Izakaya near Mullae Station, Seoul: whole-staff welcome at Jojo

It's been a while, so I went to Mullae to see my partner😊 They made time after work, and I wanted to treat them to something delicious. After a lot of searching, we ended up at Jojo, famous as a Mullae lunch spot and a go-to pub near Mullae Station:)

Jojo Mullae Branch location and opening hours

Jojo Mullae Branch is on the 1st floor of 4-2 Dorim-ro 139-gil, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, and it's open 11:30–22:00 (last order 21:00). It's closed every Tuesday.

Weekday dinner wait at Jojo Mullae Branch: do you need a reservation?

We got to Jojo Mullae Branch around 7pm on a weekday with no reservation, and there were already 2 groups waiting. I'd recommend booking ahead on Naver.

We didn't reserve, and there were 2 groups ahead of us,, (when we left there was no wait at all, we were practically the last ones😂😂)

• ₩5,000 reservation deposit (₩5,000 off when you pay!)

Jojo is a famous pub near Mullae Station, and the Signature Set and the monjayaki (pan-fried batter) set are the best sellers. While waiting I was reading the menu and wanted to eat absolutely everything!!!

Atmosphere and the whole-staff welcome at Jojo Mullae Branch

As you'd expect from a Mullae date-night pub, most guests were couples, with quite a few coworker groups too. The best part: one staff member calls out a greeting and all the other staff join in together.

We finally got in, haha! Watching them greet every guest coming and going, I thought, this is what real kindness looks like (❁´◡`❁)

The kitchen is open, so you can watch the cooking, and the chefs' hands move super fast, like true pros😎

Jojo specializes in teppan (iron griddle) cooking, and every table has its own griddle. It had been a while since I'd eaten at one, so I was excited:)

There are also 3 sauces, teriyaki, spicy and mayonnaise, so you can try different flavors-!

What's in Jojo's ₩39,000 Signature Set for Two?

We ordered the Signature Set for Two at ₩39,000. It includes Jojo okonomiyaki (savory cabbage pancake), karai yakisoba (spicy fried noodles) and tonpeiyaki (pork omelet).

Okonomiyaki grilled twice, 8 minutes each

The first thing out from the Signature Set is the okonomiyaki. The fillings, cabbage, meat, seafood and more, were generous.

They stir it hard and pour it onto the griddle all at once, and I was already excited before eating, obviously🤩

Okonomiyaki takes quite a while. You have to patiently wait 8 minutes, then 8 minutes again, twice in total😢 They even set a timer for you, which made it feel like a truly legit Mullae restaurant.

Yakisoba with an egg yolk to mix in

Right after the okonomiyaki went on, the yakisoba came out too. Both are placed on the griddle, so you can eat them warm to the very end, which made me 100% satisfied.

We ordered the yakisoba in the original flavor. I popped the egg yolk, mixed it in well, and had a bite with shrimp, then a bite with meat and egg, and wow, this place is great for yakisoba, haha! The seasoning is just right and the noodles are springy. Truly the best😍

What does tonpeiyaki taste like?

Jojo's tonpeiyaki tasted like a rolled omelet (gyeran-mari) with meat inside! We were debating what on earth tonpeiyaki is, and the moment we tried it we knew.

The egg wraps the meat just like a rolled omelet. It was my first time trying it and it was surprisingly good:) The kind of flavor that strangely keeps pulling your hand back😮

The finished okonomiyaki and the nickname flag

While we ate the other dishes, the okonomiyaki finished! If you wait patiently, a staff member comes over, tops it with mayonnaise and teriyaki sauce, and then sticks in a little flag, haha.

The flag is from the paper they hand you when you order, where you write a nickname, and they stick it in for you LOL

We cut it into too many pieces so it doesn't look great, but I'll admit this really is a Mullae gem and a Mullae pub. You can't taste the batter at all, the fillings are super generous, and it's moist and really delicious. (You guys should cut it into just 4 big pieces...💦💦)

Is Jojo Mullae Branch a good date-night izakaya in Mullae?

Jojo Mullae Branch is a Mullae izakaya (Japanese pub) where I fell for both the staff's kindness and the food. It was so good that I felt glad I'd come to Mullae.

We also shared a piece of shrimp, one each, nicely:) If you're looking for a pub with good atmosphere or a good restaurant in Mullae, I recommend the Mullae izakaya Jojo:)