Pimatgol sushi restaurant in Seoul with monkfish liver: Choe Uyeong

Where is Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch, beside Gwanghwamun's Pimatgol?

I went out to Gwanghwamun and Jongak again for something delicious! Does everyone know about all the good food in the Pimatgol alley in Gwanghwamun~ When I used to work in the building next door, I'd come to this alley for lunch every day, hehe.

This time I visited Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch, a sushi spot near Jongak Station~~ Just look up Tower8 and head down to the basement floor!

• Hours: Daily 11:00 – 21:30
• Break time: 15:00 – 17:00
• Last order: 21:00
• Address: B1, 104, Jongno 5-gil 7, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Parking: 2 hours free parking available!

I've been to a few restaurants in this basement floor when working late, but I'd never seen Choe Uyeong Sushiya before~ Must be new!

Solo seats and kiosk ordering: inside Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch

The inside of Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch is pleasantly spacious with a variety of seating.

The 4-person tables feel cozy, and probably because there are a lot of office workers nearby, there were also plenty of solo seats for eating alone~ You order and pay through a tablet at each seat, which was convenient~

What's on the menu at Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch?

True to a Jongno sushi restaurant, the menu is really varied! Sushi, kaisendon (seafood rice bowl), sashimi, fried dishes, and more,, What I especially liked was that there's a selection sushi menu! Perfect for adding on à la carte when you want more of a specific piece!

For sushi sets, there's assorted, premium supreme, special, and top-grade sushi, each with a different number of pieces and composition, so pick according to your taste~ The à la carte sushi was also organized by price range, which made it easy to look through!

Oh, and there was a wide variety of alcohol too — they even sell sake separately haha.

I also noticed there's a special house soy sauce at every seat — I was curious whether it would taste different from store-bought soy sauce,,,

I ordered a cola and they gave me an ice cup plus a separate glass — good vibes haha.

What comes in the 33,000-won 17-piece premium sushi set?

The premium sushi set (17pc) is 33,000 won. Flounder fin, flounder, steamed abalone, salmon, egg, red seabream, bluefin tuna, squid + ankimo (monkfish liver), red shrimp + sea urchin roe, seasonal sushi, tuna belly, sea urchin roe gunkan, sea cucumber intestine, negitoro, scallop, eel, crab meat — a whopping 17 kinds!! Whew.

This was my first time ordering such a varied sushi set. The plating was so pretty I took photos before eating haha.

I love negitoro gunkan so I tried it, and they piled it on so generously it was super delicious!

The tuna belly melted the moment it hit my mouth, and the red shrimp + sea urchin roe combo was sweet and savory — a real winner,,,

The flounder was chewy with a clean, light flavor still intact, so now I regret not ordering another one! No matter how much sushi I eat I never get tired of it, it's just delicious ㅜㅜ.

Sweet rice mochi tempura for 1,500 won as a palate cleanser

Sweet rice mochi tempura, 1,500 won. It was my first time trying mochi tempura and I was curious — it's completely chewy~~~~

Crispy outside, soft and chewy inside — it totally reminded me of the mochi rice cakes from Crayon Shin-chan. The chewy taste is perfect as a palate cleanser between pieces of sushi,, If you love a chewy rice texture, you have to order this!

À la carte picks: monkfish liver, ankimo cuttlefish and egg sushi

For à la carte sushi I picked egg, crab meat, red shrimp, flounder, monkfish liver, ankimo cuttlefish, and red shrimp roe. I chose the ones that looked the most delicious haha. The monkfish liver was soft and savory, so good,,

The ankimo cuttlefish had ankimo piled on top of chewy cuttlefish, doubling the savory flavor. I love that kind of savoriness in ankimo, it's totally my style. Weirdly, egg sushi is my favorite type of sushi, and the egg here was huge, so I was completely satisfied~~

Finishing with the 6,000-won shrimp tempura udon

Shrimp tempura udon, 6,000 won. I was debating ordering shrimp tempura on its own but went with the udon instead~ The portion was generous, so it'd also work well as a lunch on its own.

The shrimp tempura inside was big and crispy! The broth was light and clean, making it the perfect way to finish off after sushi~ This place is a better udon spot than I expected!

If you're looking for a Gwanghwamun sushi restaurant, give Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch a try~ I highly recommend the premium set combined with à la carte pieces!!