Jongak Station sushi with 6,000-won shrimp tempura udon: Choe Uyeong

I had an errand near Gwanghwamun, so I stopped by Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch near Jongak Station. The menu ranged from sushi to kaisendon (seafood rice bowl), udon, and tempura — let me walk you through it.

Where is Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch, and what are the hours?

• Location: B1, 104-ho, 7 Jongno 5-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
• Hours: Daily 11:00–21:30 (break time 15:00–17:00 / last order 21:00)
• Restroom: Available in the building (separated by gender)
• Parking: Free for 2 hours
• Takeout/Delivery: Available
• Group seating: Available
• Corkage: Available (₩3,000 per bottle)
• Pets: Not allowed
• Accessibility: Wheelchair-accessible entrance, seating, restroom / disabled parking spot

Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch is about a 3-minute walk from Exit 1 of Jongak Station, or about 7 minutes from Exit 4 of Gwanghwamun Station. It's on the basement floor, but there's a sign board on the ground floor, so it wasn't hard to find even on a first visit. The basement has a whole restaurant row, which made it a convenient spot for nearby office workers to grab lunch or dinner.

The menu board at the entrance and the takeout-only kiosk

At the entrance of Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch, you could check the menu and prices ahead of time. From sashimi to sushi sets, à la carte sushi ranging from ₩1,000 to ₩3,000 per piece, kaisendon, tempura, and side dishes — there was quite a lot of variety. You could also pick and add just the sushi you wanted, which seemed convenient for ordering to taste.

On one side there was a separate takeout-only kiosk, so if you're not eating in and just picking up food, you can order right there.

Inside Choe Uyeong Sushiya: solo seats to group tables

The inside was bigger than I expected. There were solo seats as well as tables for larger groups, so both solo dining and group meals worked fine. Each seat had a tablet for ordering, so you could order comfortably without calling a staff member over.

Once I sat down and looked at the menu again, I noticed there was also udon that I hadn't seen on the entrance menu board. I was especially hungry that day, so sushi alone felt like it wouldn't be enough, and I ended up ordering a bunch of stuff haha.

After ordering, a warm broth came out right away, which was perfect for getting the appetite going before the main event.

What we ordered: 17-piece premium sushi, kaisendon, udon and three tempura

I ordered the 17-piece premium sushi, top-tier kaisendon, shrimp tempura udon, scallop tempura, sweet potato tempura, and king shrimp tempura. The premium sushi and kaisendon came out first, and the moment they landed on the table, the portions looked more generous than expected — plenty even for two people.

Then the shrimp tempura udon and the tempura all arrived too, so I snapped a full spread shot before digging in…

The 6,000-won shrimp tempura udon, with three shrimp

It was chilly out that day, so I started with the warm shrimp tempura udon haha. It's ₩6,000, but it came with three whole shrimp tempura! With the noodles and toppings so generous, one bowl alone was already filling.

Given the price, both the portion and the overall composition felt great — this ended up being the best value item of everything I ordered that day.

Top-tier kaisendon with uni, abalone and crab meat

After getting through some of the udon, I moved on to the top-tier kaisendon alongside it.

Salmon, tuna, uni, abalone, shrimp, and more were all piled generously into one bowl. They scooped up a full spoonful and topped it off…

Eating the shrimp, tuna, uni, and crab meat all together, the different textures mixed and the sea flavor came through strongly haha.

I also wrapped some in seaweed just for fun, and that combo worked really well too. Since the sashimi cuts were thick to begin with, even just one or two pieces filled my mouth, and it was more filling than I expected.

The 17-piece premium sushi, including eel and egg sushi

But the feast didn't stop there… next up, the 17-piece premium sushi...! With 17 pieces total, it wasn't just the same types repeated — it had fish, seafood, gunkan (battleship rolls), egg, and eel all mixed in.

Personally, the eel sushi and egg sushi were the standouts. The eel had soft flesh that paired well with the sweet sauce, and the egg was moist rather than dry, tasting better than I expected. Overall the ingredients were cut generously large, so each piece felt quite substantial.

King shrimp, sweet potato and scallop tempura

Finally I got to the tempura I'd been saving for last.

The king shrimp tempura was big, true to its name haha. The shrimp meat was plump and the outside was crispy, so eating it warm made it even better.

I cut into the sweet potato tempura right away too.

Inside was a whole chunk of sweet potato. The outside was crispy while the inside was sweet, and it paired well as a side after the sushi. The scallop tempura was crispy while still keeping its signature soft texture, and it was tasty all the way to the last bite.

Is Choe Uyeong Sushiya worth it near Jongak Station and Gwanghwamun?

I had a generous meal at Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch, from sushi to kaisendon, udon, and tempura. With options at every price point from à la carte sushi to set menus, it was easy to order according to taste, and portions overall were on the generous side. The ₩6,000 shrimp tempura udon in particular felt like great value for the price, and the 17-piece premium sushi had a nicely varied lineup without repeats.

With seating that works for solo dining as well as groups, plus takeout ordering, it seemed convenient for office workers nearby. If you're looking for a good sushi restaurant in Jongno, a sushi spot near Jongak Station, or somewhere to get sushi or kaisendon near Gwanghwamun, this place might be worth checking out.