Hongdae restaurant with counter seats for squid ink monjayaki: Jojo

Looking for a different kind of Japanese date spot near Hongdae!? Jojo in Yeonnam-dong.

What kind of place is Jojo Yeonnam Branch?

Jojo Yeonnam Branch is a spot tucked in a Yeonnam-dong alley that specializes in okonomiyaki and monjayaki. I've had okonomiyaki plenty of times, but monjayaki wasn't something I was familiar with, so I really wanted to try it properly here. Since Yeonnam-dong's Jojo focuses on okonomiyaki and monjayaki, it's a great pick if you're after a solid Japanese restaurant near Hongdae!

Where Jojo Yeonnam Branch is, plus parking and reservations

Since it's tucked in a Yeonnam-dong alley, it's a good spot for dinner or a drink after hanging out in Hongdae. There are dachi (counter) seats too, so solo dining in Yeonnam-dong is totally doable! There's no dedicated parking lot, so you'll need to use a nearby lot, and you can book ahead through Naver Reservation — worth doing if you're visiting during a busy time slot.

The kitchen is almost entirely open, which builds trust in the food. It's also just the right vibe for a Yeonnam-dong date for two.

Menu and prices at Jojo Yeonnam Branch near Hongdae

There's a Jojo set menu that gives you a ₩1,000 discount, and à la carte ordering is available too. The signature dishes are of course okonomiyaki and monjayaki! There are also stir-fried teppan dishes. They have draft beer and highballs too, so it's a good spot for a light drink.

We sat down, ordered the monjayaki and donpeyaki, and waited. Along with a timer for preheating the griddle, they give you a little scraper for the monjayaki — haha, cute, right?

Since the dishes take a while to come out, we read through the guide on how to eat monjayaki properly. The staff explain it too, but having a sign like this is a nice touch, I thought. Both the staff and the owner were very friendly as well.

There's okonomiyaki sauce, spicy sauce, and mayonnaise you can add to your taste. The monjayaki wasn't as heavily seasoned as I expected, so it's nice to dip it in whatever sauce you like.

A Japanese date course near Hongdae — my first attempt at monjayaki at Jojo Yeonnam!

Squid ink monjayaki with green onion and cheese added

The squid ink monjayaki from Yeonnam-dong's Jojo arrived. It's monjayaki made with squid and squid ink. I wondered what exactly monjayaki was, and apparently it's a dish where you throw in various ingredients and eat it off the griddle, kind of like fried rice. Monjayaki varies by restaurant, but I'd heard it's usually made with cabbage and flour — here at Jojo Yeonnam, rice goes into it.

You can add cheese, mochi, green onion, and more — I added green onion and cheese. The cheese comes separately and gets sprinkled on at the end after the monjayaki is cooked. The portion is pretty generous too!

How do you eat monjayaki?

Monjayaki has a thinner batter than okonomiyaki, and it's a Japanese teppan dish where you stir-fry the ingredients on the griddle and scoop up small bites as you go. The first time you see it, it looks quite different from the okonomiyaki most of us know — unfamiliar, but I enjoyed it.

What especially stood out about Jojo Yeonnam's squid ink monjayaki was how the distinctive dark color of the squid ink made the whole dish look really rich. You stir-fry and cook the ingredients on the griddle, and once it's cooked enough, you scrape off small bites with a little spoon. Since monjayaki has rice in it, it's a bit more filling too.

The rice grains sizzling as they stick to the griddle... think of it like a Japanese dish where you let it crisp up against the pan a bit like nurungji (scorched rice).

The combo of squid ink, squid, and cheese works really well. Looking at it, I expected it to taste pretty intense, but it actually turned out to be quite mild. It's not the strong, punchy flavor of a bar snack — it was mild enough to enjoy as a proper meal too.

Karashi donpeyaki

How spicy is the karashi donpeyaki?

Donpeyaki is a Japanese-style teppan egg roll made with pork, and here it gets a kick from karashi sauce. It's not as big as the main dishes — it's a side item. If there are two of you, order one main dish each and this as a shared side.

Since it's an egg roll with pork belly and added spice, there's a definite kick. Even a spice wimp like me could manage it, though if you breathe it in wrong you might cough for a second..?! Haha.

The softly cooked egg roll wraps around pork belly, cheese, and sauce in a really nice balance. The combo of the mild-flavored monjayaki at Yeonnam-dong's Jojo with the spicy, punchy donpeyaki egg roll worked really well!

Counter seats for solo dining near Hongdae

One thing about Jojo Yeonnam Branch is that it's not intimidating to visit alone. There are so many good restaurants in Hongdae and Yeonnam-dong, but some of them are a bit awkward to walk into solo. In that sense, Jojo is a good option whether you're eating alone or just want a casual meal. Recommended if you're looking for a Japanese restaurant near Hongdae where solo dining works! Especially if you've only known okonomiyaki until now, give monjayaki a try this time :) Experiencing a slightly different kind of Japanese teppanyaki near Hongdae is a nice change of pace.

Hours, parking and reservation details

• Hours 11:30 - 22:00
• Break time 16:00 - 17:00
• Last order 21:10
• No parking lot (use nearby parking), reservations available via Naver Reservation