# Gwanghwamun Korean restaurant with pine mushroom tempura: Modam Dining - By Moseori (https://superchart.com/en/@where-we-ate-2/) - Written Sep 6, 2026 - Local places › Restaurants › Jongno, Seoul - Sponsored: This post was written after a sponsored visit to the restaurant. - English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@where-we-ate-2/gwanghwamun-hansik-boriguelbi-modamdining/ - Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@where-we-ate-2/gwanghwamun-hansik-boriguelbi-modamdining/index.md) ## In short Modam Dining Gwanghwamun is a Korean set-meal restaurant on basement level 1 of the Deoksugung D Palace building in Jongno, Seoul. Two diners came after work and ordered the bori-gulbi (dried, aged yellow croaker) set for two, which arrived in courses: seasonal porridge, chicken salad, flounder sashimi, sweet shrimp perilla oil noodles, pine mushroom tempura and then the bori-gulbi. The gentle seasoning and the partitioned hall and private rooms make Modam Dining Gwanghwamun an easy pick for a family dinner or a formal first meeting between families. ## Good to know - **Location**: B102 & B103, basement level 1, Deoksugung D Palace, 10 Saemunan-ro 2-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul - **Ordered**: Bori-gulbi set for two - **Parking**: 2 hours free when parked on basement level 3 of the building - **If the lot is full**: Nearby Concordian Building underground lot; no parking support before 6 p.m. on weekdays - **Room time limit**: 1 hour 30 minutes - **Popular menus**: Bori-gulbi set, abalone tteokgalbi set *as written by the visitor on Sep 6, 2026* ![Signature photo of the bori-gulbi set at Modam Dining Gwanghwamun](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-hansik-boriguelbi-modamdining/gwanghwamun-hansik-boriguelbi-modamdining-01-rssfq-1200.webp) *An impressed review of the bori-gulbi set at Modam Dining Gwanghwamun, a Gwanghwamun Korean restaurant favorite for family gatherings* I'm a blogger who finds little pockets of happiness chasing good food. Lately I'd been eating way too much meat and greasy Western-style pasta, so my stomach felt heavy and I started craving a neat, clean, traditional Korean meal. So I went looking for a restaurant my brother and I could enjoy together after work — cozy but polished. We tried the tidy bori-gulbi set at Modam Dining Gwanghwamun, tucked into the basement of the Deoksugung D Palace building. With its upscale interior and separated room layout, it suits all kinds of gatherings and meals, and the mellow yet deeply savory bori-gulbi was really something. - Why we went and how to get there, plus parking notes - The dining room atmosphere and the course we ordered - Soft seasonal porridge and an appetite-sparking salad - Chewy sashimi, sweet shrimp perilla oil noodles, and pine mushroom tempura - Deep-flavored bori-gulbi and four side dishes - Overall impressions and which gatherings it suits ## Why we chose Modam Dining Gwanghwamun for an after-work dinner Modam Dining Gwanghwamun is a Korean restaurant in Gwanghwamun I chose because I wanted proper, gentle traditional Korean food. After back-to-back meals of meat and greasy pasta, my stomach felt completely stuffed, and I was craving a clean, light spread. After some searching on the green portal site, I heard this was a go-to Gwanghwamun Korean restaurant for family gatherings, known for neat, well-presented food, and booked a table right away. My brother and I went in with high expectations. ![Entrance to Modam Dining Gwanghwamun on B1 of Deoksugung D Palace](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-hansik-boriguelbi-modamdining/gwanghwamun-hansik-boriguelbi-modamdining-02-2pune-900.webp) ![Interior hallway leading to Modam Dining Gwanghwamun](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-hansik-boriguelbi-modamdining/gwanghwamun-hansik-boriguelbi-modamdining-03-16nst-900.webp) ![Signage in front of Modam Dining Gwanghwamun](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-hansik-boriguelbi-modamdining/gwanghwamun-hansik-boriguelbi-modamdining-04-ma049-900.webp) ![View around the Deoksugung D Palace building in Gwanghwamun](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-hansik-boriguelbi-modamdining/gwanghwamun-hansik-boriguelbi-modamdining-05-1k0r1-900.webp) ## Where is Modam Dining Gwanghwamun, and how does parking work? The restaurant sits in B102 and B103 on the basement level of the Deoksugung D Palace building at 10 Saemunan-ro 2-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea, which made it very easy to find. Reservations and inquiries can be handled easily by phone. We drove, and parking on B3 of the building gave us 2 hours free, which was really convenient. The parking area tends to get crowded, and if it's full you're directed to the nearby Concordian Building underground lot — but that lot doesn't offer parking support before 6pm on weekdays, so it's worth checking the time before you go. ![Interior of Modam Dining Gwanghwamun divided by partitions](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-hansik-boriguelbi-modamdining/gwanghwamun-hansik-boriguelbi-modamdining-06-1j0hl-900.webp) ## Inside Modam Dining Gwanghwamun: partitions, private rooms and what we ordered Walking into Modam Dining Gwanghwamun, we were greeted by an upscale interior and a quiet, cozy atmosphere. The space is nicely divided with partitions, and there are also separate private rooms, making it a great spot for a quiet conversation. Room seating is limited to 1 hour 30 minutes, which suited a relaxed, intimate meal just fine. After looking over the menu, we decided on the bori-gulbi set for two. ![Menu at Modam Dining Gwanghwamun](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-hansik-boriguelbi-modamdining/gwanghwamun-hansik-boriguelbi-modamdining-07-17tto-900.webp) ![Menu listing showing the bori-gulbi set](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-hansik-boriguelbi-modamdining/gwanghwamun-hansik-boriguelbi-modamdining-08-2t8xo-900.webp) ![Table set before the meal begins](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-hansik-boriguelbi-modamdining/gwanghwamun-hansik-boriguelbi-modamdining-09-tvwgy-900.webp) ## First courses: seasonal porridge and two salads The bori-gulbi set opened with warm seasonal porridge, white kimchi, and two kinds of salad. The dishes came out one by one, carefully plated. First, a warm porridge that gently eased an empty stomach, a cool crunchy white kimchi, and two fresh salads landed on the table. ![Table setting with seasonal porridge, white kimchi, and two salads](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-hansik-boriguelbi-modamdining/gwanghwamun-hansik-boriguelbi-modamdining-10-1jeb8-900.webp) The seasonal porridge went down incredibly smoothly, warming an empty stomach. The salad — cucumber, lean chicken, and crunchy almonds — got nuttier with every bite. Alongside it, a fresh vegetable salad with a citrusy orange dressing had a bright tang that was perfect for waking up the appetite. ## Flounder sashimi, sweet shrimp perilla oil noodles and pine mushroom tempura After the salads came fresh flounder sashimi, sweet shrimp perilla oil noodles, and piping-hot pine mushroom tempura. The thickly sliced flounder sashimi had a wonderfully chewy texture, and dipping it in the savory sauce brought out a deep umami. The sweet shrimp perilla oil noodles had thin noodle strands carrying a subtle nutty perilla aroma along with a tangy edge — unusual and really appealing. ![A plate of thickly sliced flounder sashimi](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-hansik-boriguelbi-modamdining/gwanghwamun-hansik-boriguelbi-modamdining-11-tqt8h-900.webp) ![Perilla oil noodles topped with sweet shrimp](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-hansik-boriguelbi-modamdining/gwanghwamun-hansik-boriguelbi-modamdining-12-tm14t-900.webp) ![Close-up of the perilla oil noodle strands](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-hansik-boriguelbi-modamdining/gwanghwamun-hansik-boriguelbi-modamdining-13-tk2dj-900.webp) ![Freshly fried pine mushroom tempura](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-hansik-boriguelbi-modamdining/gwanghwamun-hansik-boriguelbi-modamdining-14-xvlvf-900.webp) The shrimp was laid on raw and fresh, carrying a mild sea sweetness all its own. The freshly fried pine mushroom tempura had a shell so crisp and firm you had to be a little careful when biting in. Bite through that crunchy coating and the moist mushroom inside released a rich, earthy aroma that was honestly impressive. ![Cross-section of the crispy pine mushroom tempura](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-hansik-boriguelbi-modamdining/gwanghwamun-hansik-boriguelbi-modamdining-15-u733p-900.webp) ![Plates set out midway through the course](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-hansik-boriguelbi-modamdining/gwanghwamun-hansik-boriguelbi-modamdining-16-1fhjy-900.webp) ## The bori-gulbi with green tea water and four side dishes Next came the star of the day — bori-gulbi — along with rice, cool green tea water, and four neat side dishes filling out the table. Bori-gulbi is often too dry or too dark in color, but the one at Modam Dining Gwanghwamun was pale, bright, and perfectly aged — it looked delicious just to see. ![A whole bori-gulbi with a bright, pale color](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-hansik-boriguelbi-modamdining/gwanghwamun-hansik-boriguelbi-modamdining-17-q7b3a-900.webp) ![Bori-gulbi served with rice and four side dishes](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-hansik-boriguelbi-modamdining/gwanghwamun-hansik-boriguelbi-modamdining-18-e7k2o-900.webp) ![Bori-gulbi flesh picked apart](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-hansik-boriguelbi-modamdining/gwanghwamun-hansik-boriguelbi-modamdining-19-incxl-900.webp) ![Cool green tea water and white rice](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-hansik-boriguelbi-modamdining/gwanghwamun-hansik-boriguelbi-modamdining-20-1wf3u-900.webp) There was no fishy smell at all, and it wasn't too salty — just the right amount of saltiness with a clean flavor that I really loved. Pouring cool green tea water over white rice and topping it with a hefty piece of gulbi, I cleared a whole bowl of rice in no time. ![Rice soaked in green tea water topped with a piece of gulbi](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-hansik-boriguelbi-modamdining/gwanghwamun-hansik-boriguelbi-modamdining-21-1hi05-900.webp) ![The table neatly cleared after the meal](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-hansik-boriguelbi-modamdining/gwanghwamun-hansik-boriguelbi-modamdining-22-1uciq-900.webp) ![Seating and lighting at Modam Dining Gwanghwamun](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-hansik-boriguelbi-modamdining/gwanghwamun-hansik-boriguelbi-modamdining-23-s0e57-900.webp) ## Which gatherings does Modam Dining Gwanghwamun suit? Being able to enjoy such refined traditional Korean food in a clean, comfortable interior at a reasonable price left me very satisfied. With generous courses like the abalone tteokgalbi set or the bori-gulbi set, it would work just as well for a meal with parents as for a matchmaking meeting, a blind date, a class reunion, or a work dinner. My rating is 4.9 out of 5, and I'd say my chances of returning are over 400 percent. ![Final spread of the bori-gulbi set at Modam Dining Gwanghwamun](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-hansik-boriguelbi-modamdining/gwanghwamun-hansik-boriguelbi-modamdining-24-n3lx9-900.webp) Bori-gulbi refers to yellow croaker that's salted, dried in sea winds, then aged in a jar of unhulled barley to develop a deep flavor. ## Frequently asked questions ### How much free parking does the building give, and what should you watch out for? Parking on B3 of the Deoksugung D Palace building gets you 2 hours free. When the lot is crowded, you may be directed to the Concordian Building parking lot nearby, but that lot doesn't support parking before 6pm on weekdays — worth confirming ahead of time. ### Is there a time limit on the private rooms? So that everyone can use the rooms comfortably, room seating is limited to 1 hour 30 minutes. ### What are the signature set meals at Modam Dining Gwanghwamun? The clean, deeply savory bori-gulbi set and the juicy abalone tteokgalbi set are the most loved by customers. It's rare to find a restaurant in the middle of downtown Gwanghwamun that makes you feel treated to such a neat, no-frills spread. With mild seasoning that works for everyone from grandparents to kids, it was a genuinely comfortable Gwanghwamun Korean restaurant for a family gathering. ## Where it is - Modam Dining Gwanghwamun (모담다이닝 광화문점) - B102 & B103, B1, 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/@where-we-ate-2/gwanghwamun-hansik-boriguelbi-modamdining/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt