Yeonnam-dong bistro, orange wine and sweet potato chips solo: Hey Joji

Finding Hey Joji in Yeonnam-dong: a semi-basement entrance with plenty of waiting seats

Seeing so many waiting seats out front, it seems like this is a popular spot with frequent waits on weekends.

I found this place while searching for good pasta restaurants in Yeonnam-dong, and I'd bookmarked it for someday because the interior looked so pretty — my route just happened to cross by. There was a full-length mirror out front so I snapped a selfie as proof I'd been, then went in — but you have to go down one step, and I nearly tripped on the way down!! Watch your step going in~

Hey Joji seating: sofa seats, two-person tables and bright floor-to-ceiling windows

Right as you walk in, there's sofa seating on the left. Good for family gatherings? If four of you come, the sofa seats would be nice.

Moving to the right, there were mostly 2-top tables. There was a 4-top table too.

I wanted a corner spot, so I sat at the 2-top in the corner. Looking to my right, there were cute little props and liquor bottles, so I took a photo. Because of the floor-to-ceiling window, even though it's a semi-basement, tons of sunlight comes in. It feels like ground floor, honestly.

There were also bottles and props in the middle of the space, and they were so cute I took a photo. Haha, good vibes (learning about aesthetics from the interior, +1 point).

How to order at Hey Joji: the table QR code

Scanning the QR code on the table takes you to the ordering screen. Just like online shopping — add to cart, order, done! It's hard to order without a phone, but it's nice that you don't have to touch a shared tablet, just your own phone.

Is the orange wine at Hey Joji worth ordering?

I wanted to sit alone and pretend to be sophisticated sipping wine, so I ordered food, sweet potato chips, and orange wine. The orange wine came out first. 🍊🍾🍷

I was going to wait until the food came, but I got curious about the taste and took a sip right away — oh... the alcohol flavor was strong. I expected a strong orange scent, but surprisingly there wasn't much orange, just a strong alcohol smell, so... it wasn't really my style. Next time I think I'll ask the staff for a sweeter wine recommendation.

Chicken tender salad with cheese and tomato

Since it's called a salad, I expected all the vegetables to be chopped up with dressing on top, but—

—the vegetables were stacked in layers with the dressing drizzled on top, so it looked pretty but was a bit awkward to eat. (Definitely not first-date friendly since it doesn't fit in one bite.) But it was delicious.

The chicken tenders were nice and warm, the vegetables fresh, and the flavors came together well. The cheese + tomato + vegetable + dressing combo was the best!! I'm still thinking about it... this was totally my style!

How spicy is Hey Joji's jambalaya risotto?

When I looked up jambalaya risotto, it said spicy + tomato sauce, so I ordered it — I wanted something a little spicy with tomato sauce risotto. At first I thought it was mild, but the more I ate, the spicier it got? So when it got spicy I'd cut up a sausage, eat a sweet potato chip, take a bite, eat some salad, and rotate through it all. Haha, that made it less spicy!

Why the sweet potato chips are a must-order

So glad I ordered these. Genuinely delicious, my hand kept reaching for more. While the risotto felt like something you eat because it's a meal, these sweet potato chips were the kind of thing you want to keep eating but hold yourself back from? The sauce on the chips was great. Crispy and sweet, ugh — definitely order this as a side. If you come with friends and are chatting over the meal, these are perfect for nibbling on between conversation. Very fitting! Though I ate alone... haha.

I was busy diligently rotating between the salad, risotto, and sweet potato chips, haha.

The wine... would have been better if it were a different wine. Next time I'll definitely ask the staff before ordering wine!!

Eating alone at Hey Joji: the freedom of a solo dinner

Totally unnecessary info, but you know that feeling of eating outside in Paris? That's the feeling I wanted. A sense of freedom? Eating while clearing my head, zoning out. Honestly I wanted to eat more but I got too full to finish everything. I hadn't had much appetite the past few days and skipped meals, so my stomach must have shrunk, haha... I really overestimated myself...