Sinchon Western restaurant, ₩20,000 duck risotto & Coke Zero: Hey Joji

These days when I go out to eat, the taste matters, but the places whose atmosphere sticks in my memory are the ones I think about longest. The Sinchon and Yeonnam-dong area especially has so many characterful restaurants down every lane that just walking around is fun haha

This time I visited Hey Joji (헤이죠지), a Western restaurant that's easy to get to from Sinchon. The exterior has a strong American home-meal vibe, so it catches your eye even when you're just passing by. The name is cute, and the atmosphere is clearly a bit different from other restaurants, so I was excited before I even went haha

What I ordered that day was the duck cream risotto and a Coke Zero. Duck steak sits neatly on top of the cream risotto, so it looked great for photos, and it seemed like a good pick for a solo meal or a date.

Where is Hey Joji and how do you get there?

Hey Joji is a Western restaurant on the stretch heading from Sinchon toward Yeonnam-dong. The outside signage in my photos says 383-96 YeonNamDong, so it has that Yeonnam-dong lane feel.

It's easy to reach if you're searching for Sinchon restaurants, and walking over from Hongik Univ. or Yeonnam-dong also makes for a nice stop haha The area mixes main roads and small lanes, so as you walk, characterful restaurants show up one after another.

Maybe because the weather was great that day, even the street looked prettier. Blue sky and a long line of green trees put me in a good mood from the walk over haha

The exterior of Hey Joji stands out quite a bit, so it wasn't hard to find once I got close. The green and retro facade made me think "ah, this must be it" from far away.

Hey Joji's exterior and American home-meal concept

The exterior really felt like an American home-style diner. "AMERICAN HOME MEAL" was written large in front of the building, and the windows said HEY GEORGE, STEAK, PASTA and RISOTTO, so you know right away what they serve.

The green door, beige walls and red Coca-Cola bottle decorations come together for a retro yet exotic mood haha The stacked Coke bottles in front of the shop were memorable too. They're just decoration, but they fit the whole concept so well that you want to take a photo.

A big menu is posted beside the entrance, so you can check dishes and prices before going in. That's quite handy for first-time visitors haha You can look at the menu outside and decide, "I'm having this today."

What is the inside of Hey Joji like?

Inside, the vintage American home-meal mood continues from the exterior. The tables had a colorful wood pattern, with yellow plates and Coca-Cola cups set out, and the colors were really cute.

Overall it felt less like a dark, heavy Western restaurant and more like a comfortable, characterful home-meal place haha The seating was cozy, and you could catch a bit of the view outside by the windows, so it never felt stuffy.

Water bottle, cups, plates, fork and spoon were neatly set on the table. The line on the yellow plate, "Hey! Enjoy your life from. George", was so cute it stuck with me haha Little details like this make the space more fun even before the food arrives.

It's the kind of vibe people looking for a Sinchon date restaurant or an atmospheric Western spot in Yeonnam-dong would like.

Hey Joji menu and prices

Hey Joji is a Western restaurant with pasta, risotto, steak, chicken and side dishes. The prices below are from the menu posted outside (figures are in thousands of won).

• Pasta: garlic squid oil pasta 16.0, jambon butter cheddar pasta 16.0, Cajun shrimp rosé pasta 17.0, white ragù truffle cream pasta 16.0, bocconcini meat chili tomato pasta 17.0
• Risotto: jambalaya rosé risotto 17.0, duck steak cream risotto 17.0
• Others: waffle chicken 15.0, house steak 31.0, sweet potato fries 8.0, corn ribs 6.0, chicken tender Caesar salad 13.0

The menu names all suited the American home-meal feel. I picked the duck cream risotto that day, with a Coke Zero to drink haha

On the table ordering screen, the duck cream risotto was ₩17,000 and the Coke Zero ₩3,000, ₩20,000 in total. These are as of my visit, so menu and prices may change; please take them as a reference.

How do you order? Duck cream risotto and Coke Zero

At Hey Joji you add items on the table ordering screen to place your order, so choosing was easy. What I ordered that day was the duck cream risotto and a Coke Zero. Lots of places let you order right at your seat these days, which makes it nice to pick slowly haha

The duck cream risotto was a cream risotto with a long strip of duck steak on top. When it arrived, the plate was quite wide and the portion of risotto looked generous, which I was happy about. Thinly grated cheese, arugula and cherry tomatoes on top made it colorful too.

The Coke Zero came as a can, with a Coca-Cola logo cup and ice prepared alongside haha Hey Joji's atmosphere goes so well with the Coke decorations that even the Coke Zero felt on concept.

How does Hey Joji's duck cream risotto taste?

The duck cream risotto at Hey Joji had a thick cream that clung to the rice, followed by the clean, mild flavor of the duck. I liked the look already: duck steak laid neatly over white cream risotto with plenty of cheese, so the savory aroma hit first.

The duck had a lightly seared surface with a nice color, and was sliced to a good thickness haha On the first bite, the soft cream risotto comes first, then the mild flavor of the duck follows.

The cream wasn't watery but thick, so it coated the rice well. The savory risotto flavor was rich, so people who like cream dishes would enjoy it haha The thin layer of cheese on top added a salty note with every bite. Cherry tomatoes and arugula cut the richness here and there, so it was fine to finish.

Isn't the duck steak dry?

The duck steak on the duck cream risotto was generously laid on top, and it wasn't too dry, so it went well with the cream risotto. The meat looked moist too.

It has duck's characteristic flavor, and meeting the cream sauce it blended in smoothly haha It felt a bit more special than a beef or chicken risotto, which I liked. I don't eat duck dishes that often, but having it as a Western dish felt fresh.

Eaten on its own the duck is mild, and scooped up together with the risotto the savoriness got richer haha The outside had a lightly grilled aroma and the inside was tender to chew, so the texture was good too. Cream risotto alone could get a bit monotonous, but with duck steak on top it was much more filling.

Cutting the creaminess with Coke Zero and pickled radish

At Hey Joji I had Coke Zero with the cream risotto, and pickled radish (mu-pickle) came out too, like a banchan side dish. Fizzy drinks really suit cream dishes, right? It was just right to sip between bites.

After soft, savory risotto, a sip of cold Coke Zero left my mouth feeling clean haha It came in a Coca-Cola cup with ice, so it was even more refreshing. With so many Coke decorations around the shop, even the drink felt in tune with the atmosphere haha

Eaten with the cream risotto, the pickled radish cut the richness nicely. A tangy side like this quietly matters when you eat Western food, right? Nibbling the radish now and then let me finish the risotto without feeling heavy.

What I liked

At Hey Joji, the atmosphere stuck in my memory even before the food. The American home-meal feel is clear from the entrance to the interior, so it felt less like just eating a meal and more like experiencing a small space. Table colors, yellow plates, Coke cups, even the menu design carry the concept through, so there's a lot to look at haha

I liked that the duck cream risotto felt a bit more special than a common dish. The softness of the cream risotto and the mildness of the duck steak went well together, and the cheese flavor came through too. The portion was quite filling for one person, and with the Coke Zero it was a satisfying meal haha

If you're looking for a Sinchon restaurant or a Western place in Yeonnam-dong, and want risotto or pasta somewhere with atmosphere, this should suit you. People who like taking photos will find plenty of spots to shoot, from the exterior to the tables.

Who is Hey Joji good for?

Hey Joji seems good for people looking for an atmospheric Western restaurant near Sinchon. The pasta and risotto menu is varied, so it's fine for a casual meal, and the exterior and interior are distinctive, so it looked like a good date spot too.

The mood was relaxed enough to come alone for a bowl of risotto haha The menu isn't too heavy, and I liked that table ordering makes it easy to use.

It should also suit anyone who wants something a bit special like the duck cream risotto. People who like cream dishes and duck should be very satisfied haha If you're searching for a Western restaurant in Sinchon, risotto in Yeonnam-dong or a Sinchon date restaurant, Hey Joji is worth a look.

Wrapping up

After visiting, Hey Joji turned out to be a Western restaurant where the atmosphere and the menu go well together. The exterior's strong American home-meal feel was memorable, and the interior had lots of cute little details to look at.

The duck cream risotto I had was satisfying, with a soft, savory cream sauce haha The duck steak on top made it filling, and it paired well with the Coke Zero. If you're looking for an atmospheric Western meal near Sinchon or Yeonnam-dong, keep Hey Joji in mind.