Ashley Queens Seoul Guui Review | From Spring Kiwis to Sushi and Tacos

If you’ve spent any amount of time living in or visiting Seoul, you already know the golden rule of weekend dining: expect a line. It doesn’t matter if you’re hunting down a viral pastry in Seongsu or trying to grab a quick bowl of noodles in Hongdae. If it’s a Saturday or Sunday, you’re going to be standing on the pavement staring at your phone, waiting for a messaging app to tell you it’s finally your turn to eat.

So when we decided to hit up a buffet this past weekend, I was mentally bracing myself for the absolute worst. Buffets in Seoul are notorious for their aggressive weekend crowds and chaotic dining rooms. But we ended up going to Ashley Queens down in the basement level of NC Eastpole near Guui Station, and honestly? It completely flipped my expectations.

Getting Into Ashley Queens Guui : Busy but Seamless

We pulled up to the B1 floor of NC Eastpole and immediately spotted the glowing Ashley Queens sign. The entrance area is entirely digitized. Instead of dealing with a stressed-out host managing a physical waitlist, you handle everything at a sleek self-serve kiosk right by the front door.

We got there around 2 PM. We managed to walk straight in with zero wait. There is a standard 100-minute time limit for dining, which honestly gives you more than enough time to eat at a relaxed pace without feeling rushed. We tapped the screen, paid our 27,900 KRW per person for the weekend rate, and a receipt printed out with our assigned table number.

Walking into the main dining area, it’s spacious, with wide aisles that make it easy to navigate even when you’re balancing two plates of food. The lighting is warm and bright, and despite the weekend crowd, the sheer size of the room absorbed the noise so we could actually hear each other across the table.

We found our booth, flipped the little rubber table marker to “Eating” (식사중), and headed straight for the food.

The Spring Theme: Ruby Red Kiwi & Tomato

As soon as we grabbed our plates, the very first place we headed was the seasonal menu corner. Since it’s spring, Ashley Queens is currently running a special lineup focused on **Ruby Red Kiwis and Tomatoes**.

I walked over to the fruit section and saw a display tray perfectly stocked with these gorgeous, red-tinted kiwis. If you haven’t tried a ruby red kiwi before, they are noticeably sweeter and have a softer texture than your standard green kiwi. I ended up going back for them several times throughout the meal.

I also loaded up my plate with some of the mango and passion fruit they had set out right next to it. Grabbing this fruit early on turned out to be the smartest move. The sweet-and-sour kick, combined with the crunchy texture of the passion fruit seeds, worked perfectly to cut right through the heavier, greasy foods. It acted as the ultimate palate cleanser so I could keep eating without feeling weighed down.

Sushi, Pizza & Hot Foods

You know that weird sense of duty you get at a buffet to make sure you get your money’s worth? I usually feel that pressure, but looking at the main dish lineup here, there were actually so many things I genuinely wanted to eat.

The sushi bar took up an entire side of the section, packed with different rolls and nigiri. What I really appreciated was that the rice portions weren’t too big. I was able to grab several different pieces to try without feeling instantly full or burdened by too much carbs.

Right by the sushi was the pizza corner. They had a bunch of different varieties laid out, all with a thin and crispy crust. It was honestly pretty fun just grabbing one small slice of each to taste-test them all.

Overall, the hot food tasted way better than I expected. My personal favorite was the fish steak. It was so soft and light that I actually went back to get more a few times.

Even the fried rice and deep-fried dishes were great—none of it felt soggy, which is usually a big issue at buffets. And of course, the salad station was super fresh, making it easy to balance out the heavier plates.

The DIY Taco & Noodle Bar

If there’s one thing I absolutely love about modern Korean buffets, it’s the interactive DIY stations. Why just scoop food onto a plate when you can architect it yourself?

The DIY taco corner was one of the highlights. I laid down a tortilla, piled on plenty of the prepared meat and veggies, and added a spoonful of guacamole and sour cream. Taking a huge bite out of that, it honestly tasted just as good as something from a dedicated Mexican restaurant.

After trying a bit of everything, I started getting a little full, but I was really craving some hot broth. So I headed over to the DIY noodle bar. You just put your desired veggies and noodles into a bowl, blanch them, and then press a button to dispense the broth directly. They had two options: a pho broth and a white mala soup base. I was craving something spicy, so I went with the white mala base and stirred in some extra mala sauce myself.

4,900 KRW Endless Beer

Let’s pause the food talk for a second because we need to discuss the drink situation. If you’re someone who enjoys a cold pint with dinner, you need to pay attention to this.

For an additional 4,900 KRW, you can add unlimited draft beer to your meal. Think about that for a second. In most bars in Seoul, a single pint of draft beer is going to cost you anywhere from 5,000 to 8,000 KRW. Here, you pay less than five bucks once, and you get access to the self-serve beer taps for your entire meal.

They give you a special glass, and you just walk up to the machine, tilt it, and pour yourself a perfectly frosted pint of Kelly or Terra. Having an endless supply of crisp, ice-cold lager to wash down spicy noodles, salty pizza, and pulled pork tacos elevates the entire buffet experience. If you drink at least one beer, the 4,900 KRW add-on has already paid for itself. It is, without a doubt, the smartest thing you can order here.

Desserts & The Croffle

You know how everyone magically has a separate stomach just for dessert? Even though we were getting full, we had to check out the DIY waffle corner.

It’s super simple to use: you just pour a little bit of the batter into the dedicated waffle machine, hit the timer for exactly one minute and thirty seconds, and wait. When the timer goes off, you have a perfectly baked, hot waffle right there. I added some of the syrup they had prepared right next to it, and honestly, it tasted just as good as a waffle you’d buy at a cafe.

To finish things off, I grabbed a slice of the sweet tiramisu and some cheesecake, and pulled a fresh, hot Americano from the coffee machine. Pairing those sweet desserts with the warm coffee was absolutely the perfect way to wrap up the buffet.

The Robot Cleaners & Green Clean Zone

One of the most uniquely modern things about eating here is how they handle the dirty dishes. In older buffets, you’d constantly have staff hovering around your table, reaching over you to grab plates.

Ashley Queens uses a hybrid self-bussing system that is actually incredibly fun. There are designated “Green Clean Zones” scattered around the dining room where you can easily drop your empty plates. But the better option is pressing the call button on your table. A few seconds later, an automated robot with glowing digital eyes wheels itself over to your booth. You just slide your dirty plates into its bins, tap the screen to say thank you, and it quietly rolls away back to the kitchen. It keeps your table clean without interrupting your conversation, and honestly, it never stops being fun to watch.

When we were finally done, we just flipped our table marker from “Eating” to “Finished Meal” (식사완료), grabbed our coats, and walked out. No waiting for a check, no tipping—just a perfectly seamless exit.

Getting There

The Ashley Queens we visited is located on the B1 floor of NC Eastpole right by **Guui Station** (Line 2). It’s incredibly easy to find. Once you swipe out of the subway gates, it’s just a short walk down the street to the massive shopping complex.

FAQ

Q: Do I need to make a reservation for the weekend?

A: You can’t really reserve a standard table ahead of time; it’s mostly walk-in via the digital kiosk. However, because the space is so massive, the queue moves much faster than a standard restaurant. If you go slightly off-peak (like 2 PM or 5 PM), you’ll likely walk straight in like we did.

Q: Is the 4,900 KRW beer unlimited for the whole table, or per person?

A: The 4,900 KRW fee is per person. If you want to drink, you pay for your specific glass, and you can refill it as many times as you want during your meal.

Q: How long can I stay and eat?

A: There is a 100-minute time limit for all guests.

Closing

Ashley Queens at Guui Station isn’t trying to be a pretentious, whisper-quiet fine dining experience. It’s a loud, fun, incredibly satisfying feast that gives you total control over what you’re eating. The fact that you can get perfect bite-sized sushi, a customized taco, a freshly pressed waffle, and endless draft beer all under one roof for 27,900 KRW (plus the 4,900 KRW beer fee) is a genuinely great deal. If you’re tired of queueing for tiny portions on the weekends and just want to sit down in a massive, comfortable booth and eat really good food at your own pace, this is the move. Go hungry, add the beer, and don’t forget to set the timer for your waffle.