Shiitake tangsuyuk at a Gwanghwamun Korean restaurant: Modam Dining

On days when you're meeting someone good after a long time, you end up picking the restaurant a little more carefully, right? Somewhere not too loud, with a nice atmosphere, and if the food is refined too, even better. I remembered Modam Dining Gwanghwamun, where I'd had a satisfying meal after a meeting in the area before, and this time I went back with a friend who'd come up to Seoul after a while.

Where is Modam Dining Gwanghwamun, and what are the seats like?

Modam Dining Gwanghwamun (모담다이닝 광화문점) is located at B102·B103, basement 1F, Deoksugung D Palace, 10 Saemunan-ro 2-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul. It's about a 3–5 minute walk from Gwanghwamun Station, and I'd recommend booking ahead through Naver Reservation or Catch Table. Parking is available in the Deoksugung D Palace underground lot.

• Address: B102·B103, B1, Deoksugung D Palace, 10 Saemunan-ro 2-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Location: About 3–5 minutes on foot from Gwanghwamun Station
• Reservations: Recommended via Naver Reservation or Catch Table
• Parking: Available in the Deoksugung D Palace underground lot

Beyond the open hall, there are partitioned seats and private rooms too, so it's a decent option for family meals, work dinners, or meetings where conversation matters, like a matchmaking lunch. Hours and parking support can change, so check the reservation page before you go. If it's a business meal, book a room! The hall feels quite open! My friend and I ate in the hall.

1++ grade hanwoo bulgogi hot pot set: 39,000 won per person

We ordered the 1++ grade hanwoo bulgogi hot pot set at ₩39,000 per person, for two people. Before the main bulgogi hot pot arrived, the table was first set with porridge, two kinds of salad, clean white kimchi, perilla oil noodles, and shiitake tangsuyuk (sweet and sour fried shiitake mushroom).

I liked that it wasn't a heavy start the way hanjeongsik (Korean set-course meal) sometimes is, but a light lead-in that wakes up your appetite. It was also just the right kind of spread to try a bit at a time while chatting with a friend.

The white kimchi in particular was clean and easy to eat between dishes, and the nutty perilla oil noodles kept the appetite going without feeling heavy.

Shiitake tangsuyuk, the dish that won over a dietitian friend

The dish that quietly stuck with me that day was the shiitake tangsuyuk. My friend, who happens to be a dietitian, suddenly started taking photos, saying the combination of fried shiitake and the sauce was so good, haha.

I should try putting this on the menu sometime

she said, studying it closely, and seeing that made me feel like I'd picked a good restaurant after all. Coated in a crisp batter and fried, the shiitake mushroom had a fun texture, and eaten with the sauce it felt like a complete dish on its own — one of the more memorable items among the starters. Before the bulgogi came out, we also got aged kimchi and two pieces of salmon, but I was too busy enjoying it to take a photo!

Hanwoo bulgogi hot pot, served hot at the table

Next came the main dish, the 1++ grade hanwoo bulgogi hot pot. I think the real charm of hanjeongsik is that flow — tasting a bit of many dishes, then moving into a warm main course and rice. The hot pot stayed warm right at the table, which made for good slow conversation over the meal, and since it's Korean food, it wasn't an intimidating choice for treating a friend I hadn't seen in a while.

Is Modam Dining Gwanghwamun a good spot for a get-together?

I think Modam Dining suits a place where you want to properly treat someone to a meal in a refined, comfortable space, rather than a flashy or experimental fine-dining experience. The healthy ingredients and clean flavors are what stayed with me. That makes it a good fit not just for meals with parents or family gatherings, but also for catching up with a friend after a long time or meeting an important acquaintance.

My first visit was satisfying enough that I came back, and this time too I was happy to be able to treat my friend, visiting Seoul after a while, to a healthy, refined meal in a nice atmosphere. If you're looking for a Korean restaurant in Gwanghwamun for a gathering, consider Modam Dining Gwanghwamun. Especially if you need a quiet table, I'd recommend booking a room or seat ahead of time.