Nowon sushi buffet dinner with yukhoe jjolmyeon: Kuu Kuu

My family loves Kuu Kuu so much that we visit regularly🥰

A 6 PM visit and the spacious restaurant

Ahh, Kuu Kuu for the first time in a while❗️ I was worried there might be a wait, but since I went around 6 PM, thankfully there was no waiting! But from around 7 PM? It got absolutely packed haha.

As you’d expect from a great buffet, there were loads of seats and the place was spacious. Kuu Kuu Nowon Branch has natural wood and white décor, so it felt bright and comfortable inside~ It has a roomy, pleasant space of more than 300 pyeong, and apparently groups of 50, 80, or even 300 can use separate spaces almost like a private rental. It seems perfectly set up for family gatherings, company dinners, or events!

• Private room: minimum 40 to maximum 60 people
• Group seating: minimum 14 to maximum 200 people

Normally, unlimited draft beer costs extra, but currently, if you write a review, unlimited draft beer worth ₩5,900 is free❗️ I like that the Nowon branch serves actual Terra and Kelly draft beer, not Filite🥰

Rolls and gunkan that my parents loved

I’m more of a sushi person than a roll person, so I didn’t try them, but my parents were super happy with them~

They said the California roll, salmon roll, and shrimp roll were delicious❗️

The octopus wasabi gunkan (battleship-style sushi) and yukhoe gunkan were ridiculously good!! They said the flying-fish-roe yaki was decent too.

Fresh salmon sashimi and sushi

There were soy-marinated shrimp, soy-marinated crab, mulhoe (cold spicy raw-fish soup), tuna, and more. A huge plus at the Nowon branch is that it has Norwegian fresh salmon sashimi, which isn’t even available at Kuu Kuu Gold branches. The salmon really melted in my mouth🤤 Just note that it’s a weekday dinner, weekend, and public-holiday item, so it isn’t available at lunch😉

This is the sushi corner❗️ I didn’t have huge expectations since this isn’t a Gold branch, but there were more varieties of sushi than I expected.

I was curious because I’d heard the flounder and salmon sushi had been upgraded. Maybe because the fish pieces were bigger than before, both the flounder and salmon really filled my mouth~ But the fresh salmon sushi was especially delicious😍

The shrimp sushi was upgraded with botan shrimp too, and you could really taste more of the shrimp flavor—it got sweeter the more I chewed❗️ As a serious shrimp lover, I was happy😍

Among the meat options, I liked the yukhoe sushi, Gwangyang sirloin sushi, and yukhoe tataki sushi. Basically, anything with shrimp or salmon in it was delicious😉 Watching the video makes me crave Kuu Kuu again😋 Since I went around 6 PM, the turnover wasn’t very quick, so I think going around 7 PM would mean even tastier food❗️

Yukhoe jjolmyeon and salads

The yukhoe (seasoned raw beef) at this Nowon branch is seriously delicious. The yukhoe at other branches is usually just so-so, but here it had lots of seasoning and was so good!! Mix the yukhoe with jjolmyeon (chewy spicy noodles) and it’s a double-flavor event⭐️

There were all kinds of salads too, and the salmon salad was especially good!! Whenever I go to Kuu Kuu, I think I just destroy the salmon hahaha.

From lamb chops to fried shrimp

They also introduced lamb chops available all day, and they were soft with lots of that distinctive lamb flavor! The chili shrimp and cream shrimp were especially tasty too hahaha🍤

Smoked duck is also available for weekday dinner, weekends, and public holidays. It had a nice chewy texture and a flavor that went well with the other dishes. The steamed shrimp was so good too❗️ Dip it in chojang (sweet-tangy chili sauce) and enjoy that bouncy, sweet shrimp flavor🤩

I also had dogani seolleongtang (ox-knee soup), and it was full of tender ox knee with no unpleasant smell!! The chicken wings and drumettes were good, and though they’re not in the photo, there’s fried shrimp right next to them??? It’s one of my Kuu Kuu top three recommendations😍 You have to try it!!

The pepperoni pizza was good. I always have the en croûte soup whenever I go to Kuu Kuu, but this time I skipped it because I was too full🥹 Personally, Kuu Kuu’s pasta is a little bland, so the oil vongole pasta is the better choice!! I couldn’t properly capture it in photos, so I filmed a video📷 There are so~~~~ many menu items🤤

Fruit and Dippin’ Dots desserts

For fruit, melon, watermelon, and pineapple were the best options. Pineapple especially is great to snack on between bites when things start feeling rich—so good👍

For dessert, I had cream puffs and doughnuts, and that doughnut dusted with white powder was delicious❗️

There were lots of regular ice cream flavors too!! I love Dippin’ Dots so much that it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say I go to Kuu Kuu just for them. They used to be a weekday dinner and weekend item, but they’ve been upgraded so you can enjoy them at lunch too🫪 Dippin’ Dots were definitely popular with kids, and I think lots of families will come during school vacations.

Final thoughts for a family gathering

• Strongly recommended for family gatherings because the restaurant is spacious and comfortable
• The staff are incredibly kind
• There are lots of sushi varieties, and everything with salmon, shrimp, or yukhoe is delicious
• The mulhoe is good, and mixing yukhoe with jjolmyeon is amazing
• The barbecue pork ribs are tender and delicious too
• The fried shrimp is delicious; I recommend the chili shrimp and cream shrimp
• There are steamed shellfish too, and my parents liked them
• For Dippin’ Dots, milk chocolate is the real winner