Yeonnam-dong date restaurant, fresh lemonade and cup fries: Hey Joji

Hey Joji

What kind of place is Hey Joji, the Yeonnam-dong date restaurant?

Hey Joji (헤이죠지) is a restaurant in a Yeonnam-dong alley serving American home-style food. I went looking for a spot with a good date atmosphere. It has all the alley charm Yeonnam-dong is known for, plus American home-style cooking, and even on a weekday evening there was a steady stream of customers!!

Hey Joji location and opening hours

Hey Joji is an easy walk from Hongik Univ. Station, so it was perfect for strolling around Yeonnam-dong after the meal. Hours are daily 12:00–21:00 (last order 20:00).

What are Hey Joji's exterior and interior like?

The exterior already has a strong vintage American diner feel. The big 'HEY GEORGE' logo on the window and the Coca-Cola bottle decorations catch the eye, and lots of people were taking photos right at the entrance~ The mix of Yeonnam-dong charm and American mood made it obvious why this is such a popular date spot, haha

Inside, the green-toned interior, fireplace decoration, vintage frames, clocks and little props everywhere made me feel like I was in a small restaurant abroad. Looking around while eating, I noticed a lot of couples~ It was a nice place for quiet conversation, and the music played at a comfortable volume, so the meal was relaxing.

The corner with the wine bottles on display was prettily decorated too, and every table has a different mood, so photos turn out well wherever you sit~ It's fine with friends, but the atmosphere makes me recommend it even more as a Yeonnam-dong date spot~ The food came out at a good pace, and the plating was so pretty that the dishes were still warm and tasty even after I had taken plenty of photos, haha

Why I recommend the lemonade at Hey Joji

The lemonade came out first, with big pieces of lemon in it that looked refreshing just to see~ One sip and the fizz and the zing of lemon cleaned up my mouth. I ordered it because I thought it would go well with the richness of a cream pasta.

Personally, I'd recommend ordering this lemonade at Hey Joji instead of cola, sprite-style soda or beer. It's packed with fresh lemon juice, so it's super refreshing and not too sweet, which made it perfect for summer.

How does the white ragù truffle cream pasta taste?

The white ragù truffle cream pasta that arrived a little later grabbed my attention from the looks alone~ A generous amount of Grana Padano cheese and an egg yolk in the center built up the anticipation before the first bite, haha

With the 'Enjoy Meal' message written on the plate, it was really pretty for photos~ I broke the yolk and mixed it through the noodles, and the nutty richness deepened~ The cream sauce wasn't too heavy and wrapped the pasta softly, and the truffle aroma spread subtly to add flavor.

There was plenty of minced beef, so the texture was great, and the noodles had soaked up enough sauce to stay moist until the very end!!

What about the side dish, fried sweet potatoes?

The fried sweet potatoes we ordered alongside were really satisfying too~ The cup presentation was unique, and the freshly fried sweet potato was topped with plenty of cheese, which looked delicious just sitting there, haha

Crispy outside and moist inside, the sweetness of the sweet potato really came through, and the savory cheese and the sweet-salty sauce went well together~ I kept picking at them one by one and they were gone before I knew it. An addictive side dish, haha

A Yeonnam-dong date course after eating at Hey Joji

After finishing the meal at Hey Joji, it was nice to wander slowly through the Yeonnam-dong alleys, stopping at a café or just strolling!! If you're planning a Yeonnam-dong date, this place satisfies on both atmosphere and food~ I confidently recommend it to anyone who wants tasty American home-style food in a lovely space, haha

If you're planning a Yeonnam-dong date, I recommend visiting Hey Joji, where you can enjoy tasty American home-style food and a charming space at the same time!!! If you like pasta in particular, please do try the white ragù truffle cream pasta.