Yeonnam-dong restaurant, wedding-prep date & barley risotto: Hey Joji

A rare weekend date in Yeonnam-dong amid wedding prep

My fiancé and I have been busy with wedding preparations every weekend lately. Rushing through one appointment after another, I suddenly realized it had been ages since we had a proper date. This weekend our schedule wrapped up early in the afternoon, so we decided to stroll through the alleys of Yeonnam-dong for the first time in a while.

Wandering around made us hungry, so I busily searched for a good pasta place nearby. Hey Joji (헤이죠지) kept coming up as a popular Yeonnam-dong date spot, so off we went.

What does Hey Joji look like from outside?

Hey Joji is an American home-style restaurant in Yeonnam-dong, easy to spot by its green awning and unusual half-basement layout. I was following the alley map, and the green awning caught my eye from far away.

Standing in front, it had that hip neighborhood-diner vibe from American movies. The half-basement structure is unusual, and the exterior grabs your attention right away.

Under the window beside the entrance, red Coca-Cola crates and empty bottles are stacked in a row, which was quietly very charming. It felt like a vintage photo spot, and I was already excited before going in (•‿•) The big white English lettering on the sign looked stylish too, like stumbling on a hidden gem while traveling abroad.

Hey Joji's interior and seating

Inside, Hey Joji is a cozy space filled with green walls, dark wood tones and vintage props. You go down a few steps and open the door, and the inside was much cozier and warmer than I expected.

The walls in green and dark wood give a calm feeling. There were lots of props by the window seats, and I spent a good while looking at them.

Cute foreign cereal boxes, a retro red telephone and little wine bottles sat side by side on the window sill.

On the wall hung a mirror shaped like a wooden shutter and vintage LP records, and I quietly thought to myself that the interior sense here is something special.

With a space this pretty, my mood went all fluffy too (ღ˘⌣˘ღ)

Tables for two and four are spaced comfortably apart, so you can chat without worrying about the people next to you. I immediately understood why so many couples were there.

The kitchen is open, so you can catch glimpses of the cooking, and the delicious smells drifting out made me really hungry by this point.

Table setting and radish pickles at Hey Joji

Tables at Hey Joji come set with a yellow side plate printed with the word George and a glass, and white radish pickles arrive after you order. We sat where the staff showed us and looked over the table, and even the basic tableware was cute.

In the middle of the yellow plate is a cute English message from George, which made me smile for no reason. The glasses were neatly prepared too, so I felt a little bit pampered 😊

After we picked our menu, they brought white radish pickles as a default side, and they were really crunchy. Sweet and tangy, just right for grabbing one now and then while eating Western food.

How is the jambalaya rosé risotto? (₩17,000)

Hey Joji's jambalaya rosé risotto is ₩17,000: a slightly spicy rosé risotto made with rice and barley, topped with sausage, shrimp and squid. It was the dish I had my eye on in the menu, so I reached for it first, and it passed on looks alone.

After a short wait, the dishes we ordered came out to the table one after another. A big round bowl held a shallow pool of rosé sauce with plenty of toppings. In the middle was a plump sausage scored and grilled, with shrimp and squid around it. Probably thanks to the chipotle sauce, a slightly spicy aroma rose up that I figured would cut the richness.

I took a big spoonful and found rice mixed with barley. I personally really liked how the barley grains pop in your mouth. The sausage had a subtle smoky flavor and a chewy bite, and went wonderfully with the risotto sauce ( ᐛ )و

The mildly spicy rosé flavor never got tiresome, and I scraped up every last bite. The shrimp were bouncy and firm too, so it felt like they didn't skimp on ingredients.

What about the white ragù truffle cream pasta? (₩16,000)

Hey Joji's white ragù truffle cream pasta is ₩16,000: a thick pasta with an egg yolk on top of a cream sauce loaded with minced meat. The seasoning is a bit salty, so if you like mild flavors it may feel heavy toward the end.

It came on a wide plate with pretty green lettering, and the cream sauce base was packed with tiny bits of minced meat. An egg yolk sat on top of the neatly coiled noodles in the center. Perhaps they used truffle oil, because the moment the plate hit the table, that rich nutty aroma swept past my nose.

I popped the yolk and busily mixed the noodles with the meat sauce. I coated the thick sauce over the noodles and twirled them up, and the creaminess and truffle scent spread softly through my mouth. There was so much minced meat it felt half sauce, half meat, which I loved (๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵)

As an authentic American-style place, the seasoning was a little salty, but the yolk wrapped it softly so it wasn't overwhelming. Scooping up the sauce with the meat on a spoon was a surprising treat. Still, if you usually eat mild food, it might feel a bit heavy toward the end. The radish pickles from earlier balanced it out perfectly.

How was Hey Joji as a Yeonnam-dong weekend date?

For Yeonnam-dong prices, Hey Joji is reasonably priced, and its American home-meal concept is distinct, which made it a fun weekend date spot. I was eating so busily that the plates quickly showed their bottoms.

We finished the meal chatting away with my fiancé for the first time in a while. The prices seem fair for Yeonnam-dong, and the exotic American home-meal concept is so clear that I enjoyed the whole time we were there.

I found myself wanting to try the house steak or the waffle chicken next time. If you're looking for an exotic, cozy Western spot for a weekend date, it's worth a stop. We filled our stomachs simply but solidly and ended the weekend on a happy note (˘︶˘).｡*♡