Nowon sushi buffet weekday lunch open run: cockle bibimbap, Kuu Kuu

A Nowon family gathering restaurant, a recommended Nowon spot: Kuu Kuu Nowon Branch

🧭 Address: 247 Nowon-ro, 6F, Nowon-gu, Seoul, South Korea ⏰ Hours: 11:00 - 21:30, last order 20:00

Kuu Kuu is our family's favorite buffet, and since it had been a while, we all gathered again for a family meal and went to eat until we were stuffed.

Where is Kuu Kuu Nowon Branch, and tips before you go

Kuu Kuu Nowon Branch takes up the entire 6th floor of the Seoul Oncheon Building, so it's a huge space. Because of its size, it's known as a go-to spot for Nowon family gatherings and I heard it's also popular for Nowon company dinners.

Kuu Kuu has apparently won Sushi Buffet of the Year for 7 years running, and honestly that makes sense — among the buffets we like, this is the one we're most satisfied with.

There's a long sofa in front of the store, so if there's a big wait, you can sit and wait there!

• Standard dining time: 2 hours
• 1.5 hours if there's a wait
• Kids' facilities (playroom)
• High chairs available

Kuu Kuu Nowon Branch launched Norwegian fresh salmon sashimi, which isn't even at the Gold branch, so salmon lovers will be thrilled. (Weekday dinner & weekend/holiday menu only)

There's a Catchtable waitlist out front, and you can also book ahead by phone or Naver reservation. We came for weekday lunch this time. I've also included parking info for anyone driving!

A 300-pyeong hall that also takes groups and events

The inside of Kuu Kuu Nowon Branch is bright and comfortable overall, with a spacious, clean layout over 300 pyeong, so many people rent it out for first birthdays, company dinners, 70th birthday celebrations, and other events.

We arrived right at weekday opening time so it wasn't busy at first, but it filled up fast as it got close to noon. The rolls, sushi, and salad sections were all divided by zone, which made browsing easy.

We're the type who barely likes old-school diners unless it's spotless, and the tables, seats, and refill bar were all clean here. All-you-can-eat places tend to get messy from people spilling as they serve themselves, but staff seemed to keep checking constantly! The staff were also friendly, so it was a pleasant, hassle-free experience.

Sushi corner: upsized flounder, salmon and botan shrimp sushi

At most sushi buffets you get the same predictable, cheap sushi that you don't even feel like touching, but Kuu Kuu's looked so varied and fresh that I wanted to try one of everything.

It's an open kitchen so you can watch the food being made constantly, and staff kept refilling so plates never stayed empty — everything looked delicious and high quality.

My dad loves sushi so he loves Kuu Kuu, and he kept saying there was so much good stuff.

Besides sushi, there's also cockle bibimbap (rice mixed with cockle clams) loaded with cockles, plus mul-hoe (cold raw fish soup), soy-marinated crab, and marinated shrimp, so you can eat plenty for weekday lunch at a great value around ₩20,000s.

Apparently Kuu Kuu Nowon Branch now has Norwegian fresh salmon sashimi that isn't even at the Gold branch, but it's dinner-and-weekend only so we didn't get to try it — salmon lovers, I'd recommend visiting for dinner or on a weekend!!!

Also, I kept thinking, why does the quality feel so much better this time? Turns out the existing flounder and salmon sushi now have bigger fish on top — small rice base, but the fish is thick and long, so your mouth is full of sashimi. So good!!!

There's also another upgraded sushi — shrimp sushi made with botan shrimp for an even better shrimp flavor!

Overall the menu felt more varied and the fish quality seemed higher than the last time we came, so the whole family left satisfied.

A must-visit for sushi lovers...

Unlimited draft beer and the pastry-topped soup

Kuu Kuu Nowon Branch serves unlimited real draft beer — Terra and Cass, not Filite! (Leave a review for a free unlimited draft beer event worth ₩5,900)

This is the ankreute soup I always pick whenever I come to Kuu Kuu — soup baked inside pastry bread that you break open and eat together, Kuu Kuu's own signature soup!

Meat, fried food and Chinese dishes for anyone who skips raw fish

On one side there's also meat and fried food, including newly launched smoked duck and lamb chops. The chewy smoked duck, which pairs well with anything, is only available weekday dinner & weekends & holidays, while the tender, flavorful lamb chops are available all day!

We love protein, so the more meat options the better — even though it's a sushi buffet, there's a good variety of meat dishes, which is great for anyone who can't eat raw fish. (The salmon steak here is genuinely delicious, you have to try it)

There's also a wide variety of pizzas...! And lots of fried food, with plenty of kid-friendly options and a range of sauces so everyone can eat to their taste.

There were new menu items that weren't there before, including a savory samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup) this time, and my dad and husband both dug in.

There's mala (Sichuan spicy) items too and a variety of Chinese-style dishes (mala tang, dim sum, mala shrimp, etc.), good for when you want something to cut through the richness!

There were also lots of fried and stir-fried options, and honestly there was so much I wanted to try that I ended up sampling almost everything!

Dessert corner: gelato-style ice cream and lunchtime pearl ice cream

There's also a wide range of teas prepared. Lots of cool, sweet slushies, and even the trendy ube latte!

The dessert corner is tucked further inside, with fruit, cake, rice cakes, jellies, and more — perfect for dessert after a full meal.

And right next to it there's ice cream — this is genuinely delicious!!!! Not the cheap kind you get at a Korean BBQ place, but more like gelato...? Lots of flavors and a chewy texture that made me want more, but I was too full, which was such a shame.

Also, the pearl ice cream that used to only be on the weekday dinner & weekend menu is now available at lunch too, so you can enjoy as much as you want of the pearl ice cream that used to be too pricey to eat as a kid!

You can dip buttering cookies, pretzel sticks, marshmallows, and Lotus biscuits into the chocolate fondue. You can also make your own cereal and yogurt bowls!

From salad to Western, Chinese, and Japanese dishes, all the way to dessert — this was Kuu Kuu Nowon Branch, a solid pick for a Nowon family gathering where everyone can eat well!