Sushi for three in Jongno with 1,000-won egg sushi: Choe Uyeong

A day I'd arranged to meet a close friend in Seoul. We were trying to decide what to eat and landed on sushi, since it's my friends' favorite food. I'm not usually a big sushi eater, but this was a place where even I ate happily the whole meal through — very satisfying.

Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch: location, hours and parking

Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch is visible right away once you get off at Jongak Station and head into Starfield Avenue? without even going outside. It's on basement level 1.

• Hours: daily 11:00 - 21:30
• Break time 15:00 - 17:00 / last order 21:00
• Parking: 2 hours free with in-building parking
• Corkage available, ₩3,000 per bottle

I wondered if you could even find a sushi place at this price range in Jongno, Seoul — the prices were genuinely great.

We ordered the special sushi set for 3, charred brisket sushi, monkfish liver gunkan, and a cola.

Solo counter seats and the takeout kiosk

The restaurant is bright and clean, with table seats for groups plus a row of solo-dining counter seats. Each solo seat has its own ordering screen, so it's an easy place to visit even on days you just want sushi by yourself.

There's also a takeout-only kiosk on one side of the restaurant. Beyond sushi, you can order a variety of sashimi dishes to go, which is great for enjoying at home.

The clear soup we refilled twice

Once seated, they set out clear soup and wasabi, and the soup isn't just a token side — it's savory and full of umami, actually really good. My friend and I refilled it twice. The warm broth reset our palates between bites of cold sashimi, and we emptied the bowl quickly.

What comes in the 19,000-won special sushi set?

The special sushi set is ₩19,000, and when it arrives filling the whole table, the variety and visuals are mouthwatering. The fish is thick enough to generously cover the rice and has a glossy sheen, so freshness comes through from the first look. I was amazed all over again that you could get this kind of spread for ₩19,000.

Overall, the visual on each plate was great. The taste and texture of the fish really came through, and being able to enjoy this quality at such a reasonable price makes it excellent value.

Charred beef brisket sushi, 5 pieces

The charred brisket sushi comes in 5 pieces, where the sweet-salty sauce blends with the char flavor, and the thinly sliced onion on top cuts through the richness.

The meat isn't chewy, it's tender, and paired generously with crunchy onion so it never gets heavy even by the last bite. I'm more of a meat person than a raw fish person, so I asked my friends' permission to order this as a side, and it was genuinely delicious.

Best bite of the day: flounder sushi

If I had to pick the single best dish of the day, it's the flounder sushi. Flounder is about as basic as sashimi gets, and I think nailing the basics is what makes a restaurant truly good. The thick flounder had a clear, chewy resilience with every bite, and behind the clean flavor was a subtle sweetness. No fishy taste, totally clean — it was really delicious even to my palate, which doesn't eat sushi often.

Sea bream sushi and tuna belly sushi

The sea bream sushi delivers both the crisp texture near the skin and the soft flesh underneath at once. A savory flavor builds as you chew, and the thickly sliced fish keeps its texture intact. Eating the sea bream sushi reminded me once again just how high the fish quality here is.

The tuna belly sushi is mouthwatering just from the tight marbling. It melts smoothly in your mouth, leaving a long-lasting richness and deep savoriness.

Raw shrimp, salmon and seared scallop sushi

The raw shrimp sushi has plump, springy flesh with a faint sweetness at the finish — no mushiness or fishiness, just fresh and blending smoothly with the rice. The salmon sushi pairs thick, rich salmon with crunchy onion that cuts the richness, and a touch of wasabi makes the flavor even cleaner. You can't quite tell from the photo, but the salmon slice was really huge. The seared scallop sushi is lightly torched on the surface for a char flavor while keeping the moist texture inside intact. The texture was so soft it felt like it melted like cotton candy, and eating it with the sauce on top made it even more savory.

Eel sushi

The eel sushi has a sweet-salty sauce well soaked into the thick eel. The flesh breaks apart softly with deep umami, a nice change of pace among the milder white fish.

Why the 1,000-won egg sushi was my favorite

The egg sushi is only ₩1,000 à la carte, and it's even more impressive once you know the price. The thick egg is fluffy, moist, and subtly sweet, so it's easy to keep reaching for like a dessert. There's absolutely no sense of it being made carelessly just because it's cheap, and the flavor is great too, making it the best thing to add on lightly. Egg sushi is my favorite type of sushi, and this was, without question, the best egg sushi I've ever had. I mean it.

Sea urchin, minced tuna and monkfish liver gunkan

The gunkan varieties come piled generously with ingredients too. The sea urchin gunkan has a deep ocean aroma and rich sweetness, and the minced tuna gunkan pairs soft tuna with the freshness of scallion for a savory taste. The monkfish liver gunkan in particular is creamy with a deep richness that fills your mouth, with no fishiness and a savory finish. Everyone fell for it after one bite, satisfying enough that we ended up ordering more separately.

Is Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch worth it?

Even I, who don't usually love sushi, ate happily, and my friends who really love sushi raved that they'd definitely be back. The fish is fresh and thick, every dish has a distinct texture and flavor, and the prices are reasonable on top of that. If you're looking for a good-value sushi restaurant near Jongak, or a solo-dining sushi spot where you can eat comfortably by yourself, I genuinely recommend Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch.