Yeonnam-dong monjayaki restaurant for a first-time couple: Jojo

I finally went to Jojo, the okonomiyaki place I'd wanted to try every time I went to Yeonnam-dong :) It has a great word-of-mouth reputation, so my expectations were high, and I went straight there with my partner.

Jojo Yeonnam Branch opening hours and how to get there

Jojo Yeonnam Branch is open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., with a break from 3:20 p.m. to 5 p.m. It is 524 m from Exit 3 of Hongik Univ. Station, an 8-minute walk, so it's fairly close to the station. Stroll along the park path and before you know it, you've arrived!

Jojo Yeonnam, known for okonomiyaki (savory pancake) and monjayaki (runny pan-fried batter), turned out to be run by the teppan chef from Culinary Class Wars 2! I'm sure you all knew that already, but it made me even more excited, you know? ^_________^

What did we order at Jojo Yeonnam Branch?

We ordered the 2-person monjayaki set and added Jojo draft beer. Here's the menu 😎 The set menus are so well put together that we chose one without a second thought.

Jojo's nickname order slip and coupon

After choosing your menu, you write your nickname on the paper at the corner of the table and call a staff member. They tear off just the part with your nickname, and you can keep the rest as a coupon :D

Open kitchen and table sauces at Jojo Yeonnam

After ordering, I took a little peek at the kitchen! It's an open kitchen, so delicious smells drift over, and it honestly felt a bit like being on a trip in Japan, haha.

Every table has sauces, and I was so happy to see a fire chicken (bulldak) sauce there >_<

This griddle is where the monjayaki will go~*

Heated up nice and hot,

and we kicked things off with Jojo draft beer at this Yeonnam-dong Japanese spot.

Is Jojo okay for first-time monjayaki eaters?

When the monjayaki comes, the staff cook it for you until it's ready to eat, so even first-timers just have to wait comfortably. They kindly do everything for you 😉

We spaced out for a bit, watching them make the monjayaki~

My partner and I had never had monjayaki, so this was our first time seeing how it looks, and it's definitely not as pretty as okonomiyaki, haha.

But all the good stuff is in there 😋

Watching it come together, sizzling, made my mouth water. We scraped up the finished monjayaki with a small spatula (hera), and it was surprisingly fun!

How did Jojo's monjayaki taste?

The monjayaki at Jojo Yeonnam Branch tastes mild at first but has a savory depth that keeps you going back. The mild, chewy mochi (rice cake) is so good *_* You get both crispy, browned bits and moist parts, so the texture was great.

It's tasty as is, but you can also use the sauces on the table to make it even tastier and punchier!

Are Jojo's yakisoba and waterfall potato worth ordering?

The yakisoba (stir-fried noodles) at Jojo Yeonnam Branch had nicely springy noodles soaked in a sweet and spicy sauce 🍜 It couldn't have been anything but delicious. Eaten with the cabbage, you get crunch plus the savory flavor of the meat, which makes it perfect beer food.

Slurp it up while it's hot 🥢 It's a dish anyone can enjoy with no hit-or-miss, and it went well with the mild monjayaki too.

And this is the waterfall potato (폭포테이토)^^ Smoothly mashed potato with garlic flakes for texture, plus the richness of a soft-cooked egg~ It was as good as the main dishes, and surprisingly a great match with teppan food!

It was perfect for whetting the appetite, and picking at it bit by bit, we ended up wiping out the waterfall potato too.

Is Jojo Yeonnam Branch a good date spot in Yeonnam-dong?

The staff kindly explained the cooking and how to eat everything, so even people trying monjayaki for the first time can enjoy it without trouble~ If you want teppanyaki in Yeonnam-dong, I recommend Jojo :) You'll be happy with it for a date or a get-together with friends.

Next time I want to try the okonomiyaki^^ I'll go back, partly to get my coupon stamped 😉