Jongak Station sushi restaurant with 3,000-won corkage: Choe Uyeong
In short
Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch is a sushi restaurant on the basement level of Tower 8 Building, next to the Lemeilleur Building in Gwanghwamun, near Jongak Station in Jongno, Seoul. Two of us shared the premium sushi set for 33,000 won and shrimp tempura udon for 6,000 won, and the fish was cut about twice as thick as usual, so the eel and abalone sushi had to be split in half to eat. With corkage at 3,000 won and bar seats as well as group tables, Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch works just as well for a solo meal after work.
Good to know
- Premium sushi set
- 33,000 won
- Shrimp tempura udon
- 6,000 won (3 pieces of shrimp tempura)
- Corkage
- 3,000 won
- Seating
- Bar seats for solo diners through to group tables
- Location
- Basement level of Tower 8 Building, next to the Lemeilleur Building in Gwanghwamun
as written by the visitor on Sep 6, 2026
Where is Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch? Basement of Tower 8 Building
Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch is a Jongno sushi restaurant on the basement level of Tower 8 Building, right next to the Gwanghwamun Lemeilleur Building. I heard the Guro sushi spot now has a Jongak branch too, so I rushed right over, haha!
If you work in Gwanghwamun, you probably know this spot — it's in the basement of the building with Gimi Jones and Lisar Café.
Head down to the basement from the corridor side of that Lisar building and you'll find it easily.
This is Tower 8 Building! The location is perfect for a lunch break or right after work. I'd also recommend it for a work lunch gathering.
Why so many diners eat alone here after work
Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch has such great value pricing that a lot of office workers come here alone after work! The moment it hit 6pm on a Friday, solo diners started filling the seats.
Corkage is only 3,000 won, which makes it such an easy place to grab a simple meal!! A 3,000-won corkage fee these days — that's such a steal, honestly.
From sushi to kaisendon (seafood rice bowl) to tempura, the menu had so much variety I loved it. It's the kind of place where anyone can order something to their taste.
The seating was also spacious, ranging from bar seats for solo diners to group tables.
The sushi selection was really varied too. Plus you can order individual sushi pieces on top of whatever else you get! It was a great spot to order udon or another dish and add one or two extra sushi pieces alongside.
The 33,000-won premium sushi set and 6,000-won shrimp tempura udon
- Premium sushi set: ₩33,000
- Shrimp tempura udon: ₩6,000
There were two of us, so we ordered the udon too!! A premium sushi set — the name alone got me excited.
The table had rakkyo (pickled shallots), ginger, and soy sauce set out simply. As someone who loves rakkyo, having it ready as a side like this was so convenient.
Ta-da!!! They called it a premium set and it really did arrive as a lavish sushi spread.
A simple fried tofu soup came alongside it too.
And then the shrimp tempura udon we'd ordered arrived, and wow... the size was insane haha. We were expecting a side-dish-sized udon, but it came out bigger than what you'd get at most udon-specialty restaurants — such great value. For 6,000 won, it even had three pieces of shrimp tempura inside!!!
Fish cut twice as thick: the giant sushi we split in half
The sushi at Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch had thick-cut fish across the board, and the quality of the aged sashimi was so good it surprised me. Can you see they topped it with a whole abalone?? The fish was cut nearly twice as thick compared to other places!!
The pieces were almost too big to eat in one bite, so the eel and abalone sushi ended up being split in half haha. Such generous portion sizes for sushi~! If you're after giant sushi, I'd recommend Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch.
It's a shrimp-and-uni (sea urchin) combo, and this is the first sushi place I've found that piles on this much uni!! Getting a mouthful of uni like this was genuinely moving~!
The flounder sashimi was really thick too. Fish cut this thick on sushi!! I feel like you could fill up just eating the sashimi pieces alone.
The salmon melted in my mouth and was delicious too.
This one seemed to be yellowtail? The sashimi was genuinely chewy in the best way.
And another gunkan roll piled with even more uni!!
Is the 6,000-won shrimp tempura udon big? About four mini udon bowls
We ate the udon too, and I'd highly recommend it as a side dish.
The shrimp tempura was really thick too, and once portioned out into side bowls, it felt like about four servings of a mini udon haha. Sprinkled with shichimi (Japanese seven-spice) on top for a bit of heat, it was such a delicious udon!!
I was satisfied enough with this sushi restaurant that I'd want to come back. I get why office workers stop by here alone after work~! Highly recommend Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch.
Where it is
7 Jongno 5-gil, B1 104, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea서울특별시 종로구 종로5길 7 지하1층 104호
