Date-night all-you-can-eat eel in Yuseong, Daejeon: Songrimbok Jangeo

It's getting hot, and I felt like I needed an energy boost, so I went out for eel with my girlfriend. I like eel, but with the price it's hard to eat as much as I want, so "all-you-can-eat eel" naturally caught my eye. This time I visited Songrimbok Jangeo Unlimited Eel Daejeon Direct Store (송림복장어 민물장어무한리필 대전직영점) in Yuseong, Daejeon.

I'd heard you can have not just eel but also pork belly and chicken neck all-you-can-eat, and it turned out far tastier than I expected and I left really satisfied, so here's my review.

Is parking easy at Songrimbok Jangeo Daejeon?

There's a building parking lot and an outdoor lot behind the building, so no parking worries if you come by car. The first things I noticed on arrival were the clean exterior and the big parking lot. Maybe because it's a newly opened branch, it felt clean from the outside, and the sign stands out, so first-timers shouldn't have trouble finding it.

With both the building lot and the outdoor lot behind it, there's plenty of room, which is a big plus if you're driving.

Interior, seating: good for group dinners and dates?

The inside is bigger than I expected, and the tables are spaced generously, so it looked fine for a family meal or a company dinner. Staff greeted us kindly as we came in through the entrance. Since it hasn't been open long, the whole place was kept clean, and the tables and chairs were in good shape.

The inside was bigger than I thought.

The tables are spaced so you don't feel squeezed against the next one, which makes it good for family meals or group dinners. Looking around, there were families and groups of friends, all enjoying their food. It wasn't noisy, and we could eat comfortably.

Basic table setting and the opening-event bokbunja wine

Once we sat down, the basic setting arrived: side dishes that go well with eel and fresh ssam vegetables. How good eel tastes depends on what you eat it with, and even the basic lineup was plenty satisfying.

Best of all, at the time of my visit they were giving away one bottle of bokbunja wine (black raspberry wine) as an opening event. Eel and bokbunja are a classic pairing, so we started in a great mood even before eating. The owner also said we could take it home if we didn't drink it, and thanks to that special event and the thoughtfulness, I felt really good as a customer.

The self-serve bar: fetch even the eel yourself

Personally, I think the biggest strength of Songrimbok Jangeo's Daejeon branch is the self-serve bar. Not just side dishes and vegetables, but the main items too, eel, pork belly and chicken neck, you can bring over yourself.

At some all-you-can-eat places you have to call a staff member every time you want more side dishes or vegetables, but here you can use the self-serve bar freely, which was really convenient. Since you can grab extra sides and vegetables, and even the eel, pork belly and chicken neck yourself, there's no need to feel awkward about asking and you can take as much as you like. That was a huge plus.

Just the two of us, my girlfriend and I, went back for lettuce and ssam vegetables several times, and it was easy and satisfying every time.

All-you-can-eat freshwater eel: grilled and tasted

Time to put the eel on the grill.

Watching the thick eel cook on the grill got me excited already. The eel's rich, nutty aroma started rising, and our appetites rose with it. Being all-you-can-eat, I could put plenty on from the start without holding back.

We flipped the eel until it was cooked just right. Watching it turn golden brown, even the waiting is fun. The sizzling sound and the savory smell on the grill were so good. My girlfriend said the eel's quality was better than expected, more than she'd hoped for.

I picked up a piece of well-cooked eel and tried it.

The outside was nicely crisp and the inside tender. It had plenty of that nutty eel flavor and no fishy taste, so it was clean to eat. Topped with ginger and wrapped in ssam with side dishes, it was even better. Eel really is best in one big bite. And as I said earlier, being able to fetch more without worrying is a very big plus.

We emptied the first plate fast and brought back more eel. At regular eel restaurants the price makes me stop at a moderate amount, but here I could eat as much as I wanted without that worry. I think it's a pretty satisfying setup for eel lovers.

Pork belly and chicken neck are all-you-can-eat too

After eating a good amount of eel, we grilled some pork belly too.

Honestly, I came thinking only about eel, so having all-you-can-eat pork belly was a nice bonus.

Golden-brown pork belly is a taste anyone would like. Eating only eel can get a bit greasy, so eating pork belly in between changed things up nicely. We grilled the nicely rendered pork belly and chatted about this and that. The saying that you lose track of time in front of good food is exactly right.

I should have tried the chicken neck last, but I was too full. Chicken neck is a cut known for its chewy texture, and even just looking at it, it seemed to be in better condition than I expected.

It was definitely good that you're not limited to eel alone, and can enjoy different main items like pork belly and chicken neck together.

Who is Songrimbok Jangeo Daejeon good for?

Songrimbok Jangeo Unlimited Eel Daejeon Direct Store is a solid choice for people who want to eat eel to their heart's content, or enjoy a generous spread of different meats. Looking at the table as we finished, we'd eaten a real variety, from eel to pork belly. I came just for the all-you-can-eat eel, but thanks to the convenient self-serve bar and the variety of meats, the meal was more satisfying than expected.

It was a day of a full, happy meal with my girlfriend after a long while. I'd also recommend it for group dinners and gatherings in Yuseong, Daejeon, and if you're looking for a good all-you-can-eat eel place in Daejeon, give Songrimbok Jangeo Unlimited Eel Daejeon Direct Store a visit.