Jongno sushi for raw fish avoiders: torched egg nigiri, Choe Uyeong

Today I'm sharing my visit to Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch (최우영스시야 종로점), a truly great spot in the middle of Jongno where you get crazy-good fresh sushi at a great price. People who love raw fish and people who can't eat it went together, and everyone left totally satisfied. Here we go!

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

Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch is within a 5-minute walk of Jonggak Station Exit 1 and Gwanghwamun Station Exit 4. It's open daily 11:00–21:30, with a break from 15:00 to 17:00 and last order at 21:00.

• Getting there: within 5 minutes' walk of Jonggak Station Exit 1 and Gwanghwamun Station Exit 4
• Hours: daily 11:00–21:30 (break time 15:00–17:00 / last order 21:00)
• Features: private partitioned seats and solo-dining seats where nobody gives you a look!

Head down into the basement and you'll find it easily.

From private seats to solo-dining zone: the atmosphere

Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch isn't made of fully closed rooms, but there are quite a lot of partitioned seats that feel private, and plenty of single seats on one side. Inside, there were many seats where you can talk and eat fairly privately, so it looked great for dates or gatherings.

On one side there are also plenty of single seats perfect for dining solo, so it looked ideal for office workers near Jongno at lunch!

Every table is neatly set with gari-style pickled ginger, rakkyo (pickled scallions), soy sauce, small plates and cutlery. You order by simply tapping items into the cart on the tablet at your seat.

Please check out the menu! Some items aren't shown here though (like the udon dishes), so I recommend going and trying them.

What does a friend who can't eat raw fish order here?

For my friend who can't really eat raw fish, we picked single pieces of torched egg nigiri, cooked shrimp nigiri and salmon nigiri on the tablet to make a custom plate. Even choosing mostly cooked sushi, the plate came out plenty satisfying.

Before the meal, a hot, savory clear broth came out first, warming us right up while we got our soy sauce ready for the sushi. One of our group can't really eat raw fish, so we picked single items on the tablet and built a hearty custom plate!

Ta-da! The sushi we ordered first has arrived.

Torched egg nigiri

This isn't ordinary egg sushi: the surface is grilled with an amazing smoky char! The moment I took a bite, the fire flavor and the fluffy, nutty egg spread through my mouth. It was really good.

Cooked shrimp nigiri

Plump, springy shrimp with no dryness, topped with a generous drizzle of nutty mayo sauce. The savory mayo and the soy sauce make a sweet-and-salty combo that goes so well together!

Salmon nigiri (1 piece)

My friend can't eat raw fish but can eat a little salmon, so I ordered just 1 piece! It's piled with fresh onion tossed in mayo sauce, so even a raw-fish beginner ate it happily with no fishy taste at all.

What's in the 15-piece special set and the 17-piece top set?

The special set at Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch has 15 pieces and the top set has 17. My jaw dropped when I saw the ones we ordered.

Special set (15 pieces)

White fish, tuna, shrimp, eel, egg, and even a luxurious uni (sea urchin roe) gunkan (seaweed-wrapped sushi)! Fifteen pieces come packed in, and I thought, "This lineup at this price?" It's that good a value. Every cut was thick, chewy and fresh, and the bite was art.

Top set (17 pieces)

A premium lineup that adds abalone, a texture genius, and chewy, rich engawa (flounder fin) to the special set's flashy base. The moment it goes in your mouth, fresh richness bursts out, and I couldn't help exclaiming! Nothing here isn't delicious... love it!

Loaded udon and crispy mixed tempura

At Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch we added udon and mixed tempura as sides. The sides you can't skip with sushi were perfect too.

Udon

Wow, the udon arrived so heaped with tempura crumbs, crab meat and fried tofu that you couldn't see a single noodle inside! We each scooped some onto a small plate and shook on plenty of shichimi (Japanese chili blend), and the deep, rich broth gained a spicy kick. The broth was truly top-notch.

Mixed tempura (3 shrimp + 1 sweet potato)

It comes with 3 big, plump shrimp tempura and 1 sweet potato tempura. The batter isn't too salty and is fried so lightly it goes crunch with every bite. Even the soft, sweet sweet potato tempura inside was flawless, a perfect finish!

Who is Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch for?

At a kind price, I stuffed myself with fresh sushi and a flashy lineup that makes omakase jealous, here at Choe Uyeong Sushiya in Jongno! If you want a gathering in a private, tidy setting, or an easy solo-dining spot in the middle of Jongno, I recommend going without hesitation!

Next time I'll come for a date with kaisendon (sashimi rice bowl) and sashimi with a glass of beer!