Cuttlefish sashimi, sushi and kaisendon at Choe Uyeong Sushiya, Jongno

Jongno and Gwanghwamun have been really buzzing lately, with events even happening down at Cheonggyecheon stream. So I went hunting for a fresh, high-quality, and good-value sushi restaurant right in the middle of this busy downtown area — and found one. I came away stuffed after enjoying premium sushi, kaisendon (seafood rice bowl), and even cuttlefish sashimi.

Hours and how to get there

Hours Daily 11:00–21:30 Break time 15:00–17:00 Last order 21:00

📍 How to get there It's located right in the center of Jongno, between Jonggak Station and Gwanghwamun. The accessibility is great, so it's a good spot for office workers in the area to stop by during lunch. By subway, it's about a 3–5 minute walk from Exit 1 of Jonggak Station, or about a 7 minute walk from Exit 2 of Gwanghwamun Station. Two hours of free parking is also available!

It's worth checking the menu board and the country-of-origin labels carefully before you order — that way you won't go wrong. They use aged fish made fresh daily, and you can enjoy it in sushi, kaisendon, or plain sashimi form.

A dachi bar that's comfortable for solo dining

Since this Jongno branch just opened recently, it has that clean, bright, brand-new feel. What stood out most was how much space there was between tables. The seats look like bar tables, but apparently they're called "dachi." There were plenty of solo seats too, perfect for eating or drinking alone. The wall seats have backs that double as partitions, separating you from other groups, which made it nice to chat with company while eating. Overall it has a clean but relaxed, casual vibe.

Since it was a special occasion, I went for a fairly hearty meal. You can combine main dishes like sushi sets or kaisendon with tempura or a plate of your favorite sashimi, so it took me a good while to decide.

Premium sushi, 17 pieces for ₩33,000

Wait, why is this abalone piece so huge? My first impression was just how chunky the neta (the fish topping on sushi) was. I saw ingredients here that you'd never find in a cheap sushi set — sea urchin, tuna, eel, flounder, red sea bream, salmon, and more. Even someone like me who doesn't know much about sashimi could tell this was a lavish spread.

I wonder if the glossy sheen comes through in the photos? There were even two pieces of flounder fin sushi. The composition was varied enough that you wouldn't get tired of it. Each piece felt satisfyingly heavy on the chopsticks and went down smoothly with nothing to snag on — truly living up to the "premium" name.

Premium kaisendon, ₩25,000

This was my first time trying kaisendon — apparently it's a dish where seafood is placed on top of rice. It was packed generously with premium ingredients, making for a truly filling bowl.

The sweet eel melted in my mouth with absolutely no fishy taste — it was good enough that you could add it as a standalone dish. Wrapping the rice and sashimi together in seaweed was tasty too.

Cuttlefish sashimi, ₩10,000

This cuttlefish sashimi has a chewy, springy texture that's quite different from regular squid sashimi. It would probably taste great dipped in soy sauce, but dipping it in chogochujang (vinegared chili paste) with radish sprouts made the umami really pop. The rice isn't seasoned too strongly either, so you can focus entirely on the fish — I think even kaisendon purists would enjoy this.

It was a shame I missed early-summer cuttlefish season, but thanks to this modest side-dish portion, I still got to try it. That chewy texture, so different from regular fish, is really appealing. Squeezing on some lemon juice makes the sweetness even cleaner.

Sushi or kaisendon — which to choose?

It's hard to find this kind of quality for around ₩30,000 a person — I felt like I ate my fill of delicious sashimi without holding back. Both dishes come with a great lineup of fish, so if you like your rice and sashimi in fixed, even portions, go for the sushi; if you'd rather enjoy everything comfortably in one bowl to your own taste, go for the kaisendon. If you're looking for a good-value sushi restaurant around Jonggak or Gwanghwamun, this one's worth a visit!