E Land restaurants: 24 brands, 284 branches and counting

Most of E. Land’s food businesses are buffets and a prime example of this is their top brand, Ashley Queens. (Frauleine S. Villanueva)

SEOUL, South Korea—The E Land Group is a diversified company with a finger in various industries and markets. One of these is its restaurant portfolio, which handles 24 brands and over 284 branches.

The over two dozen restaurant brands do not just offer Korean cuisine but also Japanese, Chinese, Italian, and other international food choices. Aside from full restaurants, they also have cafés and bread stores.

Most of E. Land’s food businesses are buffets and a prime example of this is their top brand, Ashley Queens. Located in Seoul, it is currently the only

“Ashley Queens” in their Ashley line of restaurants, which has 54 branches all over South Korea.

Ashley Queens is dubbed as a “world gourmet buffet,” an expansive display of food and tastes featuring Asian, European, and American cooking. (Frauleine S. Villanueva)

The Ashley line is E. Land’s first venture in the food industry and it now includes Ashley Classic, Ashley W Premium, Ashley W Plus, Ashley Queens, Ashley Marine, Ashley Brunch, Ashley To Go, 83 Grill by Ashley, and Ashley China.

Ashley Queens is dubbed as a “world gourmet buffet,” an expansive display of food and tastes featuring Asian, European, and American cooking.

They also have a wonderful selection of desserts. Among those that they boast about is their authentic Italian ice cream called gelato and their crepes. A wide array of teas, coffees, as well as some wine selections is also available.

Also notable for Ashley Queens is its classy, old-Hollywood interiors. Its walls are lined with authentic memorabilia such as old records, autographed books and magazines, posters, and porcelain plates. Also on display are props that were actually used in some movies as well as some clothes worn by celebrities and icons such as Julia Roberts and Whitney Houston, all authentic and acquired through auctions.

According to public relations executive director Howard Yun, they are planning to open another Ashley Queens in South Korea’s second biggest city, Busan, next year in May. It is only one of the 20 restaurant branches they will open in that city soon.
Another of the group’s restaurants is Soosa, which offers Japanese food in a buffet setting. It has different selections of sushi and maki as well other Japanese favorites such as noodles, pastas, and karaages.

Soosa, which is among the new brands of E Land’s restaurants, currently has 10 branches.
Although the restaurants are a separate line of business, this diversification in E. Land’s portfolio also has an effect on their hotels.

“We want to include many contents in our hotels. This includes department stores, fashion and food,” Yun said.
When asked if any of E. Land’s restaurant brands will be coming to Saipan soon, Yun said, “Of course.”

“We need to research first what kind Saipan likes and which brand will we develop more for Saipan,” Yun said.