Yuseong, Daejeon restaurant for eel and pork dinner: Songrimbok

On a day when my husband and I wanted something nourishing, we visited Songrimbok Jangeo (송림복장어) Unlimited Freshwater Eel Daejeon Direct Store, a popular spot in Jijok-dong, Daejeon. I love eel, and since we could also have unlimited pork belly and chicken neck, we chose it for dinner that evening.

Songrimbok Jangeo Unlimited Freshwater Eel Daejeon Direct Store is a large Jijok-dong restaurant spanning 130 pyeong and seating up to 200 people, so I was curious about its scale before we even went in.

Easy parking from the start

There was a dedicated parking lot,

and we could get parking support for up to two hours.

The exterior was easy to spot even from afar, with a large sign saying Songrimbok Jangeo Unlimited Freshwater Eel ₩29,900.

What are the seats like inside?

Once inside, it really was huge. The whole restaurant felt clean and comfortable.

There were all kinds of seating options, from tables great for families to group seating for larger parties and spots that worked nicely for smaller get-togethers.

High chairs and aprons were available too,

and extra side dishes could be picked up from the self-service bar as needed. You can also help yourself to eel, pork belly, and chicken neck, and the unlimited-refill dining limit is two hours.

Unlimited-refill menu and prices

At Songrimbok Jangeo Unlimited Freshwater Eel Daejeon Direct Store, you can have unlimited premium domestic freshwater eel, pork belly, and duck (chicken) neck. Rather than thawing frozen eel, they say they bring in live eel from eel farms and direct sales outlets every morning and prepare it themselves.

The unlimited refill is ₩29,900 for adults and ₩14,000 for elementary school children. The table-setting charge is ₩3,000 for everyone except children.

Meal options included eel soup, galbitang (beef short-rib soup), yukgaejang (spicy beef soup), buckwheat makguksu (cold noodles), and spicy ramen, and there was quite a range of alcoholic drinks too. They had Ilpum Jinro, Hwayo, Bohae bokbunja, Sejong bokbunja, Cheongha, plus soju, beer, and soft drinks. The menu also said takeout was available for ₩35,000.

A quick table setting as soon as we sat down

We ordered the adult unlimited refill for two, plus cider and bowls of rice. They set the table as soon as we sat down, so we did not have to wait long for food.

They even gave us bokbunja (Korean black raspberry wine) on the house, which made my husband and me laugh. With eel and bokbunja together, it really felt like we were treating ourselves to something nourishing.

Looking at the platter they brought over, the eel, neck meat, and pork belly were neatly arranged by type.

The side dishes included pickled onions, pickled perilla leaves, and green-onion kimchi,

along with aged kimchi and ginger. It was a clean, simple spread that paired well with eel, so I kept reaching for each one.

How did we grill the eel?

We started with the eel. We placed it on the hot grill, and the pieces were really large. First, we grilled it skin-side down,

then cooked both sides, cut it into bite-size pieces, and grilled both sides again until nicely browned.

I first tried a piece of well-cooked eel dipped simply in sauce, then added ginger. The ginger went so well with eel's distinctive flavor,

and it was good with aged kimchi too.

This time I put eel on a perilla leaf, and that pairing worked wonderfully too.

My husband loves rice, of course, so he ordered a separate bowl and ate it with the eel.

I kept sipping cider in between and filling the grill.

Pork belly after the eel

After having a good amount of eel, we put the pork belly on the grill.

The pork belly was cut nice and thick, so we turned it over and over until both sides were golden.

As the meat released its fat, we grilled the kimchi and green-onion kimchi alongside it. Picking up grilled kimchi and pork belly together was another delicious combination.

Finishing with chicken neck

Lastly, we put on the chicken neck. It was already seasoned, so it was savory and salty without any gamey smell.

Once we cooked both sides thoroughly, its pleasantly chewy texture came through, making it a nice final meat. After eating eel, pork belly, and chicken neck in that order, the first platter they brought us was so generous that we ultimately could not even go back to the self-service bar for more meat, haha. We were comfortably full without needing to use the entire two hours.

Visit information

• Restaurant: Songrimbok Jangeo (송림복장어) Unlimited Freshwater Eel Daejeon Direct Store
• Address: 60 Jijokbuk-ro 66beon-gil, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, South Korea
• Hours: Daily 11:50–23:00
• Dining time: Unlimited refill available for 2 hours
• Event: Join the receipt-review event to receive ramen or a soft drink
• Parking: Dedicated building parking available, with 2 hours of support