Jongno Korean restaurant with kids’ meals and private rooms: Modam Dining

The softly blowing autumn breeze was so lovely that I took the kids out to Deoksugung and the Gwanghwamun area. You know what they say: food comes before sightseeing! Since we were out with the kids, I looked mainly for a tidy Korean restaurant around Gwanghwamun with dishes they could eat, too.

I heard there was a great Korean restaurant near Deoksugung with private rooms, so I booked it and paid a visit. Even from the entrance, it had such a modern feel.

Modam Dining at Deoksugung D Palace: First impressions and atmosphere

This is a Korean restaurant in Gwanghwamun that works well for gatherings, located on B1 of Deoksugung D Palace, so it was really easy to find.

Once inside, I loved how neat the interior was and how generously the tables were spaced. We had reserved a room in advance and were shown to a beautifully set table.

Wow... Since we came with the kids, they had thoughtfully prepared children’s tableware and cups with cute bears on them! They also provided a high chair. Moms really are touched by this kind of attention. We also did not have to worry about parking during the meal: the building offers two hours of free underground parking, so we could dine at ease.

Are the bori-gulbi and abalone tteokgalbi sets good with kids?

There were lots of set meals on the menu, but we chose the ones said to be the most popular.

We ordered the bori-gulbi (dried yellow corvina) set for ₩32,000 and the abalone tteokgalbi (grilled minced-beef patty) set for ₩35,000. Since they were set meals, a variety of appetite-whetting starters came out like a course alongside the mains.

First came warm seasonal rice porridge. It was smooth and nutty, and the kids finished a whole bowl in no time!

The salad with refreshing yuzu dressing had such a crisp texture that it was perfect for refreshing the palate before the meal.

The cool Cheongyang water kimchi had a gentle spicy kick and a clean finish, making it nice to nibble on throughout the meal.

The mustard vegetable salad with nutty pine-nut sauce was especially appealing to adult tastes. I cleaned my plate completely~!!!

The fresh salmon sashimi arrived beautifully arranged, too. Isn’t it pretty even just to look at?

The perilla-oil capellini in particular had amazing nutty flavor! The noodles were thin, so the kids slurped them up easily, and the shrimp made it wonderfully savory.

At last, the main spread we had been waiting for was set out, and wow... it looked so impressive! What was truly amazing was that, without us even asking, they brought separate rice and beef radish soup for the kids. The staff member smiled and said, “Let the children eat first, and we’ll bring the adults’ meals,” which made me feel we had made such a good choice in coming here for a family gathering over Korean food in Gwanghwamun.

The bori-gulbi was properly steamed: pleasantly chewy on the outside, tender inside, and the kids ate it so well when we put it on their rice. Rice mixed into cool green tea with a bite of yellow corvina—what a perfect combination! It was such a rice-stealer, full of nutty flavor without any fishiness at all.

Is this private-room restaurant worth booking for a gathering?

After finishing our meal at this Gwanghwamun Korean restaurant, we felt wonderfully full, but the food was so cleanly prepared that it sat comfortably, too.

A refreshing plum tea to finish made it a perfect lunch. One thing to note, though: private-room use is limited to 90 minutes, so if you are planning a formal family meeting or an important gathering, you may want to manage your time carefully. There is also a break time from 3 PM to 5 PM, so do check the time before visiting! I would recommend Modam Dining to anyone looking for a Gwanghwamun Korean restaurant for a formal family meeting, or simply hoping for a quiet meal with children.

Thanks to the neatly prepared food and thoughtful care, it was a meal the whole family enjoyed. Be sure to stop by when you are out visiting Deoksugung!