Kid-friendly Jongno sushi, 12 pieces for 13,000 won: Choe Uyeong

※ This post is an honest review written after using a meal voucher provided by the restaurant.

If you've ever worked in Gasan Digital Complex, you probably know Choe Uyeong Sushi. I used to go there all the time — no sponsorship, just my own money, over and over, as a real regular.

So when I found out there's a Choe Uyeong Sushiya branch near Jongak Station in Jongno, I got weirdly excited. I had such good memories of the old place, and it seemed like a solid spot to bring family for a casual sushi meal near Jongak Station, so I went to check it out.

Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch menu and prices

The kiosk at Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch lists tiered sets like the 12-piece mixed sushi (₩13,000) and the 15-piece special sushi (₩19,000), along with kaisendon, tempura, and udon. I remember the Gasan Digital Complex branch as conveyor-belt sushi, but the vibe here was a bit different. Given how many office workers pass through Jongak Station, I liked how cleanly the single-item and set menus were organized.

These days a single sushi meal can get surprisingly pricey, so a lineup like this seemed like a great option for office workers looking for a good sushi restaurant near Jongak Station for lunch or dinner.

What comes in the 13,000-won 12-piece mixed sushi set

The mixed sushi plate came loaded with a variety of pieces — tuna, shrimp, squid, egg, fried tofu, gunkan rolls, white fish — and it looked generous just from the plate alone. It suited my taste perfectly, since I love eating a little bit of many things.

The pieces topped with raw fish were great with the rice, but the best part of the day was honestly my 7-year-old niece's reaction.

I handed her some sushi, and she left the rice completely untouched, just popping off the fish on top one piece at a time. 😂

"The fish is delicious!"

she kept saying, eating only the fish, until eventually the plate was just a row of bare sushi rice — it was honestly hilarious to watch.

I guess the raw fish suited her palate too. Before long, the sushi plate had quietly turned into a plate of plain rice with no fish left.

Kaisendon, fried tofu udon and mochi tempura on the side

We didn't stop at sushi at Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch — we also ordered kaisendon and a few side dishes. The kaisendon (raw seafood rice bowl) came piled generously with various seafood, egg, and shrimp, making it fun to pick through.

As you can see in the photos, we also added seared raw shrimp sushi and ordered fried tofu udon, which made the whole meal pretty filling.

We were also curious about the mochi tempura, and it turned out great — golden and crisp outside, chewy inside, a nice bite-sized treat between sushi pieces. If you find sushi alone a bit lacking, I'd recommend adding tempura or udon.

From the Gasan Digital Complex branch to Jongak Station

Most of all, it was just genuinely nice for me to reconnect with the Choe Uyeong Sushi I used to visit so often, paying my own way, back when I worked near Gasan Digital Complex — now found again near Jongak.

So nice to see this again!

While the Gasan branch was fun for picking sushi off a conveyor belt, the Jongno branch felt more suited to office workers who want to quickly pick a menu during lunch or after work.

Looking at the menu board, prices started from ₩13,000 for the mixed sushi, so it wasn't too much of a burden, and with kaisendon, udon, and tempura options beyond just sushi, it seemed like a good spot for a group to visit together.

If you're near Jongak Station looking for a good-value sushi restaurant, or a Jongno restaurant where you can try many kinds of sushi at once, it's worth stopping by.

It was nice reconnecting with a Choe Uyeong Sushi I used to eat at so often, and watching my 7-year-old niece deftly pick off every piece of raw fish made for a delicious and hilarious meal. 😊