# Solo dinner okonomiyaki near Hongdae, weekday waiting: Jojo Yeonnam - By Haeon (https://superchart.com/en/@where-coffee-brews/) - Written Sep 9, 2026 - Local places › Restaurants › Mapo, Seoul - Sponsored: This visit was sponsored by the business. - English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@where-coffee-brews/jojo-yeonnam-solo-okonomiyaki-dinner/ - Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@where-coffee-brews/jojo-yeonnam-solo-okonomiyaki-dinner/index.md) ## In short Jojo Yeonnam Branch is a Japanese teppanyaki restaurant in Yeonnam-dong, Seoul, a five-minute walk from Hongik University Station Exit 3, cooking Osaka-style okonomiyaki on a large iron griddle. Visiting solo on a weekday before 8pm, I ordered the Jojo signature okonomiyaki with added cheese, along with donpeiyaki and a Zero Coke. Jojo Yeonnam Branch is easiest to get into without waiting if you arrive early on a weekday evening, and the okonomiyaki worked well as a proper meal rather than just bar food. ## Good to know - **Address**: 1F, 255-1 Donggyo-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea - **Hours**: Daily 11:30-22:00 - **Break time**: 15:20-17:00 - **Last order**: 14:30, 21:10 - **Ordered**: Jojo signature okonomiyaki (extra cheese), donpeiyaki, Zero Coke - **Location**: About 5 minutes' walk from Hongik University Station Exit 3 - **Parking**: No on-site parking; use Yeonnam 3 public lot or Yeonnam 1·4 roadside public lots (₩250 per 5 minutes, 11:00-22:00) - **Reservations**: Available on weekdays; hard to get on weekends and holidays - **Opened**: October 1, 2024 (official opening) *as written by the visitor on Sep 9, 2026* ![A full spread of okonomiyaki at Jojo Yeonnam Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/jojo-yeonnam-solo-okonomiyaki-dinner/jojo-yeonnam-solo-okonomiyaki-dinner-01-d1dbd-1200.webp) After work I was trying to decide what to eat for dinner, and I suddenly wanted Japanese food, so I headed to Yeonnam-dong. Yeonnam-dong has so many good restaurants that I had to search around, and that's how I found Jojo Yeonnam Branch. It's famous for okonomiyaki, so I was curious, and since I happened to be eating alone after work, I went by myself. Before visiting, I looked up reviews on Naver and found quite a few posts mentioning a wait. Since the Seongsu and Yongsan branches are also known for their waiting lines, I wondered if the Yeonnam branch would be crowded too. ![Exterior of Jojo Yeonnam Branch and the alley entrance](https://img.superchart.com/images/jojo-yeonnam-solo-okonomiyaki-dinner/jojo-yeonnam-solo-okonomiyaki-dinner-02-z5y6u-900.webp) ![Outside Jojo Yeonnam Branch on a weekday evening](https://img.superchart.com/images/jojo-yeonnam-solo-okonomiyaki-dinner/jojo-yeonnam-solo-okonomiyaki-dinner-03-1scv9-900.webp) ## What's the weekday evening wait like at Jojo Yeonnam Branch? I visited on a weekday evening, just before 8pm, and luckily got seated right away. Since I was dining alone, I was a bit worried about a long wait, but the timing turned out to be good. By the time I finished my meal, a line had already formed outside. It'll vary by exact time, but if you're worried about waiting, visiting a bit earlier on a weekday evening seems like a good idea. ## Location and parking at Jojo Yeonnam Branch - Address｜1F, 255-1 Donggyo-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul - Hours｜Daily 11:30-22:00 - Break time｜15:20-17:00 - Last order｜14:30, 21:10 Jojo Yeonnam Branch is about a 5-minute walk from Hongik University Station Exit 3, so it's easy to reach. It's tucked in a Yeonnam-dong alley, making it a good spot to combine with a stroll through nearby cafés and shops after your meal. There's no dedicated parking at Jojo Yeonnam, so if you're driving, you'll need to use a nearby public lot. You can use the Yeonnam 3 public parking lot or the Yeonnam 1·4 roadside public lots, at ₩250 per 5 minutes, open from 11am to 10pm. ![Seating inside Jojo Yeonnam Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/jojo-yeonnam-solo-okonomiyaki-dinner/jojo-yeonnam-solo-okonomiyaki-dinner-04-1ftoi-900.webp) ![Seats around the griddle at Jojo Yeonnam Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/jojo-yeonnam-solo-okonomiyaki-dinner/jojo-yeonnam-solo-okonomiyaki-dinner-05-1c4jy-900.webp) ## An Osaka-style teppan okonomiyaki specialist Jojo Yeonnam Branch officially opened on October 1, 2024, bringing the Jojo already famous for okonomiyaki in Seongsu and Yongsan to Yeonnam-dong as well. Jojo aims for the kind of okonomiyaki eaten as a proper meal in Japan, rather than the bar-food version typically served at izakayas. They say they keep to traditional Osaka methods, cooking at high heat on a specially made large iron griddle — and sure enough, I could watch my order being cooked right there on the griddle. ![Okonomiyaki being cooked on the large iron griddle](https://img.superchart.com/images/jojo-yeonnam-solo-okonomiyaki-dinner/jojo-yeonnam-solo-okonomiyaki-dinner-06-dfygj-900.webp) ![Griddle cooking in progress at Jojo Yeonnam Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/jojo-yeonnam-solo-okonomiyaki-dinner/jojo-yeonnam-solo-okonomiyaki-dinner-07-1h2q3-900.webp) ![Osaka-style teppan cooking scene](https://img.superchart.com/images/jojo-yeonnam-solo-okonomiyaki-dinner/jojo-yeonnam-solo-okonomiyaki-dinner-08-nn033-900.webp) ## What I ordered eating solo at Jojo Yeonnam I ordered the Jojo signature okonomiyaki with extra cheese, donpeiyaki, and a Zero Coke. Eating alone, I wondered if I was ordering too much, but these were dishes I'd wanted to try, so I just went ahead and got everything I wanted. ![Menu board at Jojo Yeonnam Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/jojo-yeonnam-solo-okonomiyaki-dinner/jojo-yeonnam-solo-okonomiyaki-dinner-09-1g2x5-900.webp) ![Okonomiyaki menu description at Jojo Yeonnam Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/jojo-yeonnam-solo-okonomiyaki-dinner/jojo-yeonnam-solo-okonomiyaki-dinner-10-u1am5-900.webp) ![Side menu description at Jojo Yeonnam Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/jojo-yeonnam-solo-okonomiyaki-dinner/jojo-yeonnam-solo-okonomiyaki-dinner-11-1axkq-900.webp) ![Drinks and toppings menu at Jojo Yeonnam Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/jojo-yeonnam-solo-okonomiyaki-dinner/jojo-yeonnam-solo-okonomiyaki-dinner-12-yhwjl-900.webp) ## Tips for visiting Jojo Yeonnam Branch There are a few handy tips for visiting Jojo Yeonnam Branch. Writing a Naver review gets you a free oolong tea, so it's worth asking staff about any review promotions. There's also a fun event — if you tell staff "Sajangnim jalsaenggyeosseoyo" ("Boss, you're handsome"), you get a free oolong tea too. Just note you'll need to track down the actual owner for it, haha. If you visit for lunch, you can also use a lunch size-up coupon, so it's worth checking out if you're coming for lunch. ![Review event notice at Jojo Yeonnam Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/jojo-yeonnam-solo-okonomiyaki-dinner/jojo-yeonnam-solo-okonomiyaki-dinner-13-1f8pb-900.webp) They brought out the Zero Coke and a cup of ice first :) ![Zero Coke and a cup of ice](https://img.superchart.com/images/jojo-yeonnam-solo-okonomiyaki-dinner/jojo-yeonnam-solo-okonomiyaki-dinner-14-1c4um-900.webp) *They brought out the Zero Coke and a cup of ice first :)* ![Donpeiyaki on the griddle](https://img.superchart.com/images/jojo-yeonnam-solo-okonomiyaki-dinner/jojo-yeonnam-solo-okonomiyaki-dinner-15-19q13-900.webp) ![Cross-section of donpeiyaki with sauce](https://img.superchart.com/images/jojo-yeonnam-solo-okonomiyaki-dinner/jojo-yeonnam-solo-okonomiyaki-dinner-16-11oqo-900.webp) ### Donpeiyaki Donpeiyaki is a Japanese-style pork belly omelette :) With pork belly and egg together, it had a different flavor from the okonomiyaki. The combination of soft egg and pork belly was light and easy to eat, and ordering a side dish alongside the okonomiyaki made the meal feel more filling than okonomiyaki alone. ### Jojo signature okonomiyaki with cheese With sauce and mayonnaise on top, served warm right off the griddle, it looked appetizing before I even took a bite. I added cheese to mine, and I'd recommend it for anyone who loves cheese. Okonomiyaki already has a soft texture, and adding cheese brought out a savory richness that paired well. Eating it warm off the griddle felt genuinely different from the delivery or frozen versions of okonomiyaki most people are used to. Jojo apparently recommends green onion as a topping for the okonomiyaki, so next time I'd like to try adding that too. ![Jojo signature okonomiyaki with added cheese](https://img.superchart.com/images/jojo-yeonnam-solo-okonomiyaki-dinner/jojo-yeonnam-solo-okonomiyaki-dinner-17-lesrf-900.webp) Honestly, before visiting, I wondered how different a really good okonomiyaki could actually taste. But after eating it, I could sort of understand why Jojo is so well known for it. I especially liked that the food is cooked right on the griddle, so you get to eat it hot, and the okonomiyaki worked well as an actual meal rather than just something to eat alongside drinks. ![A solo meal of okonomiyaki and donpeiyaki](https://img.superchart.com/images/jojo-yeonnam-solo-okonomiyaki-dinner/jojo-yeonnam-solo-okonomiyaki-dinner-18-kombl-900.webp) ![The griddle table near the end of the meal](https://img.superchart.com/images/jojo-yeonnam-solo-okonomiyaki-dinner/jojo-yeonnam-solo-okonomiyaki-dinner-19-1ydjx-900.webp) ## Reservations and what to try next time Reservations are available on weekdays, so booking ahead is one way to avoid worrying about the wait. Just note that reservations are hard to get on weekends and holidays. Next time I visit, I want to try Jojo's yakisoba, which I didn't get to this time :) It's supposedly nicknamed the "yakisoba of a lifetime" — famous enough that I'm planning to order it alongside okonomiyaki next time. If you're craving Japanese teppan cooking in Yeonnam-dong, or looking for a place to eat solo near Hongik University Station, Jojo Yeonnam Branch is worth putting on your list. ## Where it is - Jojo Yeonnam Branch (죠죠 연남점) - 1F, 255-1 Donggyo-ro, 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 --- Superchart · https://superchart.com/en/@where-coffee-brews/jojo-yeonnam-solo-okonomiyaki-dinner/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt