Jongno sushi restaurant with 5,000-won udon and scallop tempura

These days, a decent lunch in Gwanghwamun doesn't come cheap, but I found a place where you can eat a sushi set and udon together without breaking the bank.

It's Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch (최우영스시야 종로점), well known as a sushi spot in Gwanghwamun. The portions were genuinely generous for the price — this really is a budget-friendly Gwanghwamun restaurant.

Basic info on Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch

• Address: 7 Jongno 5-gil, B1 104-ho, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Hours: Daily 11:00–21:30 (break time 15:00–17:00)
• Parking: Free 2-hour parking registration in the building

It's a 3-minute walk from Jonggak Station Exit 1 and a 7-minute walk from Gwanghwamun Station Exit 2, so accessibility was really good. It's in an office-heavy area, so I hear it fills up fast with nearby office workers at lunchtime. Still, it's known for quick table turnover even among Gwanghwamun sushi spots, so I didn't worry about a wait.

What are the interior and seating like?

Head down to the basement level and a neatly arranged dining room appears.

There's a range of seating from solo bar tables to group tables, so it works comfortably whether you're eating alone or with a group.

Above all, the seats are clearly separated from each other, so it made for a private lunch or dinner.

Menu and what we ordered

The menu at Choe Uyeong Sushiya was more varied than I expected. From an assorted sushi set that's perfect for a value lunch, to premium sushi, to kaisendon (seafood rice bowl) piled with fresh sashimi and sashimi platters themselves — plenty of options to pick from depending on your mood.

After some deliberation, we ordered the premium sushi, the top-grade sushi, udon with fried tofu, one mochi tempura and one scallop tempura.

5,000-won udon with fried tofu

The udon arrived first — and the size was honestly enormous.

It came in a hefty bowl piled generously high, a size hard to believe for ₩5,000!

Above all, the noodles were chewy and the broth wasn't too salty, staying clean — alternating between the udon and the sushi made for a really good balance.

Premium sushi and top-grade sushi

Then the sushi we'd been waiting for arrived, and I was impressed the moment I saw it.

Salmon, tuna, flounder and shrimp filled out the basic lineup nicely, and each piece was generously sized, making for an appetizing spread.

From the nigiri to the gunkan sushi, the fish on top was so generously portioned that even most men would end up full.

Above all, the sushi pieces themselves were bigger than at most other restaurants, which is exactly where the value really came through.

Tempura sides

No Japanese meal is complete without tempura. I usually add shrimp tempura after a sushi set, but Choe Uyeong Sushiya had some slightly unusual tempura options.

The mochi tempura is mild mochi fried until crisp — crunchy outside, chewy inside, and light enough to enjoy like a snack.

My husband's pick, the scallop tempura, came out as a whole scallop fried in its shell — the scallop itself was quite large, so you could really taste the full texture of the meat.

Wrap-up

If you want to enjoy sushi in Gwanghwamun at a reasonable price and in generous portions, I'd recommend Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch, a genuinely budget-friendly Gwanghwamun restaurant.

Office workers on lunch break especially should add the udon and eat their fill :)