Eel buffet date with ginger wraps in Incheon: Songrim Bokjangeo

It suddenly got so cold lately, right? So my partner and I went to eat eel to recharge our bodies! There seemed to be a new place near my partner's home, so we gave it a try: Songrim Bokjangeo Inha Univ. Hakik-dong branch (송림복장어 무한리필 인하대학익동점) in Hakik-dong, Michuhol-gu, Incheon. It's all-you-can-eat not just for freshwater eel but for pork belly and chicken neck too, so eel lovers should take note! Here's my honest visit review. 💗

Is there parking at Songrim Bokjangeo?

There's a parking lot behind the restaurant, so it was convenient to come by car! When you go out for eel, whether there's somewhere to park matters more than you'd think. With parking available, I thought it would work well for a family meal or a date too.

How much is the all-you-can-eat eel, pork belly and chicken neck?

Songrim Bokjangeo is an all-you-can-eat specialist, and the best part was that adults pay ₩29,900 to eat as much freshwater eel, pork belly and chicken neck as they like! Since it's an Incheon eel buffet, you can eat as much as you want without feeling self-conscious. My partner loves eel, so we decided to really enjoy it today. 😆

Like a newly opened place, it felt clean right from the exterior. haha

A spacious, clean interior and a group area

Inside, it was roomier than I expected! Each table had a number, and there was also a wide separate space off to the side.

Since it has space where many people can sit together, it looked fine for anyone hunting for a company dinner or group gathering in Hakik-dong. It seemed good for a family meal, or for meat with friends too.

Menu

• Adult: ₩29,900
• Child (elementary school): ₩14,000
• Table setting fee: ₩3,000 (not charged for children)
• ※ Prices are as of the visit and may change.

Other side dishes are ordered separately. While eating eel, you can also add eel soup, galbi soup, makguksu (cold buckwheat noodles), yukgaejang (spicy beef soup) and so on as a meal.

How does the self-serve bar work?

Once you sit down, they first bring you freshwater eel and pork belly right away, and after that you just fetch whatever you want from the self-serve bar!

The self-serve bar had wrap vegetables and several side dishes, and you could also take sauces that go well with eel.

On one side there's freshwater eel, pork belly and chicken neck, so you can freely take whichever meat you want. I liked that when you get tired of eel, you can grill another meat.

There was also a guide posted for people grilling eel for the first time, which is handy. 😊

How was the freshwater eel at Songrim Bokjangeo?

Now for the real eating! They put freshwater eel and pork belly on the heated pan, and once it started sizzling I suddenly got even hungrier, haha!

I'd grabbed wrap vegetables and eel sauce from the self-serve bar, so I was ready to eat. Watching the eel turn golden brown, I couldn't wait.

Eel that's just thick enough to cook quickly

Eel needs to be cooked through, and I liked that the eel here is a moderate thickness, so it grills relatively fast. When you're hungry, waiting forever for meat to cook is rough, right? 😂

Eel with wrap vegetables and ginger

Finally I got to try the well-cooked eel! I really love wrapping both meat and eel in lettuce. Putting eel on a leaf and adding sauce and side dishes gave so many combinations that I never got tired and kept eating. Eating it with ginger especially cut the richness of the eel, and it was really delicious. Eel is tasty on its own, but with various accompaniments it was much better! Eel is definitely best grilled and eaten while it's hot. ❤️

Above all, because it's an Incheon eel buffet, I liked being able to go back for more without worry once the plate was empty. Eel is a pricey food, so being able to eat freely like this was a huge plus.

Eat, fetch more, wrap it, or eat the eel plain! My partner was busy grilling eel nonstop while I was busy eating away, haha. I felt bad for my partner 🤣

Are the chicken neck and pork belly worth eating too?

The chicken neck at Songrim Bokjangeo was better than I expected. I was curious about the other items, so I brought chicken neck and pork belly, and the chicken neck was seriously good?! It had a tender texture and a faint smoky grill flavor, so I kept reaching for it. By my standards eel was the best, and chicken neck came second! Grilling pork belly alongside meant I could switch between items, which was nice.

If you eat only eel you might get a little tired of it, but with other meats too, I could enjoy it to the end. It's the perfect lineup for people who want both eel and meat.

Receipt review event and eel takeout

At the time of my visit, the restaurant was running an event where you get an alcoholic or soft drink for leaving a Naver receipt review. We got cider (a lemon-lime soda) and drank it! Eating eel and meat nonstop can get a bit greasy, so a cold soda in between was just right. haha It's worth checking whether the review event is running and what the conditions are when you visit.

Eel takeout is available too! As we were leaving after the meal, I saw they also sell takeout. You get 650g of prepped eel (from 1kg raw) with 2 free sauces for ₩35,000. If you enjoyed it at the restaurant and want to grill it at home, taking some back seems like a good idea. It could be a good option for anyone who wants to enjoy eel at home with family.

Verdict: who is Songrim Bokjangeo Hakik-dong branch for?

What I liked most about this all-you-can-eat Songrim Bokjangeo Inha Univ. Hakik-dong branch is that you get freshwater eel, pork belly and chicken neck all in one go. Eel can feel too pricey to eat freely, but here it's all-you-can-eat, so my partner and I left full and satisfied! My favorite item was of course the freshwater eel, and the surprise treat was the tender, smoky chicken neck. 😋

It has parking and a fairly large space, so it looked good for dates, family meals and group gatherings. If you're looking for a good place to eat in Hakik-dong, or want eel and meat in generous amounts without worrying about cost, it's worth a visit.