Yeonnam-dong Japanese spot: mentaiko monjayaki and 200ml beer, Jojo

Jojo Yeonnam Branch location, hours and parking

Jojo Yeonnam Branch is on the 1st floor at 255-1 Donggyo-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul, and it's open every day from 11:30 to 22:00. Break time is 15:20-17:00, and last orders are at 14:30 and 21:10.

There's no parking, so you'll need a nearby public lot. The Yeonnam 3 public lot or the Yeonnam 1 and 4 roadside public lots work, at ₩250 per 5 minutes (11:00-22:00).

Today I went out for Japanese food in Yeonnam-dong! I'd only ever heard of monjayaki (a runny, griddle-cooked batter dish) and never tried it, so Jojo was my first time, and it was delicious? They sell okonomiyaki (savory Japanese pancake) too, so I really recommend it to anyone who likes Japanese food.

How to get to Jojo Yeonnam Branch and what it feels like inside

Jojo Yeonnam Branch is near Gyeongui Line Forest Park! The sign says "Okonomiyaki Jojo" in big letters, so it wasn't hard to find. It already looks very much like a Japanese restaurant from the outside, so I was excited before even going in~

The inside has that Japanese restaurant vibe too, like you've traveled to Japan. There are 4-person tables but also a bar counter, so you can pick the seat you like, haha. We sat at a 4-person table, but the bar counter facing the kitchen seems to have a real Japan feel too, lol.

Jojo Yeonnam Branch menu and what we ordered

Jojo Yeonnam Branch has lots of set menus and a wide range of side dishes. But I think the signature dishes are the okonomiyaki and monjayaki! This is what we ordered.

• Jojo Signature ₩17,000
• Mentaiko (pollock roe) monjayaki ₩19,500
• Sneaky Jojo draft beer 200ml ₩4,000

A whole glass of draft beer is a bit much for me, so 200ml is perfect, and I was so happy Jojo has it. The name, "Sneaky Jojo Draft" (몰래 먹는 죠죠 생맥), is so cute too, lol.

What are the big and small spoons for at Jojo?

Once you order, Jojo Yeonnam Branch sets the table with pickled radish and a big spoon and a small spoon. The big spoon is for the okonomiyaki and the small spoon is for the monjayaki, they told us! The pickled radish was great for cleansing the palate when things got a little rich~ It was my first monjayaki, so it was my first time seeing the spoon too, and the tiny thing is so cute.

The three table sauces at Jojo Yeonnam Branch

The tables at Jojo Yeonnam Branch have three sauces ready: okonomiyaki sauce, mayonnaise, and a spicy sauce! If you like spicy food, the spicy sauce would be just right~ I always add extra sauce and mayo to my okonomiyaki, so I liked having them set out.

Jojo coupon and nickname paper

While we waited, they brought out the mentaiko monjayaki first! They also give you a coupon and a paper to write a nickname on, which is such a fun service, lol. You can grab the coupon without even asking, and when the staff come to cook for you, they call you by your nickname, haha.

How was the 200ml Sneaky Jojo draft beer?

The 200ml "Sneaky Jojo Draft" (₩4,000) came out right away too. For someone who doesn't really like drinking, 200ml is the best~ It was so cold and tasty. I feel like you have to have draft beer with Japanese food. They go together so well, haha.

What is mentaiko monjayaki like on a first try?

The mentaiko monjayaki at Jojo Yeonnam Branch comes with mozzarella cheese too, and once the griddle heats up, a staff member comes and cooks it for you, haha. See how much mentaiko is on top? Wow, right, lol. If you like mentaiko, definitely try it.

The staff member's dazzling hand skills 👏 They were so good, amazing!! They made it really tasty. It was my first monjayaki, so watching it being made was fascinating too, haha.

Ta-da, the monjayaki is done!! I'd seen reviews on social media always saying it looks like vomit but tastes great, and yeah, the look is a little like that, lol. But the smell is so good, haha. And the thing on top is something like kirimochi (rice cake), so they said to cook it another 3-5 minutes before eating.

You scrape up the monjayaki with the small spoon and eat it that way, so neat. It's packed with cabbage, so even with the batter it felt kind of healthy! And you know that bloated feeling you sometimes get after eating out,,, but Jojo's mentaiko monjayaki felt really comfortable in my stomach! I think it's because of all the cabbage. It's healthy and tasty, so I loved it. And it's full of mentaiko, so you really smell the roe, haha. If you like mentaiko, give it a try.

How do you eat the Jojo Signature okonomiyaki?

The Jojo Signature okonomiyaki comes fully cooked, so they said you can eat it as is or put it on the griddle to eat. We just ate it as is, haha. We cut it into 4 pieces with the big spoon. All that sauce poured on top looks so delicious,,,,,

The Jojo Signature has big shrimp in it too, which I loved!! The crunchy shrimp texture here and there is so good. I've been to a lot of great okonomiyaki places, and I really recommend Jojo. It was grilled just right and had lots of shrimp, so so delicious, ㅠ

I added a bit more mayonnaise like this, haha. I ate really well, it was so good ♡

Why order monjayaki and okonomiyaki together at Jojo

The mentaiko monjayaki is fairly light, while the Jojo Signature okonomiyaki is comparatively strong because of the sauce, so they were perfect to eat back and forth, lol. Kind of a sweet-and-salty thing…? haha. The staff at Jojo Yeonnam Branch were all very, very kind and the atmosphere was great. And both the okonomiyaki and monjayaki batter were cooked just right, so I really enjoyed it~

If you're looking for a good Japanese restaurant in Yeonnam-dong, I recommend Jojo Yeonnam Branch!!