Japanese griddle lunch for four in Mullae: two sets to share at Jojo

Jojo Mullae Branch: if it's your first time, get a set

Jojo Mullae Branch was the most satisfying date spot I've found in Mullae-dong in a long time. Honestly, I'd never had monjayaki before, so I went in half excited, half worried. Let me give you the conclusion first: if you go to Jojo, order a set. It's not optional, it's a must.

What are the atmosphere and seating like at Jojo Mullae Branch?

Jojo Mullae Branch, in Mullae Art Village, is a Japanese teppan restaurant selling okonomiyaki (savory cabbage pancake), monjayaki (runny griddle batter), yakisoba (fried noodles), donpeiyaki (egg roll) and more. The interior was much bigger than I expected, with high ceilings that make it feel open. There are lots of tables, so it looked good for group meetups or dates, and best of all, every table has a teppan, so you can eat right to the end while the food is still hot.

I went at lunchtime and the mood was great even then. Honestly, as I ate, I kept thinking every dish here would be unbeatable with a beer in the evening. So lunch was good, but I'm really looking forward to going back for dinner.

The two sets we ordered at Jojo Mullae Branch

This day at Jojo Mullae Branch we ordered two sets: a monjayaki set for two and a Signature set for two.

• Monjayaki set for two
• Signature set for two

Jojo's popular sets come with okonomiyaki, monjayaki, yakisoba and side dishes all together, which makes them a good pick for first-timers.

Waterfall potato: the side in the monjayaki set

Waterfall potato (폭포테이토) comes with the monjayaki set at Jojo Mullae Branch, and the look of it was honestly wild. Sauce pours down over the potato like a waterfall, hence the name. It's not just a plain potato dish, it felt like a real specialty. Even though it's part of a set, it isn't a throwaway side, and it would be satisfying even ordered on its own.

Donpeiyaki: the griddle egg dish in the okonomiyaki set

Donpeiyaki is a Japanese griddle-cooked egg dish, and it comes with the okonomiyaki set at Jojo Mullae Branch! Pork belly and cheese are tucked inside soft egg, so the richness hits you with the first bite. The melting cheese blends with the egg and it's sneakily addictive. I think it's a perfect side to eat before the main dishes arrive.

First time with monjayaki? How to eat mentaiko monjayaki

Mentaiko (spicy pollock roe) monjayaki was the dish I was most looking forward to that day. It came with mentaiko, assorted ingredients and square pieces of mochi (rice cake)! Since it was my first time trying monjayaki I was curious what it would taste like, and watching them mix the ingredients and chop them up on the griddle was so much fun too!

At Jojo Mullae Branch, the staff make the monjayaki for you and then set a 5-minute timer. When the 5 minutes are up, you scrape it up with a small monjayaki spatula.

Monjayaki has a much runnier, moister batter than okonomiyaki, and in the mentaiko monjayaki I ordered, the savory depth of the mentaiko really came through. You get the crispy browned bits and the moist monjayaki in the same bite, and it was so good. Of everything I ate that day, mentaiko monjayaki was my personal number one.

How do Jojo yakisoba and karai (spicy) yakisoba taste?

Yakisoba also came as part of the sets at Jojo Mullae Branch. We got one Jojo yakisoba and one karai yakisoba, but I didn't realize that and we shared one between every two people, so I can't give you a proper comparison. 🤣 Still, what we all felt was that the noodle texture was really good and there was a subtle smoky wok flavor! It was loaded with seafood, meat and vegetables, so it was far more satisfying than I expected. One of my group even picked yakisoba as their number one, haha.

Okonomiyaki and the nickname flag

The okonomiyaki at Jojo Mullae Branch wasn't made at our table but on the teppan next to us, since they couldn't cook it at the same time as the monjayaki, which was considerate of them. A staff member brought it over finished, and it looked amazing.

Okonomiyaki is a Japanese griddle pancake with thick cabbage, meat and seafood. Each bite has the sweetness of the cabbage and the flavor of the meat, and the sauce and mayonnaise combination was really good. And here's Jojo's cute touch: they ask you to write a nickname, and as the representative I wrote "Gomtaengi" (a clumsy bear). Later they stuck it on the finished okonomiyaki like a little flag, and it was so cute 🤍 By the way, okonomiyaki was the number one pick for both of my two companions.

What was the best dish at Jojo Mullae Branch?

At Jojo Mullae Branch, every dish was so good that when someone asked "So what was the best?", everyone thought about it for a long time. Our four favorites split like this because there was no weak dish.

• Me: mentaiko monjayaki
• One companion: yakisoba
• Two companions: okonomiyaki

Above all, ordering a set lets you try yakisoba and the sides too, so it feels much more satisfying. If you're looking for a date course in Mullae Art Village or want a different kind of Japanese teppan food, I recommend Jojo Mullae Branch! 100% I'd go back!