Smoke-free eel buffet at Ansan's Diamond Plaza: Songnim Bok Jangeo

Songnim Bok Jangeo Wolpi Branch (송림복장어민물장어무한리필 월피동점) is open every day from 11:00 to 22:00. Today I went to an all-you-can-eat eel place in Wolpi-dong, Ansan 🤤 Freshwater eel, unlimited, for ₩29,900? I was suspicious at first, lol. But it totally broke my prejudice against buffets 🔥 Here it is 👇

Where is Songnim Bok Jangeo Wolpi Branch?

Songnim Bok Jangeo is at Diamond Plaza in Wolpi-dong, Ansan, and it's easy to spot thanks to a huge banner saying "Songnim Bok Jangeo all-you-can-eat freshwater eel ₩29,900" 👀 The banner says they prepare live eel by hand every morning 👍

It's where a famous raw fish restaurant used to be, so locals will go "Ah, that place!" right away, haha. There are lots of shops, karaoke rooms and convenience stores around, so a second round is easy too.

Where to park at Songnim Bok Jangeo

Right in front is a spacious "Songnim Bok Jangeo private parking lot" so parking was easy 🚗👍 There's a "No outside vehicles" sign under the banner, so be sure to use the private lot!

Inside, the tables are well spaced and the layout is open and airy ✨ Big groups can sit comfortably, so it looks perfect for a company dinner in Wolpi-dong.

Songnim Bok Jangeo all-you-can-eat rules

The time limit is 2 hours ⏰ As the sign says, "Eel is precious food," so take only what you'll eat; leftovers incur an environmental fee 🙏 Leftovers can't be packed to go, so please remember that!

Aprons, drinks and side dishes are all self-service 😊

How much is the all-you-can-eat eel at Songnim Bok Jangeo?

It's ₩29,900 for adults and ₩14,000 for elementary school kids, and the ₩3,000 table fee excludes kids! 💰 We were two adults, so it was ₩29,900 each plus the ₩3,000 table fee.

• Meals: eel soup ₩10,000, yukgaejang ₩10,000, buckwheat makguksu ₩9,000, spicy ramen ₩5,000 🍜
• Drinks: soju ₩5,000, beer ₩5,000, Sejong bokbunja ₩9,000, Bohae bokbunja ₩15,000

The restroom has a big sign, so it was easy to find!

Songnim Bok Jangeo self-serve bar and side dishes

There's just one self-serve bar 🙌 I worried it'd be crowded, but there was no line at all ✨ As the sign says, "Take only what you'll eat," and I did exactly that!

Garlic, ssamjang (dipping paste), seasoned sauce, shredded pickled radish, pickled radish, and lettuce 🥬

The side dishes are all ones that go well with meat. They're not filler just to fill space, which I liked 👍

Rice and bean sprout soup are unlimited too 🍚 Honestly, the soup is a bit bland, lol. But after rich meat, especially after a spicy pepper, it's perfect for cleansing your palate.

Pickled perilla leaves, white kimchi, pickled radish, shredded pickled radish and kimchi come as basic sides, and you get two kinds of lettuce, green and red 🥬 Meat lovers get lots of flavors at once. You can see how thick and plump the eel is, right? ✨

How to grill freshwater eel over charcoal at Songnim Bok Jangeo

Eel and bokbunja is the classic pairing 🍷 I ordered Sejong bokbunja wine, and the price was nice too!

For refills, you bring freshly stored eel and pork belly from the self-serve bar yourself. The eel is piled up like a mountain, lol. The pork belly looked like great meat too! My mouth is watering already... slurp.

You grill it over charcoal 🔥 It cooks golden from the skin side, with the fat sizzling up, and my mouth was watering 🤤

Once it's cooked a bit, you cut it and stand the pieces up like this, as you know is the golden rule, right? That cooks the sides perfectly, haha. When it's almost done, it turns this appetizing color, and that means it's done! Shall we take a bite~~

How does the all-you-can-eat eel taste?

The freshwater eel at Songnim Bok Jangeo had no fishy smell at all, and was clean-tasting and tender ✨ Crispy outside, fluffy and moist inside 😲 I assumed buffet eel would be thin and disappointing, but this one was plump and clearly different!

Then a glass of bokbunja! Eel and bokbunja really are a golden combo T_T

Grill the garlic alongside and that's delicious too! It cuts the greasiness and boosts the savory flavor, a total cheat code 👍

How to eat the chicken neck and pork belly

A staff member recommended dipping the chicken neck in salt! I tried it their way and it was chewy and bursting with juice, really good 🔥 A little pepper makes it even nuttier 😋

Golden-grilled pork belly with ssamjang, pickled radish and a Cheongyang chili in a lettuce wrap 😲 With crunchy lettuce it wipes out the greasiness, and it was heaven in one bite.

Is there smoke or smell at this eel grill?

There was no smoke at all, so no worrying about smelling it on your clothes, which was the best part 👍 Eel grill restaurants are usually smoky, but the ventilation is so good that I was surprised!

They refilled my bokbunja, so let's run again!

Maybe because the pork itself is good, even dipped in just salt and pepper it melted in my mouth T_T

Eel soup to finish and eel takeaway

I finished with spicy, savory eel soup (₩10,000) with rice mixed in 🍚 Rice in the rich broth warmed me right up 🤤

There's takeaway too 🏕️ It's ₩35,000 for 650g after trimming from 1kg, with 2 sauces free. Ginger is ₩1,000. It'd be great to bring along camping 😆

Verdict: smoke-free eel buffet in Wolpi-dong, Ansan

• All-you-can-eat eel in Wolpi-dong with clearly good quality for the price 👍
• The eel is plump and clean-tasting with no fishy smell 🔥
• You get chicken neck and pork belly in one go too
• No smoke so it's comfortable, and you can see the kitchen, which builds trust
• Private parking makes driving easy 🚗

I had two refills plus bokbunja, soju, beer, eel soup and rice, and it's been a while since I ate out without feeling the money was wasted! It's good for taking your parents, and my friend said they'd recommend it for a company dinner since there are several branches, lol. For anyone looking for a family meal or group dinner in Wolpi-dong, I highly recommend Songnim Bok Jangeo all-you-can-eat eel 👍