Yeonnam-dong teppanyaki restaurant with a signature set: Jojo

Japanese teppanyaki by the window in Yeonnam-dong

After thinking for ages about where to go, I suddenly really wanted to visit Hongdae and Yeonnam-dong for the first time in forever. While looking up good places to eat in Yeonnam-dong, I visited this Japanese teppanyaki restaurant that is popular as a Yeonnam date spot 😊

It opened in 2024, following its Seongsu and Yongsan locations, and it is already approaching its second year as a Yeonnam-dong favorite. I really love okonomiyaki and yakisoba among Japanese food, so I said we absolutely had to go, and came with a friend. The set menu is great value too, so I strongly recommend it as a Yeonnam date-course restaurant 👍🏻

🚗 No parking lot Nearby public parking is available 📍 Daily 11:30–22:00 📍 Break time 15:20–17:00 (Weekends 16:00–17:00)

Maybe because we arrived five minutes before opening, we were able to sit by the window, haha. Sitting at a window table and eating delicious teppanyaki—wouldn't that be perfect for a Yeonnam date?~

Perhaps because we timed it for opening, it was completely relaxed. About three groups besides us were waiting, so we all went in together ^_^ There is also a Tabling machine in front of the restaurant, so remote waiting is possible too 😊

When you sit down, there is a cute card at every seat like this~ Write your name at the top and give it to a staff member, and your name will appear adorably on the okonomiyaki, haha.

What comes in the Signature Set for Two

We ordered the Signature Set for Two. It includes Jojo okonomiyaki, karai yakisoba (spicy fried noodles), and donpeiyaki, and it is just the right set menu for two people, so I recommend it 👍🏻

Familiar flavors are dangerous... I want to eat it again already. I love okonomiyaki so much that I have tried it all over Suncheon and Gwangju too, but Jojo Yeonnam Branch (죠죠 연남점) might have been the best for me. If you are ever in Hongdae or Yeonnam, I really recommend stopping by at least once 👍🏻

The freshly made okonomiyaki and yakisoba are placed straight onto the grill, so you can enjoy warm teppanyaki without it getting cold 😁

Starting with the donpeiyaki

For the first bite, we started with the donpeiyaki I had been curious about~ I wondered what donpei was, and it turned out to be a Japanese rolled omelet filled generously with thin-sliced pork belly and cheese. Eating it this way felt quite different, so if I get the chance, I would like to try making it at home someday, haha.

Karai yakisoba seasoned just right

It had all the toppings you cannot leave out of yakisoba—pork, cabbage, shrimp, and more—with a fried egg on top. This is Japanese-style spicy yakisoba made with Jojo's own special sauce. The seasoning had soaked into the noodles so well, and the flavor was just right.

Since Japanese food often has lots of soy-sauce-based dishes, it can start to feel salty as you eat, but this yakisoba was perfectly balanced, haha. It was so delicious with the daikon radish pickles served alongside it. It tasted the most similar to the yakisoba I enjoyed in Fukuoka 👍🏻

Signature okonomiyaki with extra sauce

This signature okonomiyaki contains pork, beef, shrimp, and squid. Maybe because it has so much cabbage in it, I feel like my stomach is comfortable after eating okonomiyaki.

But for a stronger dopamine hit, haha, I drizzled on more mayonnaise and teriyaki sauce from the bottles at each table. Of course, double the sauce means double the happiness ^_^ The shrimp inside burst as I bit into them, which gave it such a nice texture, and I enjoyed it so much, haha.

I make okonomiyaki at home from time to time, but it really is delicious when a professional makes it! Owner, please open one in Gwangju too, haha.