Nowon sushi buffet dinner with smoked duck and mala tang: Kuu Kuu

Weekday dinner after walking from Hagye Station

I had plans with my sister, who lives in Nowon, so we visited Kuu Kuu Nowon Branch (쿠우쿠우 노원점). It was about a 10-minute walk from Hagye Station on Line 7.

I arrived at 5 p.m. for weekday dinner. It was before the real dinner rush, so it was not too crowded yet. (After 6 p.m., it got absolutely packed.)

I heard it was over 300 pyeong, and it really was as spacious and pleasant as I had heard. The natural wood and white tones made it bright and relaxing. It was wide and clean, so it would be great for a Nowon family gathering or work dinner.

Unlimited draft beer free with a review

One amazing thing about Kuu Kuu in Nowon!!! Unlimited draft beer was free. Write a review and you can enjoy the ₩5,900 unlimited draft beer deal for free. How could I possibly resist~~!

You can pour as much as you want from the draft beer machine. So, so good.

A self-serve bar from Chinese dishes to warm foods

Here is the self-serve bar at Kuu Kuu Nowon Branch.

This unlimited buffet in Nowon had so many really premium-looking dishes. There was everything from guobaorou (crispy sweet-and-sour pork), palbochae (seafood and vegetable stir-fry), and dongpo pork—dishes that are expensive at Chinese restaurants—to mala tang (spicy numbing soup)!! It was my first time seeing mala tang at a buffet. Incredible. There were dim sum and dumplings too.

Warm foods that made my stomach feel happy.

There was a big variety of bunsik (Korean snack foods), including tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), fried sweet potato, gim-mari (fried seaweed rolls), fries, and cheese sticks. Pizza too.

That encroute soup was so, so delicious. I wanted another serving, but I was too full from trying everything else—that is my one regret. Kuu Kuu, a family-gathering spot in Nowon, had an enormous range of foods, including Chinese and Western dishes.

I heard Kuu Kuu Nowon Branch had introduced smoked duck this time. The color looked seriously amazing. It was chewy yet tender and went well with every kind of food. (Weekday dinner, weekend, and public-holiday menu only.)

There were lots of varieties of steamed seafood too. Mmm~~~ I want it again.

Botan shrimp sushi and sashimi varieties

Let me introduce the sushi selection at Kuu Kuu Nowon Branch.

Kuu Kuu Nowon Branch uses botan shrimp, which is said to give the shrimp even better flavor. Also, the flounder and salmon sushi have been upgraded with larger pieces of fish, so they fill your mouth.

There was plenty of sushi topped with pricier sashimi, such as fatty tuna belly and lobster sushi. This is exactly when you try it all. The snow-cheese salmon roll looked unreal too.

The fresh salmon sashimi was Norwegian fresh salmon sashimi that even Kuu Kuu Gold branches do not have, apparently. It is a weekday dinner, weekend, and public-holiday-only menu. There were lots of sushi varieties, plus fresh seafood such as mulhoe (spicy raw fish soup), soy-marinated crab, soy-marinated shrimp, and sashimi.

Dippin' Dots and desserts

Dippin' Dots!!!!!!!!! are normally a weekday dinner and weekend item, but Kuu Kuu Nowon Branch has been upgraded so you can enjoy them at lunch too. Kids love Dippin' Dots, so I think lots of families will come during school vacations.

There was a wide range of desserts and fruit, perfect for enjoying after the meal.

The staff kept baking waffles themselves and replenishing them. There was LA galbi (Korean-style grilled beef short ribs) too!!!!!!!!!!!!

Of course, this was not even everything, but I had a legendary food binge. The sashimi was fresh, the sushi was delicious, and the meat dishes were good too... I want to go again.

Why the new lamb chops were especially delicious

The lamb chops were newly introduced, apparently, and they were seriously so tender, with absolutely no gaminess. They were full of their distinct flavor and went perfectly with the cumin sprinkled on top. I think I ate three or four lamb chops alone. So good.

I finished with fruit, Dippin' Dots, and sorbet too. Palate cleanser, done~~!

Making Kuu Kuu chojang salmon kkakdugi

I saw this before and had wanted to try it, so I made it while I was here. Making salmon kkakdugi at Kuu Kuu..!

You are supposed to add sriracha to mayonnaise sauce, but there was none, so I just used chojang (sweet and tangy chili-vinegar sauce). Then I poured on only the flying fish roe from the tobiko gunkan sushi. The Kuu Kuu chojang salmon kkakdugi recipe....

Then add salmon sashimi and mix it all together, and the Kuu Kuu chojang salmon kkakdugi is done~! I tried it because it is supposed to be a Kuu Kuu secret combo. The chojang was tasty too.

Satisfied with it as a spacious group-meeting venue

The restaurant was spacious, and the food selection was both premium and plentiful, so I was satisfied. It can accommodate groups of up to 50, 80, or 300 like a private booking, so I really recommend it if you are looking for a group-meeting spot near Hagye Station in Nowon. I highly recommend Kuu Kuu Nowon Branch for unlimited sushi near Nowon's Hagye Station.