Jongno sushi restaurant with sashimi: Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch

As the weather turned cooler, I started craving some delicious sushi. I met a friend at Jonggak Station, and while looking for a nearby sushi spot, we visited Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch.

Getting to Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch from Jonggak Station

It is located at B1F, Unit 104, 7 Jong-ro 5-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea (서울 종로구 종로5길 7 지하1층 104호). It is open daily from 11:00 to 21:30, with a break from 15:00 to 17:00 and last orders at 21:00. Parking is free for two hours.

Come out of Exit 1 at Jonggak Station and walk straight ahead. The building after Gran Seoul is TOWER 8; head inside rather than staying on the main road, and you will see the Choe Uyeong Sushiya sign announcing a sushi specialty restaurant. Take the elevator down to B1.

The clean white exterior and blue lighting caught my eye right away. A large menu board stands beside the entrance, so you can check the sashimi and sushi-set options before going in.

Seating for solo diners through groups of four

There are plenty of options, from counter seats that are great for dining alone to tables for two and four, so you can eat in a comfortable, hygienic setting. Cat-illustration posters throughout the restaurant added a cute touch. Ordering was easy through the tablet installed at each table.

Each table comes with Choe Uyeong Seafood's house-made soy sauce, rakgyo (pickled scallions), and pickled ginger, which you can portion into your own small dish. Warm, savory miso soup is also served as part of the basic setting.

Ordering assorted sashimi and premium sushi

The menu had a wide range of sashimi, sushi sets, individually selected sushi, kaisendon (seafood rice bowl), and fried dishes. Sashimi was divided into tiers, from assorted sashimi at ₩40,000 to special sashimi at ₩70,000, while sushi sets ranged from a 12-piece assorted sushi set at ₩13,000 to a 17-piece premium top-grade sushi set at ₩33,000.

• Assorted sashimi ₩40,000
• Premium sushi ₩27,000

The assorted sashimi and premium sushi arrived on separate plates. I was honestly startled by how substantial they looked—I almost mistook the sushi from this Jongno favorite for sashimi at first glance.

Premium sushi from tuna to abalone

As expected from a high-end sushi lineup, the plate held a variety of pieces including fatty tuna, sweet shrimp, scallop, eel, egg, gunkan sushi, and abalone. The fresh, thick tuna had a tender grain, and every ingredient clung beautifully to the palate—the freshness and quality were outstanding.

I added wasabi soy sauce to the shrimp sushi. Its springy texture and just-right amount of rice made it completely delicious.

Assorted sashimi with generous, thick cuts

The assorted sashimi came piled onto a large plate with several kinds, including tuna, salmon, scallop, yukhoe (Korean-style seasoned raw beef), sea bream, and more. Lemon slices added some color. The quality and presentation were so impressive that it was hard to believe the price was ₩40,000.

The nutty sea bream became more flavorful as I chewed, combining its characteristically clean taste with a pleasantly chewy skin. The yukhoe sashimi was not tough at all; it grew chewier with each bite while its savory umami filled my mouth.

The spread was genuinely generous: tender yet chewy spear squid, soft and rich scallop, translucent flounder sashimi with an excellent firm bite, and deeply savory crab meat that was perfect alongside the sashimi. Each piece was sliced thick, creating a satisfyingly full mouthful from the very first bite, and there was not a trace of any fishy odor—only the natural freshness of the seafood. Anyone who loves fresh premium raw fish would be sure to enjoy this quality.

At Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch, my friend and I shared assorted sashimi and premium sushi and enjoyed an excellent meal. I would recommend it without hesitation to anyone wanting properly high-quality sushi and fresh sashimi near Jonggak or Gwanghwamun. The value for the quality makes it a lovely, low-pressure date option, and it is also a very satisfying place for a neat solo meal or dinner with a light drink.