Suwon mall basement restaurant, basic yakisoba set: Jojo AK Plaza

Stopped by Suwon Station and was wondering where to go for a solo lunch, so I headed to the AK Plaza food hall and found a place that looked good — here's my review of a great-value, tasty yakisoba. 🍜

Where is Jojo in AK Plaza Suwon, and where do you park?

Jojo is located right at the entrance of the basement 1 food hall in AK Plaza Suwon Station, next to Starbucks.

Parking is free for the first 30 minutes, then ₩500 per 10 minutes, and depending on how much you spend, you get anywhere from 1 to 3 hours free.

Jojo's L-shaped bar counter: is it good for eating alone?

The inside of Jojo was open-plan, with L-shaped bar seating wrapped around the cooking area, which made it great for solo dining. When I went, most of the other customers were also eating alone.

It also looked like a good spot to come with a friend. After I ordered, the place filled up and a wait started forming.

It was easy to find right by the entrance, and watching the teppan cooking drew my eye too.

Jojo menu and prices at Suwon Station

Jojo has a solid lineup from yakisoba to okonomiyaki, sets, and fried rice. Here are the main menu items.

• Yakisoba set (basic yakisoba + mentaiko gyoza) ₩18,000
• Okonomiyaki set (okonomiyaki + mentaiko gyoza) ₩22,000
• Jojo 2-person set ₩35,500
• Daily 2-person set ₩33,000
• Karai yakisoba ₩14,000
• Shio yakisoba ₩14,000
• Jojo yakisoba ₩13,500
• Basic yakisoba ₩12,000
• Jojo okonomiyaki ₩16,000
• Buta cheese okonomiyaki ₩14,000
• Mentaiko gyoza ₩7,000

You order at the counter, get a buzzer, and wait at your seat until it goes off.

The 18,000 won yakisoba set: how smoky was the basic yakisoba?

The buzzer went off and I went to get my soba — it turned out to be a solid, generous set, and the aroma of the yakisoba was great too.

I ordered the yakisoba set, which came with mentaiko gyoza (pollock roe dumplings) alongside the yakisoba. It was a nice set since you get to try a side dish too. It came out looking delicious — I really liked this set!

Yakisoba means Japanese stir-fried noodles — soba noodles stir-fried on a teppan griddle with meat and vegetables in a special sauce.

I dug in one bite at a time. The noodles were well seasoned and tasted great, especially when eaten together with the meat — the sauce had soaked in nicely and it had a good salty flavor. The distinct smoky char from being cooked on the teppan made it even better.

The chewy noodles were coated in a sweet, savory, umami sauce. Before I knew it, one bite at a time, my plate was empty :)

Mentaiko gyoza and flying fish roe sauce that come with the set

The mentaiko gyoza (pollock roe dumplings) I had alongside were also a great pairing. The sauce had flying fish roe in it, and the gyoza dipped in that roe sauce tasted excellent. Crispy-fried gyoza plus a sauce with roe that popped in your mouth — I didn't expect it to be this good. I recommend the yakisoba set at Jojo, a Japanese restaurant near Suwon Station.

Is Jojo AK Plaza Suwon worth it for a solo lunch?

If you're stopping by Suwon Station and wondering where to grab a simple meal, try the yakisoba at Jojo.

Besides what I ordered, there's a good variety of menu items, so it's a place that works well solo and also for groups of 2–3 with friends. There can be a wait during meal times, so go a bit early or a bit later to eat comfortably.

• Jojo, a spot for solo dining right at the entrance of the AK Plaza food hall near Suwon Station
• Yakisoba set — stir-fried noodles with a smoky char, plus mentaiko gyoza
• Mentaiko gyoza dipped in flying fish roe sauce is a standout