Eel buffet for a non-eel lover in Jijok-dong, Daejeon: Songrimbok

⏰ Daily 11:50–23:00

What is Songrimbok Jangeo in Jijok-dong, Daejeon?

Songrimbok Jangeo Unlimited Eel Daejeon Direct Store is an all-you-can-eat grill restaurant in Jijok-dong, Daejeon, where you can enjoy everything from domestic freshwater eel to pork belly and chicken neck. I'm not someone who eats eel often, but it's one of the foods that comes to mind when I need a little energy boost, haha.

It's all-you-can-eat, so I went without big expectations. But they prep live eel by hand every morning, so the eel quality was good and the price was reasonable too. I left very satisfied, haha. Let me walk you through the three menu items and how they tasted, one by one!

How big is Songrimbok's Jijok-dong restaurant, and is there parking?

The restaurant is in Jijok-dong, and it's a big place of about 130 pyeong (roughly 430 m²) that holds up to 200 people. Being that large, it also had plenty of parking.

There's a private parking lot right in front of the restaurant, with a barrier, so be sure to register your parking before you leave after the meal!

Sofa seats, partitioned booths and group rooms

At the entrance there was a sign saying they prep live eel by hand every morning, and I was already so excited walking in!! hehe

The moment I stepped inside, the huge space hit me at a glance! Everything was kept neat and clean, and you could really feel they care about cleanliness, haha. There were comfy sofa seats, and each seat had a partition, so there was nice spacing between tables ❤

Here's another room area! It stretches out so long, doesn't it? >.< It looked great for big groups, family meals or company gatherings.

This one is a more private room area. There were about 4 tables, and a partition in the middle that opens and closes, so it can be split up and used privately for different kinds of gatherings.

How much is the Songrimbok eel buffet, and how does it work?

The staff sets out the main food and basic side dishes first, and anything extra you grab yourself from the self-serve bar. I liked that you can enjoy the all-you-can-eat items along with whatever sides suit your taste.

All-you-can-eat domestic freshwater eel, charcoal pork belly and chicken neck ⭐ It's ₩29,900 per adult, plus a ₩3,000 table setting fee for adults. It's great for eel lovers, and since you can have other meats besides grilled eel, it seemed a good setup for going with several people, haha.

They also sell eel soup (jangeotang), and I heard it has a rich flavor, so give it a try, hahaha.

• Receipt review event: choose 1 of ramen or a drink

Side dishes and complimentary bokbunja wine

Sauces and side dishes to go with the meat came set out as standard. There were more side dishes beyond those too, so I recommend stopping by the self-serve corner, haha.

A pleasant surprise during the meal!! I didn't expect it, but they gave every table bokbunja wine (Korean black raspberry wine) for free?? It paired really well with the eel, so it was perfect!

And it's not just because of the freebie.. haha. The owner was also kind and friendly, so I felt good the whole meal.

Songrimbok's freshwater eel quality and how to grill it

The Songrimbok set comes with three items: domestic freshwater eel, charcoal pork belly and chicken neck.

With all-you-can-eat, you naturally worry about eel quality first~ But they don't thaw frozen eel; they say they bring in live eel every morning from fish farms and direct-sale markets and prep it themselves!! It looked really fresh just from the look of it..

They put it on skin side down first. It started sizzling, so I flipped it two or three times, haha. It was already cut to that size, so it was easier to grill!!

It turned moist and glossy and golden brown, and I cut it into bite-size pieces. The eel was thick and the flesh looked plump >,< I was drooling before I even ate it..

To keep the flow going, I started grilling pork belly and duck on the edge too!! I grilled the outside crisp, and it naturally came out crispy outside, juicy inside??

Curious about the quality, I first tried the grilled eel with no sauce at all, and I could taste that nutty flavor eel is known for!! >.<

Best eel pairings if you don't usually like eel

The eel here had almost no gamey smell, but for someone like me who doesn't usually enjoy eel, adding teriyaki sauce was even more appealing? The sauce is sweet and savory, and it went great with the eel!! A really good match, haha.

My friend liked eating it with pickled perilla leaves (kkaennip)! Even with the same eel, the taste changes a little depending on the side dish, so you can enjoy it your own way, haha.

I also had the free bokbunja wine with it, and it's very good.. 💜

How are the charcoal pork belly and chicken neck?

What makes Songrimbok a popular gathering spot in Jijok-dong is that it's not just the eel; the charcoal pork belly and chicken neck were tasty too!

With other meats besides eel, it's an easy choice even when everyone in your group likes different things, haha. The self-serve bar also has ssamjang (seasoned soybean paste), lettuce wraps, garlic and chili peppers, so you can enjoy them alongside.

Two separately heated grill plates for a pork belly finish

The grill plate at Songrimbok is split into two sides, each with its own switch! After enjoying the eel for a while, we said let's grill some pork belly as a last round, haha.

So we could keep the eel warm on one side and grill the pork belly on the other, and enjoy it comfortably right to the end ❤️