Starfield Jongak basement sushi restaurant in Jongno: Choe Uyeong

My all-time favorite sushi place! The original Choe Uyeong Sushi is in Guro Digital Complex — great taste and even better value, so I go often. When I heard a Choe Uyeong Sushiya branch opened in Jongno too, I went in with high expectations!

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

Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch is at 7 Jongno 5-gil, B1, Jongno-gu, Seoul, in the basement of Starfield near Jongak Station. It's open daily from 11:00 to 21:30, with a break time from 15:00 to 17:00. Takeout, group dining, and delivery are all available.

Being right in the basement of Starfield near Jongak Station made it really easy to get to.

It's convenient to reach from Jongak Station and also an easy walk from the Gwanghwamun side, so it seems like a great lunch spot for office workers!

Sushi bar seats for solo diners, partitioned tables and tablet ordering

Walking into Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch, the first thing that caught my eye was the bright, clean interior. Personally I prefer sushi restaurants that look this clean, so I was happy right away!

There's sushi bar-style seating for office workers eating solo at lunch, so the vibe felt totally comfortable for dining alone too.

On the other hand, there's also seating for groups, divided by partitions, so it's a good spot to visit with friends or coworkers too.

You can order easily using a tablet or a QR code. Fast and convenient — I liked that a lot!

What we ordered at Choe Uyeong Sushiya

With the mindset of really eating well that day, we went all out~! We ordered the 17-piece premium sushi set, the top-grade kaisendon (seafood rice bowl), 2 pieces of fried scallop, and 2 pieces of fried mochi!

Pickled ginger and miso soup came out as complimentary sides too!

The 17-piece premium sushi set: what comes on the plate

Wow... the visual was just so pretty and radiant... A single plate arrived neatly loaded with a variety of sushi, and it was almost enough to fill me up just from looking ㅠㅜㅠ It felt like they'd prepared everything in case I didn't know which type I'd like! I loved being able to taste so many different kinds of sushi at once.

Sea urchin gunkan, scallop sushi, abalone sushi, red seabream sushi, monkfish liver and cuttlefish sushi, egg sushi, eel sushi — it was such a wide variety!

Above all, you could tell the neta (fish toppings) were substantial and made with care. Each piece of neta was so generous that when you put it in your mouth, it felt like it was packed full of fish. You could really taste the natural flavor of the ingredients, so there was fun in savoring each piece one by one, and since each type of sushi had its own different texture and taste as I worked through them, it was enjoyable. Just as expected from the Choe Uyeong Sushi I already loved — the taste and quality here are the real deal!!

How generous is the top-grade kaisendon?

Next up was the top-grade kaisendon!

With plenty of fresh seafood piled on top of the rice, it looked delicious right from the start! And of course, kaisendon tastes best wrapped in seaweed! I put a bit of rice and neta on, rolled it up in seaweed, and ate it in one bite... pure bliss....!!!😋

The kaisendon was also generously topped with a variety of neta. Tuna, salmon, red seabream, sea cucumber innards, eel, abalone — quite a few of the ingredients overlapped with what I'd tasted in the sushi.

Crispy fried scallop and fried mochi

We also tried 2 pieces of fried scallop and 2 pieces of fried mochi. The fried scallop was crispy outside and moist inside, great to pair alongside the sushi, and the fried mochi was crispy outside with a chewy inside — a fun texture!

That said, between the 17-piece premium sushi set and the kaisendon on top, we were... really, seriously full. None of the dishes here come in small portions, so if you're planning to order several things, order according to how many people are in your group!

The refreshing non-alcoholic yuzu drink

We paired the meal with a non-alcoholic yuzu drink, and the distinct tart-sweet flavor of yuzu came through strongly, pairing well with a variety of dishes like sushi and fried items. Especially after eating the fried pieces, one sip cleaned up the palate perfectly!

Is Choe Uyeong Sushiya worth it for proper sushi in Jongno?

Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch lets you feel every piece of sushi is properly made. Since I already loved the original Choe Uyeong Sushi in Guro Digital Complex, I had high expectations for the Jongno branch, and visiting in person, I loved the variety of sushi and the generous neta! I think this would be a solid pick for anyone looking for proper sushi in Jongno, a good sushi restaurant near Jongno, a good sushi restaurant near Gwanghwamun, or good sushi near Jongak Station!!