Eel buffet in Cheongna with camping vibes and ginger wraps: Jangsodam

Why go to Jangsodam Cheongna if you don't like all-you-can-eat buffets?

Jangsodam Eel and Beef Buffet Cheongna Main Branch (장소담 청라본점) is a premium all-you-can-eat eel and beef buffet in Cheongna, Incheon. I'm not a big fan of buffets, because I assume the quality will be lower.

But Jangsodam is a complete exception! I'd tried another Jangsodam branch before, and the ingredient quality was way better than I expected, so now I trust it.

So this time I took my mom to treat her to good eel and beef, and we headed happily to Jangsodam Cheongna Main Branch.

Parking and atmosphere at Jangsodam Cheongna Main Branch

The restaurant is in Cheongna and has parking in the building, so I visited without any parking worries. Inside, the place is really spacious, clean and pleasant overall.

The space is so big that it's perfect for family meals, company dinners, group gatherings and other group meals.

A big plus: there's a neat, separate play area (playroom) for kids in one corner of the restaurant! With a dedicated space where little ones can play, it looked super convenient and nice for families eating out with children.

Camping-style window seats with wide-open windows

The huge windows on the window side were thrown wide open, which is perfect when the breeze is cool and the weather is nice like now. With the windows open, the smoke from grilling meat and eel clears quickly, and it felt open and airy, like grilling at an outdoor campsite. The atmosphere was fantastic!

What's in the Jangsodam B Set and salad bar?

I ordered the well-rounded B Set (eel + sirloin + pork) for ₩34,000! At Jangsodam Cheongna, ordering a basic all-you-can-eat set automatically includes access to a varied, generous salad bar. It was full of food that wins over kid-style palates and grown-ups alike.

Jangsodam salad bar menu

• Tomato spaghetti
• Soupy tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes)
• Spicy tofu kimchi
• Crispy assorted fritters
• Tuna rice balls, and more

One serving of sweet and spicy seasoned raw crab (yangnyeom gejang) comes as standard. The seasoning is spicy in a way that really clings to your mouth, so it was perfect for cutting the richness between bites of meat.

There's even a Hangang ramyeon machine in one corner of the salad bar, where you cook your own bubbling instant noodles, and it's included for free. Total bargain!

How do ordering and refills work at Jangsodam?

At Jangsodam Cheongna, after you order, a cute self-driving robot glides over with your first plate. After that, you order extra beef or eel refills easily on the kiosk at your table,

and for pork, sausages, tteokgalbi (grilled short rib patties), ssam vegetables and so on, you just help yourself at the self-bar as much as you like.

How good are the unlimited eel and sirloin at Jangsodam?

Japonica eel and good-quality beef sirloin

The eel and beef at Jangsodam Cheongna are so good it's hard to believe this is all-you-can-eat. I grilled the eel and beef on the golden grill, and the plump eel had absolutely no fishy smell or off odor!

It cooks up crisp outside and moist and chewy inside, and the more you chew, the more that rich, nutty eel oil and clean flavor burst in your mouth. Even as buffet eel, the flesh isn't mushy but springy, and Mom kept exclaiming in admiration as she ate.

I cooked the beautifully marbled beef just lightly on the grill. It was full of juice, with a savory beef aroma bursting with every bite, and so tender it practically melted in my mouth.

Two-piece eel wraps with shredded ginger, a buffet-only treat

At a regular eel or beef restaurant you feel self-conscious and have to savor one piece at a time, but Jangsodam, being an all-you-can-eat buffet, comes with a privilege and a luxury! You can make big wraps with two pieces of eel at once without worrying what anyone thinks, and wraps with two pieces of beef piled on too! haha

I put two thick pieces of eel on fresh lettuce, added sharp onion, shredded green onion, and shredded ginger, which is insanely good with eel, wrapped it all into one big bite and pushed it into my mouth. The flavor was perfect, like I had the whole world. I also dipped two pieces of beef in oil sauce (gireumjang) for wraps, and the savoriness doubled.

Is Jangsodam Cheongna good for taking your parents?

Jangsodam Cheongna Main Branch was a great Cheongna restaurant to bring parents. Mom didn't expect much at first because it's an all-you-can-eat place, but she was really thrilled with how good the eel and beef were! I felt glad I'd brought her.

If you want to eat top-quality eel and beef to your heart's content in Cheongna, I strongly recommend visiting Jangsodam Eel and Beef Buffet Cheongna Main Branch!