla leaf lime sorbet
• The convenience of 2 hours of free parking

I'd highly recommend this to anyone preparing to meet the in-laws, looking for a formal gathering spot, wanting a special meal near the Mondrian Hotel, or hoping to experience Korean food reinterpreted in a modern way!

The essence of refined Korean dining you'll find at Modam is sure to make an important occasion in your life even more special! ✨