Chefs in white toques grill shrimp and tenderloin steak to a golden sear right in front of diners. Nearby, customers slice bread and layer on toppings to assemble open-faced sandwiches. At an automated noodle station, guests select their preferred toppings and noodles, feed them into a machine that cooks everything automatically, then choose a broth — pho or malatang — and the machine pours in just the right amount to finish the bowl.
A pre-opening tasting event was held Wednesday at the Ashley Queens Grand NC Songpa store inside NC Department Store in Songpa-gu, Seoul. The renovated location expands the previous roughly 200-pyeong (660-square-meter) store to about 340 pyeong (1,122 square meters). The store officially opens Thursday. It is the first Ashley Queens location to carry the "Grand" designation, and it features the chain's largest salad bar alongside a menu that has grown by more than 30 percent.
Stepping inside, the first thing that stands out is the generous width of the aisles and the overall sense of space. Seats are spaced well apart, creating a comfortable atmosphere, and there is ample seating for group dinners and family gatherings. Separate corners for sushi, grilled items, hansik (Korean food) and dessert are clearly marked, making it easy to navigate straight to whatever you want.
The standout section is the live grill zone. At other Ashley Queens locations, sampling a steak costs an extra 15,900 won ($11), but here, chef-grilled tenderloin cube steak is included as a standard menu item. Garlic shrimp with black-vinegar sauce is also prepared fresh on the spot. Both dishes are available only on weekday evenings and on weekends and public holidays. After a two-week run to mark the reopening, the items will rotate based on customer response and the season.
A live noodle zone also makes its debut. Customers pick their own toppings — bean sprouts, cabbage, bok choy and more — along with their choice of rice noodles or udon, and feed everything into a machine that cooks it automatically. They then select a broth: malatang, pho or udon soup. The machine dispenses the right amount of broth to complete the bowl. The setup replaces the old system of calling a staff member and waiting, letting diners assemble their own dish from start to finish.
A DIY zone has also been added. Customers can cut as much bread as they like, spread on cream cheese or other toppings, and build their own open-faced sandwiches. The taco and bibimbap corners have been redesigned to put a wide array of toppings front and center.
One corner of the store is dedicated to a wine pairing zone. Eland Eats previously tested the concept at locations in business districts such as Magok and Gangnam, confirming a boost in weekday evening sales. Wine is sold separately at an average of 25,900 won per bottle, and an additional 4,900 won unlocks unlimited draft beer.
The dessert selection has also been expanded. The store replaces the standard ice cream offering with Fercheno gelato, the company's own brand. A new acai and yogurt bowl corner has been added — a first for any Ashley Queens location — along with warm desserts such as tarts and a self-serve shaved-ice station. Seasonal fruit, including melons sourced through an MOU with Gochang-gun in North Jeolla Province and domestically grown watermelon, is available here before it reaches other locations.
Even before the renovation, the NC Songpa store ranked among the top performers in the Ashley Queens network. At the peak of the busy season in December last year, weekend daily foot traffic exceeded 1,000 visitors, and weekday visits consistently ranged from 300 to 700. "The NC Songpa location sits in a mixed commercial area that combines a large residential catchment with office worker demand," an Eland Eats official said. "We can expect family customers alongside weekday lunch and dinner traffic and group dining."
The Grand NC Songpa store is set to serve as a test bed for new stations and revised operating formats. Despite the significantly expanded menu, prices remain the same as at other locations: 19,900 won for weekday lunch, 25,900 won for weekday dinner, and 27,900 won on weekends and public holidays, all per adult. Future pricing and operational policy will be reviewed based on customer response and store performance.
Ashley Queens currently operates 125 stores nationwide. The chain had just 59 locations in 2022, but as buffet dining regained popularity as a value-for-money option amid high inflation, it more than doubled its store count in four years. Ashley Queens has grown into the flagship brand of Eland Eats, accounting for roughly 70 percent of the company's sales. This year, the chain is targeting annual sales of 800 billion won and aims to surpass 150 stores nationwide before year's end.
korean@heraldcorp.com
