Summer eel buffet for parents on Chodang-ro, Ansan: Songnim Bok Jangeo

Why I picked an Ansan all-you-can-eat eel place for my parents

Songnim Bok Jangeo Freshwater Eel Unlimited Refill, Sadong Branch (송림복장어 민물장어 무한리필 사동점) is a newly opened all-you-can-eat eel restaurant on Chodang-ro in Sangnok-gu, Ansan. The weather has been getting hot and my parents seemed to be running low on energy, so I looked for somewhere to give them a health boost and ended up here for a family meal! The staff were friendly too, which made the meal even more pleasant.

Songnim Bok Jangeo Sadong Branch: location, hours and parking

The restaurant is at 61 Chodang-ro, Sangnok-gu, Ansan, Gyeonggi, on the 1st floor, and it is open 10:00-22:00. There is parking in front of and beside the restaurant, so parking was easy.

Is the all-you-can-eat eel frozen?

They say live freshwater eel is prepared by hand every morning, and the freshness and texture really came through. Even though it is unlimited, they don't use frozen eel but eel prepared that day. Besides eel you can also have premium pork belly and chewy duck neck, so everyone can eat what they like, which made it a good fit for a family meal.

Inside the restaurant and the bellows hoods

Since it only recently opened, the interior was clean and comfortable overall. Every table has a bellows-style hood that sucks up the smoke right away, so less smell clung to our clothes and the whole meal was comfortable.

On one side there was a notice saying it is a partner of the freshwater eel farming fisheries cooperative's wholesalers, which made me trust it even more. When I tasted the eel it had a fresh texture, so the quality was good.

Baby chairs, aprons and takeout

Aprons and baby chairs were available. Takeout is also possible, so it seems handy for taking food home after the meal or on an outing.

How long is the all-you-can-eat time?

The unlimited refill time is 2 hours. There are detailed instructions on how to grill eel for the best taste and on the time limit, so first-timers can use the place without any trouble.

What's at the self-bar

Basic side dishes are served at the start, and you can help yourself to more at the self-bar. Rice and soup are also ready there, so it was a hearty meal.

Unlimited items and side dishes

The unlimited refill covers freshwater eel, duck and pork belly. There was also a generous spread of accompaniments: lettuce, garlic, ssamjang (dipping paste), shredded ginger, radish wraps, green onion kimchi, pickled perilla leaves, white kimchi and pickled onion and chili peppers. After the meal you can even have coffee as a dessert drink.

Songnim Bok Jangeo Sadong Branch menu

The menu is the unlimited freshwater eel plus meal items: eel soup, yukgaejang (spicy beef soup), buckwheat makguksu (cold noodles) and spicy ramyeon. Alcohol and drinks are sold too, so you can choose to your taste.

The basic table setting

The basic table came with the many side dishes mentioned above, plus a generous plate of freshwater eel, duck and pork belly. Sauces that go well with eel were provided too, so you can dip to your taste.

How to grill freshwater eel so it tastes great

The restaurant explains how to grill eel for the best flavor, so I followed it exactly. First I cooked it thoroughly skin side down, then grilled both sides until golden.

After removing the central backbone and fins, I cut it into bite-size pieces and grilled the cut sides until crisp. It was nutty outside and moist inside, even more delicious.

Free bokbunja wine for the opening event

What really surprised me at Songnim Bok Jangeo was that they gave us bokbunja wine (Korean black raspberry wine) as an opening-event service! It was unexpected, so we started the meal in an even better mood, and it went well with the eel too.

Just seeing thick pork belly sizzling golden next to the eel makes your mouth water, right? The bellows hood pulled the smoke straight up, so we could enjoy the food in a comfortable setting without worrying about smell.