Nowon sushi buffet Sunday lunch parking crowds and TossPay: Kuu Kuu

Highest satisfaction of any Kuu Kuu I've been to so far — the salmon sashimi alone won it.

As a total salmon addict, I've been to Kuu Kuu several times, but I heard the Kuu Kuu Gold in Nowon has raw salmon sashimi? So I went to Kuu Kuu Hagye-dong, a family-gathering restaurant in Nowon, and to cut to the chase — it was the most satisfying Kuu Kuu branch I've visited so far. Let me lay out the price, wait, discount, and parking info based on my actual visit.

Sunday lunch at Kuu Kuu Nowon Branch: parking and waiting

If you go to Kuu Kuu Nowon Branch for Sunday lunch, the parking lot and elevators get crowded. That's because there's a church and a wedding hall on the lower floors of the same building. We visited during Sunday lunch, and this was exactly the thing we needed to check ahead of time.

Honestly, if it weren't for this one thing, it would have been perfect. If you're planning a weekend visit, it's worth keeping this in mind. Weekday lunch and dinner seem relatively relaxed, so if you want less wait stress, I'd recommend a weekday visit.

Inside, the tables were spaced generously and there were plenty of seats, so it worked fine even for a large family gathering. There were also group tables, which seemed good for small first-birthday parties (doljanchi) or events.

We had booked ahead, so we got seated right away without waiting.

We also grabbed the soup en croute you can get here and had it as our very first dish.

How good are the raw salmon sashimi and sushi?

This is exactly why I picked Kuu Kuu Nowon Branch as a family-gathering restaurant in Nowon. Made with 100% Norwegian raw salmon, cut fresh every morning and served low-temperature aged, the raw salmon sashimi here was the best I've had at any Kuu Kuu. It's only served weekday dinner and weekends/holidays, so if you love salmon, I'd recommend timing your visit accordingly.

There was a separate California roll corner where you could watch them make rolls fresh to order.

The sushi quality exceeded expectations too. There was a wide variety — tuna, salmon, shrimp, scallop, beef, king crab — and even labor-intensive items like soy-marinated shrimp gunkan (battleship roll) were freshly prepared. Since I'm a huge fan of sashimi and sushi, I barely touched anything else and just kept grabbing more sushi — the freshness and variety kept pulling me back.

Can you see the salmon flesh? My husband and I kept marveling that you could get conveyor-belt sushi-restaurant quality at a buffet.

Besides the salmon sashimi, there was also marinated crab, marinated shrimp, and tuna sashimi. That day I focused entirely on the raw salmon sashimi.

Sadly, they didn't have sea squirt (meongge) sushi, which I love. But all the other sushi was such high quality that it made up for it.

Grill zone, steamed blue crab, desserts and draft beer

Sushi is the main draw, but the other corners were well thought out too. The grill zone had pork ribs, grilled salmon, and smoked duck — high-quality grilled options as well.

There was steamed blue crab, and it was really good too. It had more meat than expected, so I ended up going back for a second helping.

The kids loved the made-to-order jjajangmyeon (black bean noodles), jjamppong (spicy seafood noodles), and udon, and also enjoyed the marble ice cream.

The dessert zone had waffles and croissant-style breads, which you could top with apple jam and whipped cream.

The fruit corner was great too, with domestic Korean melon, watermelon, and cantaloupe, plus orange and mango.

There were also things kids would love, like hot dogs, cheese sticks, and french fries. I skipped them worrying about getting too full, but the kids loved them.

Draft beer is also unlimited, available once you place an order. We were worried about getting too full, so we skipped drinking separately.

For kids' drinks there were slushies and sikhye (sweet rice punch), among others.

Up to what age can children use the in-store kids' cafe?

The in-store kids' café at Kuu Kuu Nowon Branch only admits children up to age 7. There was a notice saying that if children 8 and older go in, other kids could get hurt.

Our kids are already too old to use it, but for families with young children, it seems like it would help with keeping an eye on them during the meal. That said, the space is a bit smaller than you might expect, so it's better to think of it as somewhere for a quick play session rather than expecting too much.

We ate our fill of salmon and sushi, and really enjoyed the soup, steamed blue crab, and everything else.

Right when things were starting to feel a bit rich, some jjamppong and clam wine-steam (bajirak sulzzim) settled our stomachs, which made things much easier.

It was quite busy since it was Sunday afternoon, but the place was so spacious that it wasn't a big inconvenience. Staff also came by frequently to clear empty plates.

Toss TossPay discount: 10,000 won back by splitting the bill

Our visit happened to fall within the Toss TossPay discount promotion period (Sep 11–30). Paying with a TossPay account or TossPay money got an instant ₩5,000 discount, applicable to payments of ₩21,900 or more, once per person during the promotion period.

So my husband and I split the bill and paid separately, each getting ₩5,000 off — ₩10,000 total. Little discount details like this are definitely worth knowing ahead of time.

What worked and what didn't at Kuu Kuu Nowon Branch

• The raw salmon sashimi and sushi quality were the best of any Kuu Kuu we've visited
• The grill zone, steamed blue crab, California rolls, and other corners were well-rounded so the whole family could enjoy the meal
• Wide table spacing and plenty of seats made it comfortable even for a large family group
• We got a solid discount by paying with Toss TossPay

Because there's a church and wedding hall in the same building, the parking lot and elevators were very crowded on Sunday. Still, if you visit on a weekday, this shouldn't be much of a concern.

What to check before visiting Kuu Kuu Nowon Branch

• If you're planning a Sunday visit, allow extra time for crowded parking and elevators
• Raw salmon sashimi is only served on weekday dinner and weekends, so check the timing
• The Toss TossPay discount (Sep 11–30, ₩5,000 off) is more worthwhile if you split payment per person
• If you're bringing young children, note that the kids' café (up to age 7) is not very large
• The standard time limit is 90 minutes (90 minutes if there's a wait), so plan your course order to eat efficiently

If your family can never agree on where to eat because everyone wants something different, I'd recommend the sushi buffet Kuu Kuu Nowon Branch. It has a lineup that satisfies sushi and sashimi lovers, grill fans, and families with kids alike. We're already planning to go back next time, aiming for a weekday dinner slot!