Cheongna eel and beef buffet for a Saturday couple dinner: Jangsodam

Why we chose Jangsodam Cheongna for eel and beef in one meal

We chose Jangsodam Eel and Beef Buffet Cheongna Main Branch (장소담 청라본점) for a couple's dinner because it lets you eat both eel and beef in Cheongna at one table. These days, the first things my wife and I check when eating out are parking and the menu lineup. We both wanted eel and we both wanted meat, so while searching for a Cheongna eel restaurant that could cover both, we found Jangsodam and headed over.

Eel is the classic stamina food, and here it comes with beef and plenty of other dishes too! It's not just grilled eel; you can enjoy lots of different things to your taste, which had me interested even before we arrived.

Is Jangsodam Cheongna busy on a Saturday evening?

When we arrived around 5 PM on a Saturday, there were plenty of open seats, but by the time we left it was almost full. It was a slightly early dinner hour so the place was roomy at first, but dinner guests kept coming in while we ate, and by the time we walked out it felt close to a full house.

Jangsodam Cheongna location, opening hours and parking

Jangsodam is at Units 206, 207 and 208, Cheongna Tower Dome, 10-17 Jungbong-daero 612beon-gil, Seohae-gu, Incheon, South Korea, and it is open daily 11:00 - 23:00. For parking you can use the building's 4th, 5th and 6th floor lots. It was a weekend, so I was a little worried about parking, but the building has plenty of space and it wasn't hard at all.

Since the parking lot is inside the building, the weather barely matters, which was nice. For a weekend meal the food matters, but parking stress can make you tired before you even start, so we got off to an easy start today haha

The outdoor price board in front of the restaurant instantly gave the impression of a place that serves both eel and beef. Lots of restaurants specialize in one dish these days, but when several people go, everyone sometimes wants something different, so this kind of setup seems good for family meals or group gatherings haha

When we first arrived it was relatively quiet. We went around 5 PM, the spacing between tables didn't feel cramped, and it was a nice time to start a leisurely meal. But by the time we finished and headed out, guests kept coming in and the restaurant was almost full.

What comes with Jangsodam's ₩39,000 A Set?

What we ordered was Jangsodam's A Set (₩39,000 per adult). It included all of the following.

• Nourishing freshwater eel
• Six kinds of beef
• Yukhoe (Korean beef tartare)
• Crab marinated in soy sauce (summer only, for guests who want it)
• Pork
• Special dishes
• Hangang ramyeon
• Drinks
• Bowl of rice
• Soft serve ice cream

I came thinking only of eel, but with so many dishes in the set, it was an instant choice!

We sat down and got ready to eat. With so many different dishes in the set, the table kept getting fuller and fuller.

Even the side dishes alone are quite varied, right? You can refill them freely at the self-bar.

Yukhoe first, then freshwater eel with a half-eel add-on

Our meal at Jangsodam started with yukhoe and moved on to the main attraction, freshwater eel, and since we liked the eel, we added half an eel. Okay, let's start today's meal with the yukhoe. It was a nice light start before the eel, and dipping it lightly in sesame oil sauce opened up the appetite cleanly. With such a varied menu, it was fun to taste things one by one.

Now the eel, the real main dish, goes on. Thick eel arriving at the table is a treat for the eyes. Grilling matters a lot with eel, so we cooked it slowly as we ate.

Watching the eel cook on the grill naturally lifted the mood of the meal. As the eel's rich, nutty aroma rose up, I could feel again why people seek it out as stamina food.

I wrapped a piece of mildly flavored, well-cooked eel in a leaf wrap the way I like it. The first portion was decent, but since we love eel, my wife and I added half an eel.

With the extra half eel, the table got even fuller. (You can also add a whole eel.) We still needed to eat the beef, but the thick eel was so good that we couldn't stop ordering more haha

Six kinds of beef: brisket, chuck rib and premium flat iron

The A Set includes six kinds of beef, so while grilling the eel we moved on to brisket, chuck galbi and premium chuck flap. We got to enjoy a variety of meats along with the eel, and switching dishes here and there instead of eating just one thing made the meal feel more varied and satisfying~

We ate the brisket lightly and then put on the chuck galbi, which is LA galbi style (thin-cut cross-cut short ribs). Being able to eat eel and beef in one spot really is Jangsodam's biggest feature.

This time I lined up the premium chuck flap side by side on the grill. Even though it carries the all-you-can-eat label, the quality of the meat is... not just so-so at all!

We kept saying we were full, but the meat itself was so good that we just couldn't put our chopsticks down haha

When you hear eel restaurant you usually think only of eel, but here you can enjoy beef, pork, chicken and side dishes together, so there were clearly lots of choices. Even if you come with people whose tastes differ, everyone can pick what they want, so I think it would be perfect for company dinners and group gatherings.

Hangang ramyeon and soft serve to finish

We ended our meal at Jangsodam with the Hangang ramyeon (instant noodles you cook yourself) and soft serve ice cream included in the A Set. After practically inhaling the japonica freshwater eel and the beef that melted in the mouth, we finally headed to the Hangang ramyeon corner I'd been eyeing since the start. There were several kinds of ramyeon too, so picking one was really fun.

Slurping up the chewy noodles and happily working up a sweat, I felt this fiery bowl of ramyeon, which we could enjoy without worrying about extra charges, completed the meal perfectly.

After a hearty meal of rich eel and beef, washing it all down with cool, sweet ice cream makes for a perfect finish.

And as we paid and left, they gave us a coupon! That generous service, looking after guests right to the end, firmly settled my mind on coming back haha

Would we return to Jangsodam Cheongna? Next time with family

If you're looking for a place to eat eel in Cheongna, or want other dishes alongside your eel, Jangsodam is worth a look.

My wife and I added half an eel, ate beef and even Hangang ramyeon, and left really full. It felt like a place we could come back to with the whole family next time.