Jojo Yeonnam Branch: Wednesday dinner okonomiyaki set with green onion

Interior, food, everything was genuinely great at this Yeonnam-dong Japanese restaurant, Jojo.

You guys, look how spotless the griddle is — it's a new spot!

Here's the bride-to-be's summary conclusion for today's visit to Jojo Yeonnam Branch:

If you're looking for a Japanese restaurant in Yeonnam-dong, I highly recommend Jojo Yeonnam Branch! The combo of the signature Jojo okonomiyaki (adding the green onion topping is a must), karai yakisoba, and donpeiyaki was seriously delicious, and it's popular enough to have a wait even on weekday evenings. Parking is tough given Yeonnam-dong's nature, but the interior is hip, the staff are friendly, and it's great for both a date or a friend gathering — genuinely a satisfying find in a neighborhood that's surprisingly short on good-value spots.

Jojo Yeonnam Branch basics

• 📍 255-1 Donggyo-ro, 1F, Mapo-gu, Seoul (5-min walk from Exit 3, Hongik Univ. Station)
• ⏰ 11:30–22:00 (weekday break 15:20–17:00 / weekend break 16:00–17:00)
• 📅 Real-time waiting and reservations via Catch Table
• ☑️ Groups, takeout, baby chairs available
• 🅿️ No dedicated parking; nearby public parking lot recommended

I headed to Yeonnam to meet up with a former coworker I used to be close with, partly to share the news of my upcoming wedding. Yeonnam-dong has tons of shops, but somehow either the lines are long or there's just not that much worth eating... nothing that really counts as a real find.

But then I found out Jojo had opened a new branch in Yeonnam!!

I'd heard of Jojo's Seongsu branch, but the waits there are brutal and it's far, so I never made it. The moment I heard about the Yeonnam branch though, I ran straight there 🙌

In front of the sign there's a banner of the owner, known as the 'Teppan Captain,' who appeared on Culinary Class Wars Season 2 — which made me even more excited.

Wednesday 6pm — was there a wait?

I visited around 6pm on a Wednesday, and there were plenty of two-person seats open, with only the four-person tables showing a wait on Catch Table. Pretty impressive for a weekday evening — this place really is a hot spot.

Checking the Catch Table screen at the entrance confirmed exactly what we felt: 0 parties waiting for two-person seats, 1 for four-person seats, 0 for solo seats. Up to four people is fine, but coming as a pair or small group will get you seated faster and more comfortably!

Next to the waiting board there was a handwritten sign: 'Monjayaki cannot be cooked at solo seats. If you'd like to order monjayaki, please wait for a two-person seat!' If you're planning to order monjayaki, keep this in mind!

Very much a brand-new place — what's the vibe inside?

The moment you walk in, it just feels new. The wood-tone interior has that trendy, on-trend hip vibe, and since both the staff and the owner are young, the whole atmosphere feels lively. (And the owner is handsome haha.)

Three types of seating

• Regular table seats
• Open window seats with full glass windows
• Counter (dachi) seats

Sitting at the counter seats, you get to watch the staff cook right in front of the griddle — great for the eyes.

The window seats overlooking the Yeonnam streets outside felt really romantic. Of the three seating types, they feel the coziest, and since the view is of Yeonnam's busiest, most foot-traffic-heavy street, you'll never get bored haha.

There's also a thoughtful little baby chair tucked in the corner! With baby chairs available, family visits are totally doable too. Just because you're out with a baby doesn't mean you're stuck with bland food~!

Browsing the menu — what should you order?

This menu is placed on the left side of the table haha. You choose your dishes and then order with staff. Payment is after the meal. ++ In a nice little touch, there's a blank on the order slip for writing your nickname.

For easier viewing, here's a photo from Naver Maps! Jojo specializes in okonomiyaki (savory pancake) and yakisoba, and this is one of its popular menus. This time we ordered the signature two-person Jojo Okonomiyaki as our main.

If it's your first visit, ordering either the okonomiyaki or monjayaki set is a safe bet since they're the signature dishes!! (+ Read the ratings for each dish below and make sure to add my favorite sides and toppings...)

Three sauces were set on the table — Jojo's special sauce, fire sauce (it's really spicy!), and mayonnaise — so you could season to taste. But the food already had plenty of seasoning and tasted great, so we didn't end up using any extra sauce haha.

Signature two-person Jojo Okonomiyaki — is the green onion topping actually worth it?

We added the green onion topping on the recommendation for the Jojo okonomiyaki, and it was a total game-changer!

The aroma really came through and cut the richness, so I kept reaching for more. Highly recommend adding it.

When you order, they take your nickname, and honestly... we were a little nervous imagining a Starbucks-style shout of 'Order for XXX!' when the food's ready, haha.

But it was nothing like that^^ They stick your nickname on top of the finished okonomiyaki. It's a cute little detail for photos and gave us this low-pressure happy relief, haha. And of course, splitting the teppan dish right down the middle is half the fun, right?

Karai Yakisoba & Donpeiyaki — which one's the favorite?

The karai yakisoba had a spicy, salty sauce that paired perfectly with the noodles, and the donpeiyaki became my absolute favorite dish. You have to order these two together!

Since everything was so good, my friend and I ended up with different favorites. She loved the okonomiyaki, I loved this donpeiyaki... It's really not just a plain rolled omelet — how is it this good? The sauce had such deep umami that eating it between bites of okonomiyaki gave a whole different flavor, and I kept reaching for more.

The karai yakisoba cut through with spice, kind of like a pickle or kimchi, keeping you from getting tired of the noodles — exactly the reliably delicious flavor you'd expect, but not something you could skip. You know what I mean... so I really recommend ordering it as a set lol.

The signature two-person Jojo okonomiyaki set had a generous, slightly-too-much-for-two-adult-women portion and was deliciously filling!! (If you have a small appetite, consider ordering à la carte instead of the set.) My friend is normally a really picky, light eater, but she ate so well that day that my heart nearly burst... Go on prospering, Jojo...

If you leave a Naver receipt review after visiting, they'll give you oolong tea. After all that teppan food, a bit of richness lingers, and a cup of oolong tea cleaned things up nicely between bites.

How much did it cost for two?

• Signature two-person Jojo Okonomiyaki (donpeiyaki, karai yakisoba, Jojo okonomiyaki) - ₩39,000
• Green onion topping add-on - ₩1,000
• Total: ₩40,000

It came out to exactly ₩40,000. A reasonable amount for two people.

By the time we finished around 7pm, the seats were nearly all full, as shown in the photo. Even on a weekday, Jojo clearly draws a crowd. Be sure to check Catch Table before you head over! Overall verdict: it was worth going even with the wait! If you missed out on the Seongsu branch, I'd say give the Yeonnam branch a try 😭🙌

Recommended for

• Anyone looking for a Japanese restaurant in Yeonnam-dong
• Anyone looking for a Hongdae date spot
• Fans of okonomiyaki, yakisoba, and teppan dishes
• Anyone wanting a casual weekday dinner
• Anyone hunting for a new hot spot in Yeonnam