Ansan eel buffet: origin board check and ginger strips, Songnim Bok

When you think of eel, price usually comes to mind first. This time I went somewhere that lets you enjoy eel in a slightly different way — Songnim Bok Jangeo. 🐟🔥

What caught my eye wasn't just freshwater eel on its own, but the chance to enjoy eel along with pork belly and chicken neck as all-you-can-eat for two hours. I was looking for an Ansan City Hall eel restaurant where my family could grill and eat until full, so here's my write-up centered on my actual visit.

Where Songnim Bok Jangeo is and how the 2-hour buffet works

Songnim Bok Jangeo sits on Danggok-ro in Danwon-gu near Ansan City Hall, which made it easy to get to. Given that eel is the specialty, it seemed like a solid pick for bringing parents along or for family dinner outings, and since you can grill several kinds of meat together, it also worked well for a group with different tastes.

Above all, the biggest feature of this visit was the two-hour all-you-can-eat format, unlike a typical eel-specialty restaurant. Here are the operating hours!

Since eel tends to be a relatively pricier food, it seemed better to bring small portions to grill and add more if you run out, rather than piling on a lot from the start. 👍

Freshwater eel, pork belly and chicken neck on one grill

What I found interesting about Songnim Bok Jangeo while searching for an Ansan City Hall eel restaurant was the range of choices.

Bringing eel, pork belly, and chicken neck together on one plate meant a good variety of flavors even on a single grill.

The eel in particular had noticeably thick, meaty flesh.

Once placed on the grill, oil slowly rises to the surface of the eel, and as it turns golden brown, that distinctive savory aroma comes alive. 🔥

Grilling pork belly alongside cut down on the monotony you can feel from eating only eel. The chicken neck was small in size but had a springy, chewy texture that made it fun to pick at between bites.

Switching around between eel, chicken neck, and pork belly depending on my mood, the two hours went by faster than expected.

How to grill eel properly at Songnim Bok Jangeo

The wall at Songnim Bok Jangeo has a detailed guide on how to grill the eel. It was a useful reference for anyone grilling eel themselves for the first time.

• First, place the raw eel skin-side down to grill it first.
• Second, once both sides are fully cooked, trim away the fins in the middle and on both sides.
• Third, cut into bite-sized pieces, then stand the eel up to grill the cut edges until golden brown — done!

I tried grilling it this way, and the eel's surface came out appetizingly browned while the inside stayed moist. The key was not rushing but slowly cooking each side on the grill. 👌

Different ways to eat the eel

I picked up a well-grilled piece of eel.

I tried it plain, dipped in sauce, and paired with the side dishes.

In particular, the combination of piling on yellow ginger strips, as shown in the photo, stuck with me. Amid the eel's rich, savory fattiness, the ginger's sharp bite comes through and freshens up the mouth.

Placing eel on pickled perilla leaves along with ginger strips was also great. 🌿 Wrapping chicken neck and ginger strips in lettuce for a big bite, or pairing eel with kimchi, each gave a different feel.

Getting complimentary bokbunja wine was also a satisfying touch! Eel with bokbunja, who knew!! Being able to alternate between eel and other meats was one of the fun parts of Songnim Bok Jangeo, the Ansan City Hall eel restaurant.

Side dishes and the self-serve corner

The side dishes that pair well with the meat are also served neatly.

Scallion kimchi, white kimchi, ginger, perilla leaf pickle, onion pickle — these side dishes stood out for cutting through the eel's richness.

The ginger strips + eel combination in particular is something I'd personally recommend everyone try at least once. Enjoying the eel's own flavor first, then adding side dishes one by one to find your own preferred combination, is also a good approach.

You can take your time refilling any short-supply side dishes and mains at the self-serve corner ^^

Domestic freshwater eel confirmed on the origin display board

Checking the origin display board at Songnim Bok Jangeo myself, the freshwater eel was listed as domestic. I know some readers really care about origin labeling on food.

According to the photo, the main labeled items were: freshwater eel domestic, pork belly Austrian, and chicken neck domestic. Beyond that, duck neck domestic and garlic domestic were also individually labeled, which made it easy to check for myself.

Why freshwater eel is seen as a health food in Korea

Eel carries a strong image as a health food people turn to in summer or when their energy is low.

Inside the restaurant there's also a sign explaining the nutritional characteristics of freshwater eel versus pork. Freshwater eel in particular is a food containing protein, fat, and vitamin A, and it's an ingredient many people seek out when they want a hearty meal.

Maybe that's why an Ansan City Hall eel restaurant also feels like a fitting search for anyone planning a family meal or a dinner with parents.

Atmosphere and dining etiquette at Songnim Bok Jangeo

Songnim Bok Jangeo has a large grill plate set into the center of each table, so you grill the eel and meat you bring over right away.

Even though it's all-you-can-eat, it's better to bring small portions frequently rather than piling everything on at once from the start. Eel especially cooks better with a modest amount on the grill at a time, given its cooking time.

The time limit is two hours, and since eel is a relatively precious food, bringing only as much as you'll eat is proper restaurant etiquette! 😊 Also note in advance that leftover food cannot be packed to go.

Free coffee after the meal

After eating your fill of eel and meat, coffee afterward is a must.

A coffee vending machine is set up in one corner of the restaurant, which was nice for cleansing the palate after the meal. ☕ Finishing a hearty eel meal with a warm cup of coffee gave the whole course a natural sense of closure.

Final verdict on Songnim Bok Jangeo

Eating eel usually means thinking twice about ordering more because of the price, but Songnim Bok Jangeo's clear strength is being able to enjoy freshwater eel along with several kinds of meat within a two-hour window. There was real enjoyment in grilling the thick eel golden brown and topping it with ginger strips, then switching things up midway with chewy chicken neck and savory pork belly.

What stuck with me most was being able to grill domestic freshwater eel myself and eat it in combinations that suited my taste. If you're looking for an Ansan City Hall eel restaurant and want to enjoy plenty of different meats rather than just eel on its own, or if you're planning a hearty family meal out, Songnim Bok Jangeo's all-you-can-eat format is worth comparing. 😊

Another plus was that whether someone in your group loves eel or prefers pork belly or chicken neck, there's little need to agonize over what to order. On a day craving a hearty eel meal in Ansan, this was my meal grilling a grill-full of eel at Songnim Bok Jangeo, the Ansan City Hall eel restaurant. 🐟🔥