Jongno sushi restaurant with beef tartare and brisket: Choe Uyeong

Today I visited a sushi place in Jongno that's rumored to be both great value and good quality.

I heard it's popular with office workers too, both for its price and location, whether for lunch or dinner. If you ask me what my favorite food is, sushi is right up there — I love it, honestly — so I went with my heart racing a little.

How to find Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch, and where to park

Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch is located between Gwanghwamun Station and Jongak Station, and by subway it's closest to Jongak Station Exit 1. It's on the basement floor of the building, but you spot it right away as you head down, so it's not hard to find even underground.

• ⏰ Hours: Daily 11:00–21:30 / Break time 15:00–17:00 / Last order 21:00
• 🅿️ Parking: 2 hours free parking available in the building

Inside Choe Uyeong Sushiya: plenty of solo-dining counter seats

Compared to other sushi places, Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch has a lot more seating set up for solo diners. Some seats are slightly separated from the next table, and the tables are wide enough that even a group wouldn't feel cramped at all.

Places that put their own name on the sign tend to at least meet a baseline, based on my own database of experience, so I walked in with a bit of trust already.

Choe Uyeong Sushiya menu and prices

• [Sashimi] Mixed sashimi ₩40,000 / Special sashimi ₩70,000
• [Sushi] Mixed sushi 12pc ₩13,000 / Special sushi 15pc ₩19,000 / Top sushi 16pc ₩27,000 / Premium sushi 17pc ₩33,000
• [Kaisendon] Mixed kaisendon ₩14,000 / Special kaisendon ₩19,000 / Top kaisendon ₩25,000

Mixed sushi at 12 pieces for ₩13,000 works out to a bit over ₩1,000 a piece — such a steal. These days the basic set is often ₩15,000 for 10 pieces. The special sushi also looked reasonably priced, and the a la carte sushi pieces start from ₩1,000, with even premium ones like fatty tuna belly and sea urchin roe going for just ₩3,000 haha. Pass on price, right off the bat.

What we ordered: 33,000-won premium sushi and 19,000-won special kaisendon

We ordered the premium sushi set, the special kaisendon, plus a la carte sushi, scallop tempura, and sweet rice mochi tempura.

Sushi and kaisendon topped with vividly fresh-colored fish — isn't that a beautiful sight.

The premium sushi set is made up mostly of top-tier ingredients: bluefin tuna belly, tuna loin (akami), steamed abalone, sea urchin roe, eel, flounder fin, salmon, red seabream matsukawa-style, raw shrimp, scallop, and more.

The first bite while it was still warm was the egg sushi. It comes out with a big chunk of egg lightly seared with sauce — sweet and delicious. Cheap but never a letdown, this egg sushi. I meant to order one more piece later but gave up because I was too full. The eel was also sweet, thick, and delicious.

The glossy color of the fatty tuna belly (otoro). Even with a generous dab of wasabi it isn't spicy since it's so rich in fat. That fat bursting in your mouth makes both your mouth and stomach happy — this fatty tuna sushi. It's usually too pricey to eat much of, my favorite, but here you can get it a la carte for just ₩3,000.

Salmon piled high with onion and sauce. Salmon is always delicious.

The scallop and shrimp were nicely sized and seared, coming out rich and delicious. Solid.

Beef brisket and beef tartare sushi by the piece, eaten the moment they arrive

What we ordered extra a la carte at Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch were the beef brisket sushi and the beef tartare (yukhoe) sushi. Sushi that comes seared really is best eaten piece by piece as an add-on.

I ordered the beef brisket sushi and ate it the second it arrived — soft and really good. The beef tartare sushi also had fresh-tasting beef on top, and the sweet seasoning added to it made it even better.

Special kaisendon, scallop tempura and mochi tempura

The special kaisendon (₩19,000) also had fresh seafood and fish on top, and the sashimi pieces were large and delicious! Put whatever sashimi you like onto a piece of seaweed, top it with sea urchin roe, and take a bite — a moment where you get to taste the ocean :)

We ordered the scallop tempura and rice cake tempura as sides, just to try a bit — and wow!!!! These were really good. Tempura is definitely best eaten right when it comes out. The scallop inside was plump and had great texture, savory and lovely.

Is Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno worth it?

Choe Uyeong Sushiya is a sushi restaurant that serves big, fresh sashimi at low prices. If you're looking for a great-value sushi spot in Jongno, I'd recommend giving it a try :)