Yeongjong eel and sirloin buffet, 34,000 won course: Jangsodam

Lately the weather's been draining my energy and I've been feeling heavy and run-down, so I felt an urgent need to properly refuel on protein. Somewhere I could inhale meat and eel without holding back, guilt-free —

went to Jangsodam Yeongjong Direct Store, a Yeongjong-do eel and beef buffet restaurant

This place is a large premium buffet-style restaurant in Yeongjong-do where you can enjoy quality domestic freshwater eel, a full lineup of beef cuts, pork, and side dishes — either à la carte or as part of an all-you-can-eat course.

Parking and the dining room at Jangsodam Yeongjong Direct Store

Jangsodam Yeongjong Direct Store has its own parking lot, so there was zero parking stress even driving there. The parking area was well set up, matching the scale of the large restaurant.

The moment I walked in, the sense of openness was incredible — the place was enormous and kept spotlessly clean, just pure comfort.

The tables had generous spacing and there were tons of seats, making it a perfectly optimized spot for family dinners as well as company group dinners or club gatherings.

How much do the all-you-can-eat courses cost?

Jangsodam Yeongjong Direct Store's menu has a very detailed range of all-you-can-eat courses to fit different tastes and budgets.

Freshwater eel + 6 cuts of beef + pork + Korean beef yukhoe (raw beef tartare): ₩39,000 Freshwater eel + sirloin + pork: ₩34,000

Beyond these, there are plenty of other options across price points, like beef+pork combos or pork+dakgalbi (spicy stir-fried chicken) combos. What I loved is that whichever all-you-can-eat course you pick, access to the self-service salad bar is included by default. And for light eaters who find all-you-can-eat intimidating, they've thoughtfully allowed à la carte ordering too — nice touch.

Since today's mission was a full-on protein storm, I didn't hesitate and went straight for the eel + sirloin + pork course, which balances value and variety perfectly. Once you order, the first main plate arrives with thick eel and sirloin —

How the serving robot and kiosk refills work

A smart serving robot delivers the food to your table quickly and safely. You take the food from the robot, place it on the grill, and after that, whenever you need more (or more more), you just order comfortably through the kiosk on the table. Being able to order as much as you want without feeling watched is genuinely convenient.

What's on the self-service salad bar

Before the main meat started grilling, I did a quick lap around Jangsodam's salad bar.

True to a proper buffet, it's well stocked with spaghetti, all kinds of crispy fried items, warm sundae (Korean blood sausage), savory cheongpomuk (mung bean jelly), an instant ramyeon station, and cold drinks.

And right next to the salad bar, if you open the fresh fridge, you'll find pork, chicken, sausage, cheese tteok (rice cake), tteokgalbi (short rib patties), chewy pork skin, all neatly arranged — grab whatever you're craving and grill it up.

How good is the unlimited freshwater eel?

First, I carefully lined up today's star, the freshwater eel, on the grill. Honestly, I expected the eel quality to be a bit lacking or thin since it's all-you-can-eat, but I was completely wrong!

The eel was incredibly thick and meaty, with the tiny bones cleanly removed — the quality was outstanding. Taking a big bite of the golden-grilled eel, the outside was crispy and the inside soft and clean-tasting, with that distinctive nutty eel flavor exploding in my mouth. There was no fishy smell or off-taste at all, and the springy texture and juicy flesh held up with every chew — hugely satisfying.

It's delicious wrapped in lettuce, and just as good brushed with teriyaki sauce and grilled. Adding a generous pile of spicy shredded ginger really cuts through the richness, which let me keep eating without slowing down!

Grilling the beef sirloin alongside the eel

The beef sirloin grilled next to the eel didn't disappoint either — genuinely amazing. It had just the right amount of rosy marbling; I lightly seared it on the grill and dipped it in sesame oil sauce, and there was zero dryness — the grain was tender and incredibly soft. With every chew, a rich, savory beef flavor and juiciness spread through my mouth, melting away, and I couldn't stop reaching for more with my chopsticks.

Halfway through, it was so good I couldn't hold back and ordered one more round each of eel and sirloin in a row, loosening my belt and properly overeating haha. It had been a while since I filled up on protein this thoroughly without holding back.

Finishing with self-service ramyeon

My stomach felt like it was about to burst, but I couldn't skip a spicy finish, so I boiled up some ramyeon from the salad bar and drank the broth down to the last drop. The spicy, refreshing ramyeon broth cleanly cut through the richness from the eel and meat, making for a perfect end to the meal. With easy parking and a spacious, comfortable dining room, I'd strongly recommend Jangsodam Yeongjong Direct Store to anyone looking for a spot in Yeongjong-do for a group company dinner or family gathering.