Hagye-dong sushi buffet dinner for two with ankimo gunkan: Kuu Kuu

On a weekday evening, my husband and I were craving sushi, so while searching for good restaurants in Hagye-dong, we ended up at Kuu Kuu Nowon Branch. We'd booked ahead for 6:30pm that day. Since it was my first time there, I checked out everything from the size of the place to the food lineup.

My husband especially loves sushi, so whenever we look for a buffet, the variety of sashimi and sushi matters a lot to us. This time there was more to eat than I expected, and we ended up enjoying a full ninety minutes together.

Weekday 6:30pm booking at Kuu Kuu Nowon: any wait, and which seat?

Kuu Kuu Nowon Branch is on the 6th floor of the building at 247 Nowon-ro, and at 6:30pm on a weekday we walked straight in with no wait. This Hagye-dong restaurant was much bigger than I'd expected. The tables had generous spacing and the whole space felt large, which seemed great for groups too.

It wasn't quite peak dinner time yet when we arrived, so we walked right in without waiting. By around 7pm, a line had started to form.

We were seated right on time at our window table. The sunset happened to be starting just as we began eating, so we got to watch the sky turn red outside while we ate. It felt great to enjoy that kind of atmosphere even at a buffet.

Since it was my first visit to this Hagye-dong restaurant, I took my time looking around. There were so many seats that even during busy hours the space never felt cramped.

We noticed family groups dining there too — it looked like the kind of place used for first-birthday parties or 60th birthday gatherings with lots of people. It seemed like a good size not just for a regular meal but also for family get-togethers.

How the food lineup compares with Kuu Kuu Gold

Even though Kuu Kuu Nowon Branch is a regular branch rather than a Kuu Kuu Gold location, it still had stations for steamed oysters, lamb ribs, and sashimi. I've been to Kuu Kuu Gold a few times before, but it had been a long time since I'd visited a non-Gold branch. I was curious how the food selection would compare, and it turned out to be more varied than I expected.

Kuu Kuu Nowon also had steamed oysters, along with lamb ribs and sashimi. There were several kinds of sushi too, and a dessert corner set up separately.

My husband especially loved the raw salmon sashimi. I'm not a big fan of salmon, so when we usually go out for sushi, he often can't order it even when he wants to. This time, since the buffet had raw salmon sashimi, he went back for it several times on his own.

If you love sushi and are checking out Hagye-dong restaurants, you'll want to look at both the sashimi and the sushi selection — there were plenty of options this time and my husband ate happily.

First plate at Kuu Kuu: a little of each sushi, plus ankimo gunkan and mulhoe

For our first round at Kuu Kuu Nowon Branch, we shared a plate with small portions of different sushi and another plate of meat. We didn't get greedy right away — the first plate had a bit of many kinds of sushi, and we split a separate plate of meat between us.

It was my first time trying ankimo gunkan (monkfish liver hand roll), and it suited my taste better than I expected. It had a soft texture and a rich, savory flavor, so after the first bite I went back for more.

The sashimi overall felt fresh, and the mulhoe was delicious too. Eating sushi nonstop can get a little tiring, but the mulhoe in between refreshed my palate.

Meanwhile, my husband started fully doing his own thing from the second plate onward. Total sashimi-and-sushi guy — he just kept bringing back more of those, haha.

He'd been saying he wanted sushi even before we came to Kuu Kuu Nowon, and that day he properly got his fill. Funny thing is, he went on to eat sushi two more days in a row after this visit. Total sushi lover, confirmed, haha.

Top pick: Uljin snow crab soup, and the unlimited beer add-on

Among everything I ate at Kuu Kuu Nowon Branch that day, my personal top pick was the Uljin snow crab soup. I don't usually seek out soups at a buffet, but after trying it once, it was so good I went back for more.

It had a good amount of crab meat and a slightly spicy kick, so my spoon kept going back in. It went down smoothly but had a lingering spiciness, so I ended up having two bowls.

The problem was I realized too late that I should've taken a photo before eating it all... haha. It was my personal favorite of the day, and it's a shame I don't have a picture of it.

There was also an unlimited beer refill option, though we didn't add it this time — we felt like the food alone would fill us up. If you're someone who enjoys beer, adding the refill with your meal seems like it would be a good choice.

If you're looking for a Hagye-dong restaurant where you can enjoy a drink along with your meal, it's worth keeping this option in mind.

Dessert corner: marble ice cream and lemon sorbet

The dessert corner at Kuu Kuu Nowon Branch had bakery items, fruit, gelato, marble ice cream, patbingsu, and slushies. After finishing most of our meal, we checked out the dessert corner too — there were quite a lot of options to pick from depending on your mood after eating.

I hadn't had marble ice cream in a while, and it brought back childhood memories, which felt oddly nostalgic. I tried several gelato flavors, and lemon sorbet suited me best — the others were a bit too sweet for my taste.

Is Kuu Kuu Nowon good for two, or for a family gathering?

Overall, Kuu Kuu Nowon had a wide enough selection to eat well alongside a husband who loves sushi and sashimi. I picked meat, mulhoe, soup, and dessert while he focused on sashimi and sushi, so we each got to enjoy it our own way.

This was the first Hagye-dong restaurant we tried since moving to Nowon, and since my husband loves sushi so much, I think we'll be coming back often to get his fix. Kuu Kuu Nowon is also spacious enough that it seems worth visiting not just as a couple but also for family gatherings.

Especially since we got to watch the sunset from our window seat while eating, the memory of this first visit stuck with me in a good way. If you're looking for a Hagye-dong restaurant where you can try lots of dishes in one place, or a comfortable spot to eat with family, this one is worth checking out.