Jongno sushi for kids who skip raw fish: brisket nigiri, Choe Uyeong

Where is Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch?

Choe Uyeong Sushiya (최우영스시야) Jongno Branch is a sushi restaurant on the B1 floor of the Tower 8 building near Jonggak Station. If you want sushi around Jongno or Gwanghwamun and want both value and flavor, this is the place I'm recommending after my visit. Even if you come by car, you get 2 hours of parking support, so it's a great pick when you want good-value sushi.

It looked clean even from the outside, and the place was packed with customers, so I figured it was already famous in the neighborhood. Once I ate there, the value really was great, so it works for going with a kid and it's more than good enough for a date spot too.

Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch hours and parking

• Address: 7 Jongno 5-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Unit 104 (B1)
• Hours: daily 11:00-21:30
• Break time: 15:00-17:00
• Last order: 21:00
• Parking: 2 hours free
• No pets allowed

Can you eat solo at Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch?

Yes, there are solo seats too. It was a quiet place to eat, and since you can choose anything from set menus to single items, I think it's a good option if you're looking for a sushi spot to eat alone.

Choe Uyeong Sushiya menu: is there really ₩1,000 sushi?

The menu is well stocked: sashimi, sushi sets, single-piece nigiri, kaisendon (seafood rice bowl), tempura and sides. What really surprised me was that some nigiri are ₩1,000. And not just one: inari (fried tofu pouch), grilled egg nigiri, raw shrimp aburi (seared), seasoned scallop, bigeye tuna and cooked shrimp! I thought, this place is seriously the best for value.

The table was set out with soy sauce, rakkyo (pickled scallions), ginger, plates and so on, which was handy for eating with the sushi.

This clear soup that a staff member brings right after you order was also deeply savory and rich. So good!

₩6,000 shrimp udon: portion and flavor

The first dish to arrive was the ₩6,000 shrimp udon. I wanted something hot, so I ordered one, and the broth was a work of art. It comes topped with three pieces of shrimp tempura, the portion is generous, and the value is honestly amazing. Udon that looks like this for just ₩6,000? Isn't this the best value ever?

The noodles weren't skimpy either, they were generous and chewy. My kid, who loves udon, enjoyed it too.

Premium sushi and assorted sushi: is it enough to fill you up?

After the shrimp udon, the premium sushi and the assorted sushi came out one after the other. The generous amount of sushi was impressive from the first look.

Honestly, when I ordered I wondered if it might not be enough. But the portion was generous and above all the fish was fresh, so I enjoyed it even more.

Every item felt made with care, so I could really enjoy it. The slices of fish were generous too, so even after eating just a little I felt super full. The quality of each item was good as well.

What can kids who don't eat raw fish order? Torched beef brisket nigiri

At Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch I also ordered the torched beef nigiri (brisket) as a kid's menu. The brisket is full of smoky char flavor and soaked in a soy-based sauce, so it was nice and sweet.

When you come to a sushi restaurant with kids who don't really eat raw fish, they usually end up eating only sides, but this place has a separate torched beef nigiri, so it was great for visiting with a child.

Surprisingly thick sweet potato tempura

I was curious about the sweet potato tempura on the menu, so I ordered it. Just look at how thick the sweet potato is! I was honestly surprised when I saw it. You could feel the moistness of the sweet potato, and it was filling too.

Is Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch worth a return visit?

Literally a clean, great-value sushi spot in Jongno, good for dates. The menu is well stocked, the single-piece nigiri are very reasonably priced so it was easy to eat without worrying about the bill, and with udon and all kinds of tempura there was plenty to try. There's a wide variety of fresh sashimi too, and the cuttlefish nigiri was especially good, so if you're looking for a Jongno restaurant, I think it's worth a visit at least once.