# Family monjayaki restaurant in Yeonnam-dong, 40-minute wait: Jojo

- By Onyu (https://superchart.com/en/@second-spoonful-2/)
- Written Sep 22, 2026
- Local places › Restaurants › Mapo, Seoul
- Sponsored: This visit was sponsored by the business.
- English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@second-spoonful-2/jojo-yeonnam-mentaiko-monjayaki-family-dinner/
- Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@second-spoonful-2/jojo-yeonnam-mentaiko-monjayaki-family-dinner/index.md)

## In short

Jojo Yeonnam Branch is a teppan Japanese restaurant on Donggyo-ro in Yeonnam-dong, Seoul, serving okonomiyaki and monjayaki. Dinner there with a kid meant about a 38-minute Catch Table wait for a 4-person table, followed by mentaiko monjayaki, Jojo okonomiyaki, karai soba (spicy noodles) and volcano potato. The mentaiko monjayaki, cooked right on the table griddle by staff, was the pick of the night and made the 40-minute wait worth it.

## Good to know

- **Address**: 1st floor, 255-1 Donggyo-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul
- **What we ordered**: Mentaiko monjayaki, Jojo okonomiyaki, karai soba, volcano potato
- **Wait**: Joined Catch Table at 6:04pm → seated at 6:42pm (about 38 minutes for a 4-person table)
- **Seating**: 4-person tables with a built-in griddle at each one, plus counter seats by the window
- **Cooked at your table**: Monjayaki is the only dish staff cook on the table griddle for you
- **Rewards**: 1 stamp per 10,000 won spent; stamps from other branches can't be combined and can't be used the same day
- **Side dish**: Pink pickled radish
- **Price reference**: ₩10,000 ≈ $7.3 (2026-09-22)

*as written by the visitor on Sep 22, 2026*

## Looking for a teppan restaurant to visit with a kid in Yeonnam-dong: Jojo Yeonnam Branch

Hoho had been saying for a while that she wanted to try teppanyaki. So while thinking about dinner, I searched for teppan places around Yeonnam-dong, but it wasn't easy to find one that felt right to bring a kid to. That's when I found Jojo Yeonnam Branch.

Strictly speaking it's not the teppanyaki specialty restaurant we had in mind, but since they serve griddle-cooked dishes like okonomiyaki and yakisoba, we decided to just go. I'd walked past this place in Yeonnam-dong before and wondered what it was — turned out it was Jojo Yeonnam Branch, an okonomiyaki restaurant.

![Exterior of Jojo Yeonnam Branch in Yeonnam-dong](https://img.superchart.com/images/jojo-yeonnam-mentaiko-monjayaki-family-dinner/jojo-yeonnam-mentaiko-monjayaki-family-dinner-01-1vpu6-1200.webp)

## How long is the wait for a 4-person table at Jojo?

When we arrived and asked, there was no 4-person table free, so we had to wait. I registered the wait on Catch Table at 6:04pm.

The seating notification came at 6:42pm, so it was about 38 minutes, roughly 40 minutes, of waiting. It was long because we wanted a 4-person table — with a 2-person table or counter seat, it seemed like the wait wouldn't be nearly as long.

![Waiting area outside Jojo Yeonnam Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/jojo-yeonnam-mentaiko-monjayaki-family-dinner/jojo-yeonnam-mentaiko-monjayaki-family-dinner-02-10l0e-966.webp)
*Waiting area outside the restaurant*

At first I wondered if we really needed to wait that long, but in the end it was worth it. While waiting we browsed the menu. There was quite a variety — okonomiyaki, yakisoba, monjayaki, and other teppan dishes.

![Jojo menu listing okonomiyaki and yakisoba](https://img.superchart.com/images/jojo-yeonnam-mentaiko-monjayaki-family-dinner/jojo-yeonnam-mentaiko-monjayaki-family-dinner-03-cobod-966.webp)

![Menu page listing monjayaki and teppan dishes](https://img.superchart.com/images/jojo-yeonnam-mentaiko-monjayaki-family-dinner/jojo-yeonnam-mentaiko-monjayaki-family-dinner-04-12vsw-m-966.webp)

![Vertical menu board at Jojo Yeonnam Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/jojo-yeonnam-mentaiko-monjayaki-family-dinner/jojo-yeonnam-mentaiko-monjayaki-family-dinner-05-19l2q-966.webp)

And the dish I saw here for the first time was monjayaki. Mentaiko monjayaki caught my eye, but honestly I had no idea what monjayaki even was. Haha. I went back and forth for a while on whether to order it. In the end I cancelled the fried rice I'd first tried to order and ordered mentaiko monjayaki instead… and that choice turned out to be excellent. Haha.

So, these four dishes. After about 40 minutes of waiting, we finally got seated. There's a big griddle in the middle of the table, so it wasn't quite the teppanyaki Hoho had wanted, but it definitely felt like we'd come for teppan cooking.

![4-person table at Jojo Yeonnam Branch with a griddle in the center](https://img.superchart.com/images/jojo-yeonnam-mentaiko-monjayaki-family-dinner/jojo-yeonnam-mentaiko-monjayaki-family-dinner-06-1u45j-966.webp)

![Interior seating area of Jojo Yeonnam Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/jojo-yeonnam-mentaiko-monjayaki-family-dinner/jojo-yeonnam-mentaiko-monjayaki-family-dinner-07-1kwh9-966.webp)

![Nickname card on the table griddle](https://img.superchart.com/images/jojo-yeonnam-mentaiko-monjayaki-family-dinner/jojo-yeonnam-mentaiko-monjayaki-family-dinner-08-1brt9-966.webp)

![Rewards card offering one stamp per ₩10,000 spent](https://img.superchart.com/images/jojo-yeonnam-mentaiko-monjayaki-family-dinner/jojo-yeonnam-mentaiko-monjayaki-family-dinner-09-oz17l-966.webp)

## With a kid, take a table over the counter — and the nickname card

Honestly, Hoho wanted to watch the food being cooked on the griddle, so we wanted counter seats. But since we had a kid with us, sitting right in front of the hot griddle felt a bit risky, so we sat at a 4-person table instead. Turned out that worry was unnecessary — every table has its own griddle! When we sat down, there was a small card on the table, and the way it worked was you wrote your nickname on it and handed it to the staff.

At first I wondered why they wanted a nickname written on what looked like a business card, but I found out the reason a bit later. Haha. Flipping over the remaining card, it turned out to be a rewards card — 1 stamp per ₩10,000 spent. According to what was written, stamps from other branches can't be combined, and same-day use isn't allowed.

These little touches made the place more fun than somewhere you just eat and leave. And then came the house side dish: pink pickled radish.

![Pink pickled radish served as the house side dish](https://img.superchart.com/images/jojo-yeonnam-mentaiko-monjayaki-family-dinner/jojo-yeonnam-mentaiko-monjayaki-family-dinner-10-7dbdj-966.webp)

It's the only banchan(?) here, but it's the perfect palate cleanser when the flour-based dishes start to feel heavy!

![Table griddle set up to begin cooking](https://img.superchart.com/images/jojo-yeonnam-mentaiko-monjayaki-family-dinner/jojo-yeonnam-mentaiko-monjayaki-family-dinner-11-1gcic-966.webp)

![Okonomiyaki cooking on the large kitchen griddle](https://img.superchart.com/images/jojo-yeonnam-mentaiko-monjayaki-family-dinner/jojo-yeonnam-mentaiko-monjayaki-family-dinner-12-nci2c-966.webp)

Once the cooking really got going, it was fun to watch the griddle. The okonomiyaki was being cooked separately on a big griddle in the kitchen.

Watching the okonomiyaki sizzle on that huge kitchen griddle already got me excited. Looked delicious already, haha.

## Mentaiko monjayaki, the only dish cooked on the table griddle

And the twist of the day was, of course, the mentaiko monjayaki. I originally wasn't going to order it. Since it was my first time trying it, I really went back and forth on whether to order it, and even cancelled a fried rice order to choose this instead — but when I asked staff, they said the only dish cooked table-side is monjayaki. So of course I had to order it — I came to show Hoho teppan cooking after all! Turns out it would've been a disaster if I hadn't ordered this.

![Mentaiko monjayaki ingredients on the table griddle](https://img.superchart.com/images/jojo-yeonnam-mentaiko-monjayaki-family-dinner/jojo-yeonnam-mentaiko-monjayaki-family-dinner-13-1qj24-966.webp)

![Staff member chopping monjayaki ingredients table-side](https://img.superchart.com/images/jojo-yeonnam-mentaiko-monjayaki-family-dinner/jojo-yeonnam-mentaiko-monjayaki-family-dinner-14-7h1r7-966.webp)

They put the ingredients on the table griddle and finely chop them right in front of you while making the monjayaki — Hoho was completely locked in, haha.

They lay cabbage on the griddle, and once it's cooked a bit, pour on mentaiko and a flour batter to cook further. Then they spread it out thin, add something like mochi, top it with cheese, and it's done!

![Finished mentaiko monjayaki topped with mochi and cheese](https://img.superchart.com/images/jojo-yeonnam-mentaiko-monjayaki-family-dinner/jojo-yeonnam-mentaiko-monjayaki-family-dinner-15-v99li-966.webp)

Or so I thought — but they said you can only eat it after a 5-minute timer runs out.

![5-minute timer for cooking the monjayaki](https://img.superchart.com/images/jojo-yeonnam-mentaiko-monjayaki-family-dinner/jojo-yeonnam-mentaiko-monjayaki-family-dinner-16-1n8rz-966.webp)

So that's why there's a timer, haha.

![Child waiting for the timer to finish](https://img.superchart.com/images/jojo-yeonnam-mentaiko-monjayaki-family-dinner/jojo-yeonnam-mentaiko-monjayaki-family-dinner-17-17nlg-966.webp)

Hoho's pleading eyes while waiting were so heartbreaking, haha.

At first I wondered why they gave us a tiny scraper on the table, but it turned out to be for scraping up bits of the monjayaki off the griddle little by little. Haha. Ah, so that's why they gave it to us!

There was something fun about scraping up even the slightly crispy bits stuck to the griddle, and most of all, Hoho looked so thrilled that I was really glad we ordered it. The best way to eat monjayaki is actually explained with illustrations on the back of that menu I mentioned earlier.

![Illustrated instructions for how to enjoy monjayaki](https://img.superchart.com/images/jojo-yeonnam-mentaiko-monjayaki-family-dinner/jojo-yeonnam-mentaiko-monjayaki-family-dinner-18-nqbwk-966.webp)
*How to enjoy monjayaki*

### What does the mentaiko monjayaki taste like?

And the flavor was a twist too. At first, just going by looks, I wondered what on earth this would taste like, but once I tried it, I kept going back for more. The sweetness of the cabbage was great, and it was surprising that since the batter is spread very thin on the griddle, it doesn't have the texture you'd expect from something like pajeon (scallion pancake). It felt more like a thin crepe, if anything. I already love cabbage, mentaiko, and cheese, and Hoho kept saying, 'Mom, this mochi is so good, you have to try it.'

So, out of everything we ate today, my clear favorite was the mentaiko monjayaki. I'm not usually someone who seeks out Japanese food, but that day I actually found myself thinking

> I'd like to get more into Japanese food from now on.

—that's how much I liked it, haha.

![Scraping up monjayaki with the small scraper](https://img.superchart.com/images/jojo-yeonnam-mentaiko-monjayaki-family-dinner/jojo-yeonnam-mentaiko-monjayaki-family-dinner-19-1yx0n-966.webp)

Hoho ate enthusiastically too, saying it was so delicious. Here she is scraping away with the scraper. But watch out, the area around the griddle is hot!

## The nickname flag stuck in the Jojo okonomiyaki

And then the okonomiyaki we'd been waiting for — Jojo okonomiyaki.

![Jojo okonomiyaki served with a nickname flag on top](https://img.superchart.com/images/jojo-yeonnam-mentaiko-monjayaki-family-dinner/jojo-yeonnam-mentaiko-monjayaki-family-dinner-20-mr9q5-966.webp)

When the okonomiyaki arrived, we burst out laughing again. This is exactly why they'd asked us to write a nickname on that card-like paper earlier — a little 'Hoho' flag came stuck in the top of the okonomiyaki. Haha.

Seeing a flag with her own name on it made Hoho even happier. Haha. Little details like that are so fun for a kid. She dug into both the monjayaki and the okonomiyaki, saying they were both delicious.

![Child eating okonomiyaki enthusiastically](https://img.superchart.com/images/jojo-yeonnam-mentaiko-monjayaki-family-dinner/jojo-yeonnam-mentaiko-monjayaki-family-dinner-21-a5ljs-966.webp)

Hoho eating it neatly straight off the scraper, repeating 'Mom, this is so good' over and over — so cute, haha.

## Karai soba and an autumn night at the window counter

And then the karai soba. Glossy, shiny noodles topped with a fried egg — it looked great right away. The salty yakisoba paired well with beer too.

![Karai soba topped with a fried egg](https://img.superchart.com/images/jojo-yeonnam-mentaiko-monjayaki-family-dinner/jojo-yeonnam-mentaiko-monjayaki-family-dinner-22-l1mgj-966.webp)

There are counter seats by the window, and since it was an autumn night, the windows were wide open. Eating while looking outside gave it almost the vibe of an outdoor pojangmacha.

![Window-side counter seats at Jojo Yeonnam Branch with windows open](https://img.superchart.com/images/jojo-yeonnam-mentaiko-monjayaki-family-dinner/jojo-yeonnam-mentaiko-monjayaki-family-dinner-23-o8pbp-m-966.webp)

And there were so many couples sitting side by side there, having a beer together… so jealous. Haha.

We popped the yolk and mixed it into the sauce to eat it — Hoho said doing it that way brought out even more flavor. Haha.

My sister, drinking beer alongside, said that having a sip of beer with that salty sauce was unbeatable, haha — moments like this make me miss the days of drinking more, haha.

## Does the volcano potato live up to its name?

And lastly, the volcano potato. It was a bit smaller in person than it looked in photos. Still, the name held up. When you break the soft-boiled egg, the yolk streams down and meets the mashed potato underneath, and it really does look like a little waterfall.

I'm a potato person anyway, so… I enjoyed it a lot, haha.

## Was the 40-minute wait at Jojo Yeonnam Branch worth it?

This whole dinner started because Hoho wanted to try teppanyaki. It wasn't the dedicated teppanyaki restaurant we'd originally pictured, but between watching the okonomiyaki cook on the big kitchen griddle and the monjayaki being made right in front of us at the table, Hoho got plenty of the teppan-cooking fun she'd been hoping for.

And in the end, I discovered a dish I'd never tried before — mentaiko monjayaki. There was about a 40-minute wait, but this was one evening that was worth waiting for. Next time we go back to Jojo, I think I'll order mentaiko monjayaki first before even considering anything else. Haha. What would we have done if we hadn't ordered it?

Watching food sizzle away on the griddle was fun, Hoho loved it, and we all ate well. An autumn night, and a very satisfying family dinner.

![Closing photo of the family's dinner at Jojo Yeonnam Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/jojo-yeonnam-mentaiko-monjayaki-family-dinner/jojo-yeonnam-mentaiko-monjayaki-family-dinner-24-1ky2l-966.webp)

## Where it is

- Jojo Yeonnam Branch (죠죠 연남점)
- 255-1 Donggyo-ro, 1st floor, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
- 서울특별시 마포구 동교로 255-1 1층
- 37.5627221, 126.9245743
- Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%EC%A3%A0%EC%A3%A0%20%EC%97%B0%EB%82%A8%EC%A0%90/@37.5627221,126.9245743,17z

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