Jongak Station sushi with 13,000-won mixed tempura: Choe Uyeong

I went to a sushi restaurant a friend who works in Jongno recommended to me. She eats lunch and dinner in Jongno on weekdays, and she said straight up, "If you're going to eat sushi in Jongno, go here." Neighbor bloggers had good reviews too, so I went. A definite repeat visit.

Where is Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch? 235 m from Jongak Station, basement 1F of TOWER8

Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch sits roughly between Jongak Station and Gwanghwamun Station. The building is large, so there are several ways to reach it, but the big TOWER8 sign at the entrance made it easy to find.

You can take the ground-level elevator down at TOWER8, or open the building door and take the stairs. The big buildings around here are connected, so you can also reach the basement floor via the ground-level escalator in front of the GS E&C headquarters. We came from Cheonggyecheon Stream after chatting there, and it's a close walk. Being near Cheonggyecheon, it's a good addition to a date course too.

Seating at Choe Uyeong Sushiya: bar seats that work for solo diners

On one side of Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch there are bar-style seats that looked fine for people eating alone, and further in there are table seats for 2–4 people. Every seat had a tablet.

The Jongak area sees a lot of office workers eating out, and this place looked comfortable whether you're having a solo lunch or coming with coworkers. It's a clean, tidy restaurant, so there were couples on dates too.

Hours, break time and last order

• Address: 서울 종로구 종로5길 7 지하 1층 104호 (basement 1F, TOWER8, Jongno-gu, Seoul)
• Hours: Daily 11:00–21:30
• Break time: 15:00–17:00
• Last order: 21:00
• Takeout, delivery, and group use available

The menu: sushi sets, sashimi platters, tempura and udon

Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch has more than just sushi sets — there are side dishes like sashimi platters, tempura, and udon.

We ordered the choisang sushi set at ₩27,000, the premium geuksang sushi set at ₩33,000, and the mixed tempura at ₩13,000, which my friend insisted we order along with everything else.

Choisang sushi set, 27,000 won

Flounder fin, steamed abalone, flounder, salmon, red seabream, bluefin tuna, squid, red shrimp, egg, seasonal sushi, tuna belly, sea urchin gunkan, sea cucumber innards gunkan, negitoro, scallop, freshwater eel, and crab sushi.

Premium geuksang sushi set, 33,000 won

This one packed in even more: flounder fin, steamed abalone, flounder, salmon, red seabream, bluefin tuna, squid, monkfish liver, red shrimp, sea urchin, egg, seasonal sushi, tuna belly, sea urchin gunkan, sea cucumber innards gunkan, negitoro, scallop, freshwater eel, and crab sushi.

When I stirred the warm soup with a spoon, it clearly wasn't just plain miso — a strong shrimp aroma rose up. Just from that first soup, I could tell they'd put real effort into their ingredients.

Why a Jongak office worker recommended Choe Uyeong Sushiya

The slices of raw fish on top of the sushi weren't small or thin — they were thick and generously sized, so you really felt the texture. It felt like properly eating a piece of fish. The sashimi's condition and thickness satisfied me more than what I'd expected from my friend's description — I think I'll become a regular here. ❤️❤️

Mixed tempura, 13,000 won: shrimp, sweet potato, scallop and chewy mochi

The mixed tempura surprised me the moment it arrived — clean golden color and huge pieces. It had big shrimp, sweet potato, scallop, and even chewy mochi tempura inside. The shrimp were 1.5 to 2 times the size of the small shrimp tempura you get at most Japanese restaurants, and the batter wasn't a thick coating — it was thin, with the crispy 'tempura flower' texture intact, giving a light, crunchy bite. A definite repeat visit.

The owner had a really friendly presence. They clearly used good ingredients, and the frying skills were excellent. I've occasionally been let down by tempura at Japanese restaurants even when everything else was great, but here the meal was satisfying from start to finish.

I never really buy udon when eating out, since I feel like it's something I could easily make at home. But this was the first time at a Japanese restaurant I found myself expecting that this owner's udon might be something different. I was too full to order more, but if I go back, I definitely want to try the other menu items. 👍👍👍👍