Sushi buffet in Nowon, Seoul for family gatherings: Kuu Kuu

It was my birthday, so I decided to splurge and finally visit Kuu Kuu, somewhere I had always wanted to try.

I wondered which Kuu Kuu branch to visit, then came to Kuu Kuu Nowon Branch, always lively and full of people in this residential area near Hagye Station. The whole family had a filling, abundant feast together.

When people of every age gather for a weekend, special occasion, holiday, or family event, it can be hard to find a big venue that perfectly satisfies everyone’s tastes. Kuu Kuu is just right for a family gathering in Nowon!!!

Kuu Kuu Nowon Branch discounts and birthday event

I only just learned about Kuu Kuu’s discount options this time. When you join the Kuu Kuu membership, there are quite a variety of discounts. The Kuu Kuu ₩9,000 discount event for Gugu Day was getting a great response this time too! With the Kuu Kuu app, you can get discounts as well as various coupons.

Kuu Kuu birthday event 🎉🎂 It varies by branch, but Kuu Kuu Nowon Branch gives ₩5,000 off for birthdays. It does not apply only on your actual birthday; it applies throughout the month that includes your birthday, so I recommend Kuu Kuu Nowon Branch for a birthday gathering or family birthday meal!

In particular, the Nowon Branch has an exceptionally vast floor area even compared with typical branches, pleasant facilities, and a kids’ room play area where children can be looked after safely. It is praised as one of the best spots in northern Seoul for first-birthday parties, birthday gatherings, club dinners, and meals with extended family.

Kuu Kuu Nowon Branch menu

What are the sushi and roll stations like?

The most popular and most eagerly anticipated part of this Nowon buffet was, of course, the sushi and roll station!! I headed over to the huge section devoted to sushi and rolls.

At the long, large counter, professional chefs in neat sanitary caps and masks continuously sliced fresh fish and shaped sushi in an open kitchen. Seeing it all unfold so vividly inspired a lot of confidence.

Beyond sushi, the sashimi quality was good too, with cockle bibimbap (mixed rice), fresh salmon, fresh tuna, and more. You can eat all the sushi you want here, making it a great-value sushi buffet in Nowon!

The California roll and gunkan sushi section beside the sushi was equally eye-catching. There were rows of California rolls generously piled with flying-fish roe, plus Volcano rolls and crunchy rolls, with crisp fried crumbs and sweet-spicy chili sauce creating a wonderfully crisp yet chewy bite.

Tako wasabi gunkan, a lovely pairing of sharp wasabi flavor and chewy octopus, refreshed the palate with its zingy coolness between bites. Flying-fish roe gunkan and savory crab-meat gunkan also had a wonderful finish, with the ingredients’ natural flavors coming through generously among the rice grains.

The best thing about the sushi at the Nowon Branch was that the rice portions were not oversized: each piece was a neat, bite-size portion, while the fish on top was thick and generously long. That meant I could enjoy plenty of fresh fish flavor and texture without filling up only on rice or getting tired of it.

I first picked up a glossy, vivid-pink piece of fresh salmon sushi and put it in my mouth. The moment it touched my tongue, the tender flesh separated along its grain without any need to bite down hard, and salmon’s rich, nutty oiliness melted away. It was so fresh that there was not a trace of fishiness to be found.

Lightly torched beef tataki sushi and beef-belly sushi carried a gentle smoky aroma, and their sweet-salty house sauce mingled with the meat juices to win over meat lovers at once. There were dozens of choices, including juicy fresh scallop sushi, freshwater eel sushi, and aged-kimchi live-fish sushi, so choosing what to put on my plate was half the fun.

A full range of barbecue, Western, and Chinese dishes

After filling my mouth with fresh sushi and rolls, I moved on to the barbecue station with its tempting meaty aroma, followed by the Western-food and high-heat stir-fried Chinese-food stations. At the barbecue grill, thick, appetizing barbecue ribs, smoked duck, golden sausages, and grilled chicken gleamed beneath warming lamps.

I picked up a thick barbecue rib and took a bite; the meat slipped softly off the bone, while the gentle smoky aroma and juicy sweet-salty barbecue sauce filled my mouth. The lamb, which is hard to find elsewhere, also had a wonderful balance of chewy texture and clean-tasting fat.

The cream pasta at the pasta station had not gone soft and retained a lovely springy texture. Its rich, creamy white sauce went beautifully with the crab meat and clung to the noodles, giving every bite deep flavor. The oil pasta was clean yet satisfyingly substantial too.

The wood-fired pizzas laid out neatly at the Western station had thin, chewy crusts generously covered in melted natural mozzarella. The salty pepperoni pizza and gorgonzola pizza, eaten with a little sweet honey, had cheese that stretched out as if freshly baked and burst with savory flavor.

I could not pass up the snack foods that the children especially loved. Leading the way were bouncy, hot, and truly delicious fried shrimp, alongside fried gim-mari (seaweed rolls with glass noodles), sweet-potato fritters, vegetable fritters, cheese sticks, and more. There were so many varieties that even taking only one of each made it impossible to try them all. No matter how many delicious dishes there are, the fried-food station is one you simply have to try.

The Chinese-food station was so impressive it could have passed for an à la carte Chinese restaurant. Freshly fried guobaorou—crispy sweet-and-sour pork—was steaming hot, with a crisp exterior and chewy glutinous-rice interior that balanced perfectly with its sweet-tangy sauce. The chili shrimp were plump and generously filled with large shrimp; their sweet-spicy sauce lightly coated the batter, so every bite brought both crunch and bounce.

Finishing with fruit and ice cream

I was absolutely stuffed, but I could not skip the dessert, fruit, bakery, and ice-cream stations—the real finale at Kuu Kuu. The fruit station had moistly prepared, fresh, sweet seasonal fruit including pineapple, oranges, green grapes, mango, sweet-tangy passion fruit, and lychee. There was also a colorful selection of ice cream, including bead ice cream.

There was even cool snowflake patbingsu (shaved ice with red beans) to make yourself, piled with colorful toppings, red beans, condensed milk, and injeolmi rice cake. It made for a perfect dessert time that brought a smile right up to the final bite.

Above all, it was a fantastic feast where every element came together: the impressively spacious restaurant that comfortably accommodates large groups and the excellent kids’ room play area. If you are looking around Nowon, Sanggye, Junggye, or Dobong for a family meal, birthday celebration, school reunion, or company group dinner, be sure to visit Kuu Kuu Nowon Branch at least once!