Nowon sushi buffet dongpa-jok and birthday discount: Kuu Kuu

Kuu Kuu has always been one of my go-to spots for a Nowon family gathering, and when I heard they'd dropped some incredible new menu items, I had to go on a weekday evening. The upgraded, plump and chewy raw salmon sushi and raw salmon sashimi were brand new, plus I got to enjoy dongpa-jok (braised pork trotter), lamb ribs with zero gamey smell, gelato, and marble ice cream. Here's my full rundown of Kuu Kuu Nowon Branch, from the new menu to my honest thoughts after eating.

Where is Kuu Kuu Nowon Branch, and where do you park?

Kuu Kuu Nowon Branch is near Hagye 1-dong Community Center, on the 6th floor of 247 Nowon-ro, Nowon-gu, Seoul, South Korea. Parking is available inside the Seoul Onchun building.

Kuu Kuu Nowon Branch sits right near the Hagye 1-dong Community Center.

🚦Parking is available inside the Seoul Onchun building

• ✔️ Up to 2 hours free parking
• ✔️ 4,000 won per 30 minutes after the free period

The Hagye Techno Town underground lot is also an option, but it's only open for parking on Saturdays.

Kuu Kuu Nowon Branch prices and how the birthday discount works

Prices at Kuu Kuu Nowon Branch are 31,900 won for weekday dinner and 27,900 won for weekday lunch. Stack the birthday discount on top and it gets even cheaper.

💸 Kuu Kuu Nowon Branch prices

• Weekday lunch 27,900 won
• Weekday dinner 31,900 won
• Weekend / holiday 35,900 won
• Elementary school 16,900 – 18,900 won
• Preschool 9,900 won

Check the latest Kuu Kuu prices before you go. I had no idea, since it's not really advertised, but there's actually a birthday discount?🤨 It's only for the birthday person during their birthday month — 5,000 won off for middle schoolers and up, 3,000 won off for elementary and preschool age. You'll need to bring an ID or a copy.

I heard this branch was chosen as an outstanding Kuu Kuu franchise location for 2026, and I get why. The food quality is better than other branches, and the turnover and food management are quick, so most of what you grab is still hot.

Normally the unlimited draft beer at Kuu Kuu is 5,900 won, but apparently it's free if you write a Naver review ✔️ Check the free unlimited draft beer review event and the birthday discount event before you visit!

New at Kuu Kuu: raw salmon sushi and sashimi

The big new item at Kuu Kuu Nowon Branch this time is the upgraded raw salmon sushi and raw salmon sashimi. There was zero fishy smell, which honestly surprised even me, since I'm picky about salmon.

I'd heard Kuu Kuu's raw salmon got an upgrade, and sure enough — no fishy taste at all, just melts in your mouth. I'm sensitive to fishy flavors and usually pick around even mild white fish, let alone salmon. But this had truly zero fishy taste, so soft and smooth! I couldn't believe a buffet could pull off this quality🥹

There are dozens of sushi and gunkan (nori-wrapped) options — tuna belly sushi, flounder sushi, tuna sushi, yellowtail sushi, various shrimp sushi, squid sushi, freshwater eel sushi, monkfish liver gunkan, and more. I especially love shrimp sushi, and there are more than five kinds — soy-sauce shrimp, cheese shrimp, grilled lemon shrimp, egg shrimp sushi — so I grabbed a variety of them.

There's also soy-marinated crab, soy shrimp, cold raw fish soup and other sashimi and jang (marinated seafood) items, and this time the new raw salmon sashimi debuted! People were lining up for it. Since it's genuinely raw salmon, the quality really shows.

Hot food: lamb ribs, dongpa-jok braised pork trotter, mala shrimp

The hot food corner at Kuu Kuu Nowon Branch has lamb ribs, pork rib BBQ, LA galbi, dongpa-jok made from pork trotter, and mala shrimp. There's also an en croute soup with warm broth and pastry on top.

There's a range of meat dishes prepared — lamb ribs, pork rib BBQ, smoked pork belly, smoked pork neck, crinkle-cut chicken, and more.

Steamed shrimp and steamed crab are on offer with plastic gloves provided, so I picked the meat out by hand — there's a decent amount of meat and it's tasty.

Butter cheese corn, grilled king oyster mushrooms, sausages, grilled vegetables — I love grilled veggies, so it was great to have this much variety.

There are also three kinds of pasta and three kinds of pizza, and that day's gorgonzola pizza was genuinely 👍🏻 — it wasn't gorgonzola in name only, there was actually a generous amount of gorgonzola cheese, so I ate two slices. The new pancake pizza was fluffy too, with a taste and texture kids in particular would love!

LA galbi, a favorite with adults, and the dongpa-jok that hit exactly my taste — lots of dishes I hadn't seen before. The pork trotter was super tender and the dongpa sauce soaked right in, so good..🤤 I brought over white rice and just kept eating dongpa-jok haha.

Mala shrimp, cream shrimp, chili shrimp — enough to make any shrimp lover lose their mind. They're still good even a bit cooled down, but fresh out! It's crispy and delicious, exactly like something from a real specialty restaurant.

Steamed clams, doganitang (bone marrow soup), samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup), sweet pumpkin porridge — and there's mala tang too, though it's not pictured!

On top of that, there are made-to-order dishes like jjajangmyeon, jjamppong, udon, cold buckwheat noodles, fried shrimp, fried crab meat, chicken drumsticks, corn dogs, french fries — a real all-round buffet spread, not just a sushi buffet.

Desserts: gelato, marble ice cream and crepe cake

The dessert corner at Kuu Kuu Nowon Branch has gelato, marble ice cream, chocolate fondue, choux pastries, and crepe cake. The gelato flavors had changed since my last visit a few months ago.

Kuu Kuu's gelato isn't just plain ice cream — it's actually thick and chewy like real gelato. My favorite used to be the cheesecake flavor, but it had changed by this visit a few months later. Marble ice cream in chocolate-vanilla plus chocolate gelato together is basically heaven.

There's chocolate fondue too, good for dipping waffles, along with fondue add-ins like marshmallows and pretzel sticks — plenty of snacks kids would love.

Kuu Kuu is honestly a bit of a hidden dessert spot. If you go, make sure to try the choux pastries and crepe cake. The yellow cheese crepe, matcha crepe, and chocolate crepe all have incredibly rich, thick cream, and the choux isn't just some lazy custard-mix filling — it's custard mixed with fresh cream, so it's not greasy at all and tastes great.

Orange, Korean melon, watermelon, melon, pineapple, apple, banana — the fruit seems to change a bit with the season.

Old-school patbingsu, sikhye (sweet rice drink), four kinds of slush, plum juice, lychee juice, tea bags. Just one of these alone fills you up fast, so it's nice to just pick out your favorites.

Is Kuu Kuu Nowon Branch worth it for a family gathering in Nowon?

I only took small portions of what I wanted, and the table was still packed! At Kuu Kuu Nowon Branch's weekday dinner, my favorites were the lamb ribs, dongpa-jok, and raw salmon sushi.

I had zero expectations for the lamb ribs, but there was no smell at all and it was way tastier than expected. My friend who came along only piled up lamb ribs and salmon on one whole plate. You absolutely have to try the dongpa-jok made from pork trotter — especially fresh and warm, it's the best!

The mala shrimp chicken was also great fresh and hot, and honestly, look at the color on that salmon sushi in the photo. My taste buds are so sensitive that even at dedicated salmon restaurants I often leave food behind if it's even a little fishy. But the salmon at Kuu Kuu that day was just so good!!

The crepe cake I raved about wasn't colored with dye either — it seemed to be made with actual yellow cheese powder, matcha, and cocoa powder, because the cream was seriously delicious! Fresh waffles paired with whipped cream and apple jam were also 🤤

With so many great items, from various marble ice creams to gelato, this is a real find for a Nowon family gathering. If you're deciding on a spot for a company dinner, I'd recommend Kuu Kuu!