Jonggak Station sushi: 100g sea urchin roe and sea bream, Choe Uyeong

They say good food is enjoyed once with the eyes and once with the mouth, right? Today I'm introducing Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch (최우영스시야 종로점) in Jongno, Seoul, where I feasted on fresh sushi, aged sashimi and premium sea urchin roe that fills your mouth with the flavor of the sea. 😊💕

Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch serves premium sushi and sashimi made carefully with fresh ingredients every day at reasonable prices, and it's a Jonggak Station favorite for the deep flavor of aged fish and a wide range of seafood dishes. That day I ordered assorted sushi, sea bream sashimi, premium sea urchin roe, assorted kaisendon, warm udon and cold beer. The moment colorful sushi and glossy sashimi filled the table, a proper seafood banquet began. 🍣✨

Where is Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch, and what kind of place is it?

Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch is at 7 Jongno 5-gil, Tower 8, B1 Unit 104, Jongno-gu, Seoul, near Jonggak Station. It prepares fresh ingredients every day and offers a variety of sushi and sashimi that bring out the deep flavor of aged fish.

Besides sushi, there's kaisendon (Japanese seafood rice bowl) and seasonal dishes too, so picking what you like is half the fun. The storefront had big photos of tempting sushi, sashimi and kaisendon on display. Looking at those glossy seafood pictures, the happy dilemma of what to order started right at the entrance.

What are the interior and seating like?

The interior is bright ivory-toned, with a bar counter, tables and wall bench seats, and a tablet for ordering at every table. Stepping in, soft pendant lights made the space cozy, and a long row of fresh green plants down the middle added a refreshing touch.

The long bar counter had soft brown chairs, and each seat had its own ordering tablet. You can look through the menu with photos and order right away, which was convenient. Further in there are roomy tables and wall bench seats, so it seemed fine for eating alone comfortably or visiting with friends or family. The white marble-look tables had soy sauce and tableware neatly arranged, and I liked the bright, tidy feel overall.

How much do six dishes cost at Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch?

That day I ordered six different dishes, and the total came to ₩70,000. The tablet screen showed the order and amount, which made it easy to check.

• 🍣 Assorted sushi, 12 pieces — ₩13,000
• 🐟 Sea bream sashimi, 100g — ₩14,000
• 🧡 Premium sea urchin roe, 100g — ₩19,000
• 🍚 Assorted kaisendon — ₩14,000
• 🍜 Udon — ₩6,000
• 🍺 Hanmac beer — ₩4,000

Sushi, sashimi, sea urchin roe, kaisendon, all of it! As the dishes landed on the table one by one, we suddenly had a full spread. The colorful seafood looked so tempting that I took several photos before even picking up my chopsticks. 📸

What comes in the ₩13,000 12-piece assorted sushi?

The 12-piece assorted sushi is ₩13,000 and comes on one plate with salmon, white fish, shrimp, egg, inari (sweet tofu pouch) and gunkan (seaweed-wrapped sushi boat). It was the first thing I tried. Colorful pieces sat neatly on a dark plate, and the different colors and sheen of each fish made me hungry just looking.

The vivid orange salmon sushi glistened moistly across thick slices. One bite and the soft, rich flavor of salmon spread gently. The salmon melting in my mouth with moist rice was such a good match.

The white fish sushi had a different charm from the salmon. It was springy at first, then softened as I chewed, and a clean savory depth came up. With a little wasabi in the soy sauce, the fish's clean flavor came through even more clearly.

The plump shrimp was fun to chew, and the yellow egg sushi was fluffy with a gentle sweetness. Then the moist, sweet inari and the gunkan with its deep taste of the sea! Within one plate I got to alternate between light, nutty and sweet, and I enjoyed it down to the last piece. Twelve pieces for ₩13,000! It's an easy, no-pressure order when you want to enjoy a good variety of sushi.

How is the texture of the ₩14,000 sea bream sashimi (100g)?

The sea bream sashimi (100g) is ₩14,000, with a chewy texture that ends in a gentle sweetness. It was one of my favorites of this meal.

The sea bream came fanned out neatly on a deep blue plate. The white, translucent flesh with a faint pink tinge looked lovely. The skin side had fine, dense scoring, and the tidy shape was impressive.

When I put a piece in my mouth, the springy texture came first. As I chewed, the flesh softened and a light savory depth and gentle sweetness spread. The skin was slightly chewy and the flesh moist, which made the chewing even more enjoyable. A little wasabi in soy sauce brought out the sea bream's nuttiness with its saltiness.

The radish sprouts and lemon served alongside added freshness and cleaned the palate nicely. I loved that you can fully enjoy the fish itself without any strong seasoning. If you like the chewy yet tender texture sea bream is known for, you'll be happy with this one.

How should you eat the ₩19,000 premium sea urchin roe (100g)?

The premium sea urchin roe (100g) is ₩19,000. It's good on its own, but putting a little rice on a sheet of seaweed and topping it with the roe makes the richness even fuller. It had the most special presence on the table that day.

Vivid orange sea urchin roe came packed tightly on a long white plate, and the color alone looked wonderful. Sea urchin is a seafood prized for its soft, rich texture, isn't it? When you carefully pick up a piece and put it in your mouth, it melts on your tongue and a deep, nutty flavor spreads.

A texture like soft cream filling your mouth, a faint scent of the sea, then a sweet savory finish! It was fun to slowly savor the deep, intense taste of the roe. I found it better to taste it little by little rather than all at once. ₩19,000 for 100g of premium sea urchin roe. If you love sea urchin, this one is worth a look.

What goes on the ₩14,000 assorted kaisendon?

The assorted kaisendon is ₩14,000: a big bowl topped with salmon, tuna, white fish and other seafood plus egg and tempura, served with seaweed. Kaisendon is a Japanese seafood rice bowl piled generously with seafood, and it had the flashiest look on the table that day.

The vivid orange of the thick salmon especially caught my eye. A bite of salmon was moist and soft with a nutty flavor. The white fish was springy yet light, and the tuna had a soft texture and rich savoriness. Each seafood had its own taste and texture, so picking among them was fun.

Scooping it up with rice, the moist fish and rice blended naturally into a more filling bite. The crunchy tempura added a different texture among the soft seafood. With the nutty egg too, I could enjoy a harmony of flavors within one bowl.

And of course there's the fun of wrapping rice and seafood in the seaweed that comes alongside! After tasting the seafood one kind at a time, eating several together felt like a whole new charm. Assorted kaisendon for ₩14,000! I'd recommend it when you want a satisfying meal of a generous seafood rice bowl.

Warm udon for ₩6,000 to go with the sushi

The udon is ₩6,000, topped with big tempura, seaweed and sliced green onion, and its warm broth was a nice companion between sushi and sashimi. When you're eating fresh sushi and cold sashimi, you start craving something hot, right? So I ordered udon too.

The udon came in a big white bowl with plenty of golden fried tempura on top, looking warm and hearty at first glance. The first sip of broth was salty with a gentle savory depth. As the warm broth went down, my mouth felt refreshed.

The thick, plump noodles were fun to slurp. They slid down smoothly but had a chewy spring when bitten, so the texture was good. The tempura on top was a treat. At first the crisp batter shattered lightly in my mouth, and dipped in broth it turned moist and nutty. The way the batter slowly soaked up the warm broth and softened over time was another charm.

With the seaweed and green onion, the broth got even deeper in flavor. A piece of sushi, then a sip of warm udon broth! The combination worked so well that I enjoyed it to the end.

Hanmac beer for ₩4,000 with the sashimi

A bottle of Hanmac beer at Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch was ₩4,000, and it went well with the sea bream sashimi, sea urchin roe and tempura. With all this good food on the table, a cold beer is a must, isn't it?

Pouring golden beer into a pretty glass, white foam rose up fluffily and looked so refreshing. After a sip of cold, crisp beer, a piece of sea bream sashimi made the fish's light flavor feel even fresher. It also went well with the nutty sea urchin roe, and especially with the crunchy tempura the beer tasted even better.

Chatting away in front of delicious food! Aren't little moments like this another joy of eating out? 😊

Who is Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch good for?

The atmosphere suits solo meals, dates, family outings, and office workers' lunch or dinner alike. The restaurant says it values offering premium sushi and sashimi made carefully with fresh ingredients every day at reasonable prices.

With a variety of sushi and sashimi that bring out the deep flavor of aged fish, plus kaisendon and seasonal dishes, you can find seafood to suit your taste. When I visited, the tables and tableware were neatly arranged too, and I could eat comfortably in a bright, pleasant space.

Jonggak Station's Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch: a ₩70,000 spread, summed up

What I liked most was getting assorted sushi, sea bream sashimi, premium sea urchin roe, assorted kaisendon, udon and beer for ₩70,000 in total at Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch near Jonggak Station. That meal was a treat for both the eyes and the mouth.

The colorful assorted sushi let me enjoy a different taste and texture in every fish, and the sea bream sashimi left an impression with its chewy texture and gentle savoriness. The sea urchin roe had a special rich flavor that melted softly in my mouth, and the seafood-packed kaisendon was satisfying all on its own. With warm udon and cold beer added, the dishes went well together too.

Each dish had its own charm, so picking among them was fun, and sharing the generous spread made the meal even more enjoyable. On a day you're craving fresh sushi near Jonggak Station, or want a generous helping of sashimi and kaisendon, you could enjoy a good meal at Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch. Time spent with good food always seems to stay in the memory. 🍣💕✨