Seongsu eel buffet with addictive sauce and bokbunja wine: Songnim Bok

The weather is heating up and we all need an energy boost, right? So today I'm introducing a Seongsu local spot I found recently. I'd love to keep it to myself, but word is already spreading: Songnim Bok Jangeo Unlimited Freshwater Eel Seongsu Branch (송림복장어 민물장어 무한리필 성수직영점)!! Among Seongsu's hot spots, it's the one people are raving about for nailing both value and quality ( ˶•̀֊•́ ˶)

Songnim Bok Seongsu Branch: hours, parking and facilities

The Seongsu branch is open daily from 11:50 to 23:00. There's no dedicated parking, so you'll need a nearby paid public lot. Takeout and delivery are available, and there's group seating, baby chairs and a restroom inside.

• Hours: daily 11:50–23:00
• Parking: not available (use a nearby paid public lot)
• Other: takeout, delivery, group seating, baby chairs, restroom inside

Walking through the Seongsu alleys, a clean, stylish sign catches your eye even from far away! As a newly opened place, it gives off a fresh, pleasant vibe from the outside ◡̈ ✌︎

Inside, the place was much bigger and more comfortable than I expected! The tables aren't crammed together but nicely spaced out, so it looks perfect for group gatherings and company dinners, and also for a family meal or a date ꉂ(๑˃̵͈̑ᴗ˂̵͈̑ ૢ)

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

All-you-can-eat freshwater eel at the Seongsu branch is ₩29,900 per person. I honestly couldn't believe my eyes at the menu. These days, one eel at other eel restaurants easily tops ₩30,000, which makes your wallet tremble.

So how is this price possible? Turns out Songnim Bok is a partner of a freshwater eel farming fisheries cooperative (Suhyup) wholesaler (민물장어양식수협 중도매인)! Cutting out the middle distribution margin lets them serve this quality of eel, unlimited, at an absurdly kind price ( 'ヮ')

What's the basic set, and is the quality of the refills good?

When you sit down, freshwater eel, pork belly and chicken neck are set out as the basics, and the refill meat was the same quality as the first round. They brought cold water and wet wipes first, and since it was a really hot day, wiping my hands and downing a glass of water washed the thirst right away. I felt alive,,

Honestly, at a lot of all-you-can-eat places they serve good meat at first and lower-quality meat on refills, so I was half doubtful, half hopeful. But at Songnim Bok, the first meat and the refill meat are 100% the same quality. I even worried whether the owner was making any profit _(*'ω'* _ )_

The charcoal was set up nice and strong too! The heat was fierce at first, so I got a handy tip to flip the meat often ♡ Even so, a staff member kept coming by to check on us,, they were really kind ♡

Songnim Bok's opening event: free black raspberry wine

At the time of my visit, the Seongsu branch was giving away a whole bottle of bokbunja-ju (black raspberry wine) as an opening event🍷 You know the eel and bokbunja-ju combo without me saying it, right? The sweet, rich flavor of the wine cuts through the oiliness of the eel, so you can keep going endlessly~~ Go before the event ends! Going now is a proper health boost~~ haha

What side dishes are at the self-serve bar?

They set out basic side dishes at the start, and there's also a separate, very neatly kept self-serve bar at one side of the restaurant!! At BBQ and eel places you sometimes feel awkward asking for side dish refills, but here you can comfortably grab as much as you want, which I loved (ᗒ⩊ᗕ)

I took these photos to show you how fresh the unlimited eel, pork belly and chicken neck are ( ꜆˶›-‹˶)꜆ I fell for how neat and plump the eel looked, so that day I went after that eel and nothing else, hahahaha

Side dishes available

• Raw garlic
• Chili peppers
• Fresh lettuce and perilla leaves
• Shredded ginger, eel's must-have partner
• Green onion kimchi
• Crunchy white kimchi
• Pickled onions
• Ssamjang (seasoned soybean paste)
• Salt
• Sesame oil

The green onion kimchi and white kimchi especially are insanely good with eel. Do wrap them up together!!

Putting the eel on the grill, look at the thickness... it's seriously, remarkably chunky.

Is Songnim Bok's freshwater eel fishy or muddy-tasting?

The freshwater eel at the Seongsu branch had zero fishy smell and zero muddy taste, crisp outside and moist and chewy inside. Badly handled freshwater eel can taste fishy or have that distinctive muddiness that divides people, right? Maybe because Songnim Bok is a cooperative partner, the freshness is unreal.

I'd never had bokbunja-ju before in my life, and it turns out it's this delicious,, ☆ One bite of eel, one sip of wine, back and forth, and I couldn't stop ⸜( ^ ᵕ ^ )⸝♡

Salt to the very last piece, and the addictive sauce

People usually say eel is greasy, so later on you end up adding ginger, vegetables and sauce, right? Songnim Bok's eel had me dipping in salt right down to the last piece. That's how good the eel's own flavor was ◝꒰´꒳´∗꒱◟

The dipping sauce they provide was a truly addictive "drug sauce" too~~ The savory depth sticks to your mouth, and dipping grilled eel in it keeps it going down even when you're full haha

Not just the eel: grilling up the chewy chicken neck and nutty pork belly too made me feel like I'd conquered land, sea and air (?) hahaha

Anywhere else, I'd have put my chopsticks down after one or two eels, worrying about my wallet, but at Songnim Bok I ate without that pressure and I think I easily packed away 10 eels!

Is the Songnim Bok Seongsu branch worth going back to?

I think this is the first time I've been this satisfied after eating eel. Funny how a flavor you know gets you: looking at the photos, my mouth is watering again,, I feel like this summer's bok-nal (the hottest days, when Koreans eat stamina food) I won't go anywhere else, only Songnim eel!

If you're looking in Seongsu for proper stamina food and a local spot with explosive value, I absolutely recommend the Songnim Bok all-you-can-eat freshwater eel Seongsu branch (ᗒ⩊ᗕ)

And if, after enjoying it at the restaurant, you think of the family at home, takeout is available too...♡

When you're drinking, it's such a hassle to go to the restroom, right? The Seongsu branch has a neat restroom inside the restaurant, so you never need to step outside. I applaud this kind of detail~👏

The Seongsu branch is at 148 Seongdeokjeong-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul (1st floor), near Seongsu 119 and Seongsu Small Theater!!!!