Thicker salmon sushi and unlimited draft beer at Kuu Kuu, Nowon

Wait, was salmon sushi always this thick...?

That was honestly my first thought when I saw the salmon sushi at Kuu Kuu Nowon Branch after not visiting for a while, haha.

Kuu Kuu Nowon Branch is actually a pretty familiar spot for me. I'd already been visiting on my own dime here and there, and honestly the reason I go is basically... the salmon sushi, lol. I really love salmon. So even when I try other things at Kuu Kuu, I always end up circling back and just plowing through salmon. This time though, they'd apparently added raw salmon sashimi to the menu?! Couldn't resist that. I went in with high expectations, and for once I didn't just eat salmon — I actually ate a good variety of everything.

Location & hours of Kuu Kuu Nowon Branch

Kuu Kuu Nowon Branch is on the 6th floor of 247 Nowon-ro, Seoul.

The posted hours are Mon–Fri 11:00–21:30, Sat/Sun/holidays 11:00–22:00. Buffet food ends at 21:00, with last order at 20:30.

According to the store, dining time is 2 hours standard, or 1.5 hours if there's a wait. Parking is free for 2 hours if you use the Seoul Oncheon Building.

There's also a CatchTable waiting kiosk at the entrance. There were quite a few people the day I went too — still busy as ever, haha. I made a reservation the day before and visited on a weekday evening.

Let's check the usage guide too

As posted at the time of my visit:

• Weekday lunch ₩27,900
• Weekday dinner ₩31,900
• Weekend & holiday ₩35,900
• Elementary school: weekday lunch ₩16,900 / weekday dinner ₩17,900 / weekend & holiday ₩18,900
• Preschoolers 36 months and up: ₩9,900

If you're visiting with family, it might help to check the price board too :)

The place is huge, as expected

Kuu Kuu Nowon Branch is genuinely spacious and clean. It's a white-and-wood interior, so take a look at the photos for the overall vibe :) According to the store, it's over 300 pyeong. No wonder there were so many seats, haha.

When I visited, there happened to be a group dinner going on, so I couldn't get photos of the rooms — ugh. Seeing them in use like that made me realize a lot of groups must come here. According to the store, private spaces can be rented for 50, 80, or 300 people depending on numbers, rooms fit 40–60 minimum to maximum, and group seating fits 14–200.

From small family gatherings to big group dinners, you can check what fits your headcount. The room was actually in use for a group dinner the day I went, so I couldn't even get photos, haha. If you're looking for a family gathering spot or group dinner venue in Nowon, this space info might help :)

There's a kids zone too!

There's a separate kids zone toward the back. According to the signage, children up to age 7 can enter, and kids 8 and older aren't allowed in. Since the place is big and there's a kids zone, families with children might want to keep this in mind!

I imagine some of you are curious about the country of origin info too, so I've included a photo of that :)

Wait, why did the salmon get this thick...?

Alright, time to eat. No hesitation — straight to the salmon, haha. But after not coming for a while, why did the salmon on top of the sushi get so thick...? That was literally my first thought the second I saw it.

It was so thick I couldn't tell if I was eating sashimi or sushi, lol. The salmon had gotten seriously chunky. I'm a salmon fanatic, but I don't eat just any salmon (firmly). If it smells fishy or has that mushy texture, I won't touch it — but the salmon that day was firm, springy, and super fresh. I already liked the salmon sushi here, but seeing it this thick after a while made me genuinely happy🩵 According to the store, not just the salmon sushi but the halibut sushi has also been upgraded with bigger fish portions.

Wait, they added raw salmon sashimi too?!

And here's what I was most excited about this time — raw salmon sashimi!!! When I heard it was new, I'll admit it — I basically came here just for this, lol. According to the store, it's Norwegian raw salmon sashimi. Apparently it's not even available at the Kuu Kuu Gold branch!! And it's served on weekday dinners, weekends, and holidays. Honestly, I was just thrilled that raw salmon existed at all, haha (I love you, Kuu Kuu Nowon Branch🩵)

I tried it right away and oh my god... so good!!!!!! The salmon sushi getting thicker was already great, but with raw salmon sashimi too, I as a salmon fanatic was just thrilled, lol. That day, I was the salmon and the salmon was me, basically, lol.

But here's the funnier part — my partner. This person has really picky taste, especially with raw food, and doesn't even like salmon normally. But that day, after trying it, they said it tasted good today of all days and kept bringing over just salmon, lol. Wait, what?? They even took salmon off my plate. Sigh (I never share food, mind you...).

No time to just eat salmon

Normally when I come to Kuu Kuu, I eat almost entirely salmon. But this time, everything else felt upgraded too. The sushi overall was fresh, and everything I tried was well-seasoned. According to the store, the shrimp sushi has been upgraded to use peony shrimp. So this time, instead of just grabbing salmon over and over, I tried a bunch of other sushi too.

My mouth just doesn't get a break, haha

The menu is really varied, right? Normally I would've locked in on salmon only, but this time I kept bringing over one thing after another. Thanks to that... my mouth didn't get a moment's rest, lol.

Partner had LA galbi, I had lamb chops

While eating sushi, we also grabbed some meat. My partner must have liked the LA galbi (LA-style short ribs) — they went back for it multiple times, lol. I went for lamb chops!! They were delicious, so I grabbed a lot too. According to the store, the lamb chops are tender and full of that signature lamb flavor, and they're available all day.

We also grabbed two pieces of the newly added smoked duck and split them between us, haha. The chewy texture and versatility of the smoked duck — apparently it's served on weekday dinners, weekends, and holidays, so keep that in mind if you're interested :) After trying a bit of everything, I ended up back on lamb chops, lol. Partner on LA galbi, me on lamb chops — even in the same meat section, we clearly have our preferences, lol.

Wait, unlimited draft beer too?!

Unlimited draft beer at Kuu Kuu Nowon Branch!!? Oh...? was my reaction walking in—

According to the store, instead of Filite, they serve Terra and Kelly draft beer, and you can enjoy unlimited draft beer worth ₩5,900 for free. Beer lovers might want to keep this in mind too, haha.

Said I was full, then had dessert anyway

There was no way I'd say "okay, full, let's stop" — dessert time, lol. I usually always finish with lemon sorbet when I come here. But this time I also tried the marble ice cream. According to the store, marble ice cream used to be available only for weekday dinner, weekend, and holiday menus, but it's now been expanded to weekday lunch too. Marble ice cream that kids love, haha — I bet families will come for lunch during school breaks a lot. I went for dinner so it didn't matter for me, but I still had to show you the marble ice cream, right??? (Honestly I just wanted to try it myself...)

Where did the salmon-only person go, lol

Kuu Kuu Nowon Branch used to be, for me, basically a place I only went to for salmon sushi. But this time, I ate a real variety — raw salmon sashimi, halibut sushi, shrimp sushi, lamb chops, LA galbi, and more. You can probably tell how much I ate just from the photos... honestly there are photos I didn't even upload. Because I ate too much, lol.

Above all, the funniest part is still that my partner, who normally doesn't eat salmon, brought over their own salmon and ate it separately, lol. Them stealing my salmon is still the most absurd part.... lol. With a spacious store, group spaces, and even a kids zone, this could also be a good option for anyone looking for a family gathering spot in Nowon :)

One epilogue to add — after eating until I was completely stuffed and walking out... something suddenly hit me. Ah.. I never had the slushie.

Facepalm, lol. After eating that much, of course the one thing I forgot is what comes to mind. When there are too many options, this kind of thing happens... Next time I won't forget the slushie, lol.