Yeonnam-dong restaurant with bocconcini tomato pasta: Hey Joji

Hey Joji in Yeonnam-dong at a glance

• Highlight: an American homemeal pasta spot visited for a long-overdue Yeonnam-dong dinner date with my mom
• Menu picks: jambalaya rosé risotto & bocconcini meat chili tomato pasta
• Space: a hall packed with green-toned interiors and vintage props
• One-line verdict: a satisfying meal in a relaxed atmosphere

Why we chose Hey Joji for dinner with mom

Date day with mom. When she said she wanted pasta, I found Hey Joji, a place a lot of people visit for Yeonnam-dong date-course dinners. Lots of reviews, food looked good, so we went — here's how it went!

Hey Joji hours, location and reservations

🏠 Location — 42-24 Donggyo-ro 46-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul / ⏰ Hours — 12:00–21:00, last order 20:00 / 📋 Reservations — Naver Reservation

Hey Joji menu and prices: what we ordered

• House steak ₩31,000
• Garlic squid oil pasta ₩16,000
• Jambon butter cheddar pasta ₩16,000
• Bocconcini meat chili tomato pasta ₩17,000
• Jambalaya rosé risotto ₩17,000

Today's picks were the bocconcini meat chili tomato pasta and the jambalaya rosé risotto.

Inside Hey Joji: green-toned interior and retro props

The moment I walked in, the green walls grabbed my attention. The antique-style lighting scattered around and even the window curtains matched in tone, giving the whole place a sense of unity, and books packed densely on wall shelves gave it a slightly café-like feel. Kid-drawn-looking doodles were stuck on the wall too, so it didn't feel stiff at all, just comfortable. We arrived around 6:30pm on a weekday, and by the time we were nearly done eating, people had started lining up near the entrance.

Above the kitchen bar hung a big "WELCOME TO GEORGE HOUSE" sign, with wine and liquor bottles lined up underneath it, and that really cemented the American homemeal concept.

The window seats had a full view of the Yeonnam-dong alley through the floor-to-ceiling glass, which made for great people-watching. Near the entrance, Coke crates were stacked up layer by layer with a red suitcase prop set beside them — small touches, but they made the space feel thoughtfully decorated!

Bocconcini meat chili tomato pasta, 17,000 won

I lined up the pasta and risotto side by side for a photo, and the colors complemented each other so nicely that the shot came out pretty.

The red tomato sauce coated the noodles thickly all over, with a round mound of white burrata cheese sitting on top — the visual grabbed my attention the second the plate landed. Three slices of cherry tomato were arranged around the rim and parsley flakes were sprinkled evenly, so the plating itself looked pretty carefully done.

I took a bite mixing the burrata with the sauce, and the creaminess blended naturally into the sauce so it wasn't heavy at all, easy to enjoy without feeling weighed down, haha.

Jambalaya rosé risotto with rice grains that pop

Next up was the jambalaya rosé risotto — little round sausages wrapped around in a half-circle, with cherry tomatoes and arugula as accents on the side, making for a flashy-looking plate.

I scooped up a spoonful and the rice grains weren't fully mushed — they had that toothsome, popping texture, made with something other than plain rice that kept its bite. It felt like I stumbled onto the risotto place I'd been searching for all this time, and I was so happy about it. Definitely going back..!

Is Hey Joji good for a family dinner in Yeonnam-dong?

If you're looking for a Yeonnam-dong dinner date spot to relax and eat with your mom who just came up to Seoul after a while, Hey Joji seems like a pretty solid pick.

The risotto I'd been looking for!