Yeonnam-dong restaurant packed at lunch: squid pasta at Hey Joji

This time I visited Hey Joji, tucked into a Yeonnam-dong side street. When I arrived there were already so many people crowded around the entrance. Once inside, it was hard to even find an empty seat.

I wondered, 'Is it really that good?' — but one bite in, I understood. There was clearly a reason so many people come here.

Where is Hey Joji? The green sign on a Yeonnam-dong alley

Hey Joji is located at 42-24 Donggyo-ro 46-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul. Walking through the Yeonnam-dong alleys, the green sign catches your eye right away.

My first thought seeing the exterior was that it looked like a small American home-style restaurant out of a movie. The green sign and red motorbike parked outside somehow matched perfectly too. Even just taking photos outside felt stylish. This spot would appeal to anyone looking for a date place in Yeonnam-dong.

Full tables from the door: inside Hey Joji

Opening the door at Hey Joji, the first things I noticed were the green walls, framed pictures, and vintage furniture. The vibe was completely different from the clean, minimal pasta places you see everywhere these days.

When I visited, the restaurant was nearly full. Watching customers keep streaming in, I could immediately tell Hey Joji is genuinely popular. With that many people it wasn't quiet, but it felt lively and comfortable. It seemed like a great spot to come with friends, or for a Yeonnam-dong date.

The yellow plates on the tables and the vintage props were pretty too. Every corner of the shop had its own distinct Hey Joji character, so it was fun just taking photos.

Hey Joji menu and prices, ordered by QR code

At Hey Joji, you order by scanning the QR code on the table.

Looking through the menu, there was a wide range — house steak, garlic squid oil pasta, jambon butter cheddar pasta, cajun shrimp rosé pasta, risotto, and waffle chicken.

Most pastas and risottos were in the ₩10,000s, while the house steak was in the ₩30,000s. For two people, ordering two mains plus one side to share seems just right.

What we ordered today was:

• Garlic squid oil pasta
• Jambalaya rosé risotto
• Sweet potato fries
• Cola

I wanted to order a salad too, but figured the portions would already be a lot...

Garlic squid oil pasta: better in person than in the photos

Before the food arrived, I poured myself a cold drink over a glass full of ice.

A little later the pasta came out, and it looked genuinely delicious right from the start. Topped with lemon and tomato, it looked fresh and hearty at the same time.

The sauce on the garlic squid oil pasta (seafood pasta tossed in olive oil sauce) wasn't bland at all — it had a deep, rich flavor. It coated the noodles well so nothing felt separate, and the ingredients were generously portioned.

I twirled some noodles onto my fork and took a bite — genuinely delicious. I'd wondered if this place was famous just for the vibe, but the food itself really delivered. Satisfying enough to be one of the pastas I've thought back on most recently.

Look at how much squid was piled on there — it caught my eye the moment it arrived. The squid was springy and the sauce was rich, so the texture worked great together.

Jambalaya rosé risotto with firm, springy rice

The jambalaya rosé risotto had a genuinely fun texture from the very first bite.

The rice grains held their shape instead of going mushy, staying pleasantly chewy, and the more I chewed the nuttier it tasted. The rich rosé sauce soaked well between the grains, and eating it alongside the chunky sausage made the flavor even deeper. Why is shrimp always so much better here?

The combo of smooth sauce and springy rice grains kept me going back for more. It was way better than I'd expected.

None of the dishes tasted alike, so ordering a few things to share was genuinely fun. Not just good-looking food — it delivered on taste too.

Sweet potato fries, the side loaded with cheese and sauce

Sweet potato fries. Even better than regular potato fries!! The sweet potato fries we ordered as a side came loaded with plenty of sauce and cheese.

It was so loaded that the cheese and sauce were dripping. Snacking on one between bites of the mains, my hand kept reaching for more. Everything we ordered that day was good enough that I didn't want to leave a single bite.

Why this Yeonnam-dong restaurant stays this busy

Hey Joji wasn't just about a unique atmosphere. The taste, portions, and overall menu lineup were all satisfying. At first I was a bit taken aback by how crowded it was, but after eating, I understood exactly why so many customers keep coming.

I enjoyed it enough that I'd love to come back. If you're craving good pasta in Yeonnam-dong or looking for a nice-atmosphere date spot, give Hey Joji a try. Next time, I definitely want to try the dishes I missed this round.

Hey Joji visit info: address, hours and parking

• Name: Hey Joji
• Address: 42-24 Donggyo-ro 46-gil, 1st floor (semi-basement), Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Parking: Use nearby public parking lot
• Hours: 12:00–21:00 (last order 20:00)