Chobok eel buffet with white kimchi in Yuseong, Daejeon: Songrimbok

Songrimbok Daejeon Direct Store: basic info

Songrimbok Jangeo Unlimited Eel Daejeon Direct Store is open 11:50-23:00, and the listing says parking is available.

All-you-can-eat eel in Yuseong, Daejeon, for Chobok with two others

Letting this Chobok (the first of the three hottest days of summer, when Koreans eat stamina food) slip by felt wrong, so my boyfriend, a close younger friend and I headed over to Daejeon for a little stamina trip. This place had been popping up in my Instagram feed constantly, so I'd had my eye on it, and I finally got the chance to go. We went to Songrimbok Jangeo Unlimited Eel Daejeon Direct Store, famous as a Yuseong, Daejeon favorite!

What are the atmosphere and seating like?

The tables are spaced generously, so even the three of us didn't feel cramped. The ventilation seems good too, as the meat smell and smoke clung to our clothes less, and the grills were kept clean at every burner, which gave a very hygienic impression.

There are separate rooms too, so it looked great for company dinners, and the guests ranged from groups of friends like us to families. It's clearly a place people flock to for summer stamina food.

With unlimited eel, I honestly worried they might use low-quality eel just to fill quantity, but today's eel looked good quality at a glance :)

Songrimbok serves bokbunja wine (Korean black raspberry wine) by default!! Eel and bokbunja wine really are a dream combo~~

Songrimbok unlimited price and how it works

Songrimbok costs ₩29,900 per adult, and eel, pork belly and chicken/duck neck are all unlimited. From adults up, a ₩3,000 table-setting fee is added.

As soon as the three of us sat down, the staff brought out a small starter set of eel, pork belly and duck neck, and we began with that.

After that, you keep fetching the side dishes and meat you want from the self-bar and grilling them. Maybe because it was Chobok, the place was pretty packed with people after stamina food, but turnover was fast and the meat seemed to be refilled fresh, so waiting wasn't very boring.

How was the quality of the unlimited eel?

The eel at Songrimbok was thick and nicely fatty, and grilled crisp and eaten with white kimchi it was nutty with no fishy smell. I tried the eel first, since it was half anticipation and half worry, and from the first bite the worry vanished.

Eel at all-you-can-eat places is often small, thin and dry, but Songrimbok's was thick with a good layer of fat, and you could feel that springy texture with every bite.

We were told to grill it crisp since fish can smell fishy, and when we did, only a nutty flavor spread, with no fishiness. Eaten lightly golden together with white kimchi, it never got tiresome and we kept going.

What about the pork belly?

The pork belly served alongside was evenly thick and clean with no off smell, so switching over from eel felt completely natural.

Free ramyeon for a review event

Partway through, we even got a free ramyeon through a review event. With my stomach already fairly full of meat, the spicy ramyeon broth left my mouth feeling fresh and cleaned up. It was an unexpected treat so it was extra welcome, and leaving so well fed on a stamina day felt pretty rewarding.

Malbok stamina food and eel extract as a gift for parents

Besides unlimited eel, Songrimbok also sells eel extract, so many people eat their fill in the restaurant and others pick some up as a stamina gift for their parents. Malbok (the last of the three hottest days) is coming soon, so if you haven't had a proper stamina meal yet, now is the time.

The eel quality is definitely good, so I can recommend it without worry for taking parents or older relatives. If you missed both Chobok and Jungbok but still want to do Malbok properly, gather here, gather here~~

Who is Songrimbok recommended for?

Considering quality for the price, Songrimbok was a really satisfying meal. I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to enjoy unlimited eel without pressure, and to people near Yuseong planning a different kind of company dinner or a hearty family stamina meal.

With Malbok coming up, if you haven't had proper stamina food this summer, I recommend giving it a visit!