Snow cheese Caesar salad and jambalaya risotto in Hongdae: Hey Joji

Today I'm bringing you an honest review of a filling, delicious meal at Hey Joji, a Yeonnam-dong pasta restaurant everyone's been talking about!

10 minutes from Hongik University Station, tucked in a Yeonnam-dong alley

Hey Joji is about a 10-minute walk from Hongik University Station, sitting on an alleyway in Yeonnam-dong — but it was easy to find.

I liked that you can check the prices and menu right outside the restaurant.

The vibe and seating

The inside of Hey Joji is a decent size with around ten tables, and there were quite a lot of customers when I visited.

Hey Joji serves American home-style comfort food, and the vibe totally matches — very America, haha.

Even the tableware at Hey Joji is pretty.

You order by scanning the QR code menu.

The pickles tasted like they might be house-made — really good.

What we ordered and how much

Jambalaya rosé risotto ₩17,000 Chicken tender Caesar salad ₩13,000

Hey Joji's menu has pasta, risotto, salad, steak, and more — and looking at the photos, I wanted to order everything.

Overall the prices felt reasonable for a hot spot in Hongdae or Yeonnam-dong.

The food came out about 10 minutes after ordering, and I was surprised by how good it looked — beautiful colors, and just looking at the portions made me feel full already.

So how does the jambalaya rosé risotto taste?

Hey Joji's jambalaya rosé risotto is loaded with whole shrimp and sausage in a rosé sauce — the visual alone made my mouth water.

The sausage was so plump I wondered if sausages were even allowed to be that big, and it was delicious. Honestly there's nothing to say but delicious!!! Hey Joji is this good — why haven't you gone yet???

The risotto is made with sausage, shrimp, squid, chipotle, jambalaya sauce, and rice — with generous portions of everything, so there was plenty to eat.

As the signature dish of Hey Joji, the jambalaya rosé risotto comes in a big bowl, with a savory seasoning and nicely fluffy rice. The shrimp weren't tiny cocktail shrimp but several large ones, plus lots of squid — perfect for a seafood lover like me.

Chicken tender Caesar salad piled with snow cheese

Hey Joji's chicken tender Caesar salad had familiar-looking chicken tenders, but the amount of snow cheese piled on top of the vegetables was massive — I'd never seen a salad look quite like this.

As someone who loves cheese, the lettuce and cheese together with the chicken tender was just pure deliciousness.

The chicken tenders were crispy outside, juicy and well-cooked inside — delicious on their own, but even better with the vegetables.

Vegetables are expensive these days, but Hey Joji piled them on generously, with plenty of cheese on top and in between. Eating it alongside the jambalaya rosé risotto made it even more delicious.

Would I go back?

Good taste, generous portions, and reasonable prices for what you get — Hey Joji is a place I'd happily return to whenever I'm looking for a Yeonnam-dong hot spot.

Finished off with a dessert candy!!

Hey Joji, where you can enjoy American home-style food in a great atmosphere, gets my recommendation for anyone looking for restaurants in Yeonnam-dong or near Hongik University Station.