Gojan-dong eel buffet with 35,000 won takeout eel: Songnim Bok Jangeo

It felt like it was starting to cool down lately, but it's gotten hot again. Perfect timing to visit a freshwater eel all-you-can-eat spot for some stamina food. It turned out to be way better than expected, so I'm highly recommending it: Songnim Bok Jangeo Freshwater Eel All-You-Can-Eat Ansan City Hall Direct Store!

Where is Songnim Bok Jangeo Ansan City Hall Direct Store, and where do you park?

• 📍Address: 33 Danggok-ro, Danwon-gu, Ansan, Gyeonggi, South Korea, 201-202
• ⏰️ Hours: Daily 11:00-22:00 (last order 21:00)
• 🚗 Parking: Underground parking in the building or paid public parking right outside
• 👥 Group reservations available

Songnim Bok Jangeo is located in Jungang-dong, Ansan! It's a bit of a walk from the main downtown strip, but not as far as you'd think.

They said it hasn't been open that long. That might be why the inside felt so spacious and clean. The tables and tableware all looked brand new, and above all, it was just so nice being spacious... felt perfect for a group dinner too?!

Ordering the adult all-you-can-eat set, with eel to go for 35,000 won

The benefits of freshwater eel,,, honestly, eel is THE stamina food. Can you believe you can get unlimited refills of that precious eel for under 30,000 won?

I ordered the adult all-you-can-eat! They even offer takeout at a reasonable 35,000 won. Seems great for anyone who wants to eat comfortably at home.

What's on the self-serve bar: eel, pork belly and chicken neck

Here's the self-serve bar. It was clean and every compartment was packed full of side dishes. Seems like the owner is really on top of it.

Green onion kimchi, ramp namul, pickled onions, white kimchi, ginger — all the delicious side dishes gathered in one place.

So this is an eel all-you-can-eat, right?? I thought maybe I'd have to ask for refills like other buffet places, but no such hassle — you just grab it yourself from the salad bar! No need to feel awkward about it, take as much as you want, which doubles the satisfaction...

But it's not just eel — there was also pork belly and chicken neck! You could get tired of eating only eel, so being able to refresh with different meats in between was great?! The pork belly wasn't just plain either, it looked like it had herbs on it.

I saw reviews saying the chicken neck was the tastiest. Can you believe you get to enjoy eel + pork belly + chicken neck all together....

This looked like a fried egg station but there were no eggs when I went ㅠㅠ But the other meats alone were more than enough~

These are the basic side dishes the owner brings over once you order.

The one on the left looked like a teriyaki-style sauce for dipping the eel. You just grab the ssamjang yourself from the self-serve bar.

Free bokbunja wine and the charcoal grill setup

Such a jackpot service!!!! The owner gave us bokbunja (Korean raspberry wine). Apparently it comes free with any all-you-can-eat order. I was actually debating whether to order alcohol... talk about good timing ㅠㅠ

After coming back from the self-serve bar, the owner adds charcoal like this.

The owner brings the first round of meat. You get 4 pieces of eel, 2 strips of pork belly, and chicken neck.

How to grill the eel, and the first bite

First up, grilling the eel!! There were big instructions posted on the walls for how to grill eel deliciously, so even a first-timer could do it easily.

Once it looks cooked enough, cut it into bite-sized pieces.

Can you see how plump the eel looks?? Since it's all-you-can-eat, I honestly had zero expectations, but the meat was so plump it was insane.

They grill the pork belly too. The heat was stronger than expected so it cooked fast.

Seriously legendary ㅠㅠ Grilled over charcoal so it gets that smoky flavor too. I like mine cooked crispy, and this was just right for me!

Here's the whole spread. Looks pretty solid, right?

Let's enjoy the eel with the complimentary bokbunja wine.

My favorite is dipping the plump eel in the eel sauce... plain unseasoned is a given, need I say more, it's seriously delicious.

Add white kimchi on top of that and... it's an instant hoorah moment. Eel is great because it's not too fatty, so unlike beef or pork you can keep eating it for longer.

If you start feeling a bit tired of it~ wrap it in ramp namul!! With so many side dishes, mixing and matching is half the fun.

Green onion kimchi and pickled onions too, yum~ crunchy and so delicious.

Chicken neck, eel tails and the third refill

Grilling up some chicken neck too.

I went back for an eel refill and luckily got some eel tail too!! Round two, let's go~~

I seasoned the chicken neck with pepper and salt while grilling. Tasted exactly like the ones I used to eat at college festivals!

Hahaha, no bones, so tender, totally my type... this is actually my first time grilling eel this way, and it's so, so good..

3rd refill!! Before eating I thought I'd go for at least 5 refills, but I got so, so, so full that this ended up being my last one.

In the end some was left over. Looking at it now, such a shame. I wish present me could eat it.

Finishing with cold buckwheat noodles

Can't have meat without noodles. I ordered spicy mixed buckwheat noodles but got the cold water version instead ㅠ Perfect for cleansing the palate though. It's like naengmyeon (cold noodle) broth with buckwheat noodles in it.

I asked the owner for some seasoning sauce and added it in. You need a bit of spice like this to balance it out.

Is the Ansan eel buffet worth it? Honest verdict

At first I assumed 1. it'd be expensive and 2. the eel quality would be poor, just because it's all-you-can-eat, but it was totally different from what I expected, in a good way. The eel really was plump and fresh, the side dishes were clean, and the inside of the restaurant was spotless.

Above all, I think it's not just about the eel — having pork belly and chicken neck too, giving you variety on the menu, is one of Songnim Bok's own strengths. Looks like it's a chain with several locations too, so if you're tired of Coo Coo Roo or Ashley, how about recharging with some eel instead??