Late-night eel buffet in Myeongjang-dong, Busan: Songnim Bok Jangeo

Why was Songnim Bok Jangeo's Dongnae branch still full late at night?

📍 Songnim Bok Jangeo Unlimited Freshwater Eel, Busan Dongnae Branch

• Address: 146 Myeongjang-ro, 1st floor, Dongnae-gu, Busan, South Korea
• Hours: Daily 11:50 – 23:00
• Last order: 22:10
• Domestic japonica all-in-one unlimited refill, adult ₩29,900
• Table setting / self-bar fee ₩3,000 per person
• Unlimited freshwater eel, whole pork belly, chicken neck meat

I was debating what to eat when I found this unlimited freshwater eel spot and decided to check it out. It was well past dinner time so I figured it'd be pretty quiet, but nope — walking in, it was almost completely full. I heard this place only opened about 5 months ago, but it already had the vibe of a neighborhood hotspot, haha.

The restaurant was bigger than I expected, with a large self-bar set up on one side where you can freely grab the side dishes or meat you want. Seeing the meat laid out at the self-bar felt like a nice touch.

Honestly, I went in thinking only the eel was unlimited refill, haha. But it turns out they set the table with pork belly and chicken neck meat right from the start too.

Came for the eel, ended up getting bonus meat too. I was going to eat light since it was already dinner, but at this point I figured — let's just eat until we're full today, lol.

What two adults get for 29,900 won each, and how the self-bar works

We ordered the unlimited refill set for two adults. Freshwater eel comes out with an assortment of meats and basic side dishes,

and after finishing the first round, you just help yourself to as much as you want from the self-bar.

Opening the table drawer, I found chopsticks and wet wipes neatly tucked away.

As soon as we sat down, we got an unexpected complimentary bokbunja (Korean black raspberry wine) — oho~ Feeling well taken care of before the eel even arrived, lol.

The self-bar had eel, pork belly, chicken neck meat, plus all kinds of side dishes and sauces ready to go.

What I especially liked was being able to grab whatever you're craving, whenever you want it.

Want more eel? Grab eel. Craving meat? Grab pork belly or chicken neck meat as much as you like — this is exactly the perk of an unlimited refill spot, haha. There were even instructions posted on how to grill the eel properly.

In what order do you grill the fresh eel?

Place the fresh eel skin-side down first and grill it, cooking both sides thoroughly, then trim off the center backbone, side fins, and head fin. After that, cut it into bite-sized pieces, stand them upright on the grill, and cook until the cut edges turn golden brown too — and that's it.

On one wall of the restaurant there was also information about the health benefits of freshwater eel and which drinks pair well with it. 'If you're with someone precious and worth respecting...' — pairings exist for a reason, haha.

Charcoal-grilled freshwater eel with green onion kimchi

As the eel grilled golden over the charcoal, that savory aroma rose right up. One bite and — whoa... 🫢 this is actually good, lol. Well-grilled eel is crispy outside, moist and savory inside, and I was worried freshwater eel might have a stronger gamey smell, but it was genuinely delicious.

It's tasty plain, but dipping it in the sauce added a sweet touch and it became a whole different flavor. What I really loved here was the green onion kimchi (pa-kimchi) — the seasoning had soaked in nicely and it was delicious. Since eel is naturally a bit fatty, a few bites in you start craving something else, and wrapping a piece of eel with green onion kimchi in lettuce turned out to be a really great combo.

The green onion kimchi cuts through the eel's richness perfectly, making room for just one more piece. That matters a lot at an unlimited refill place, lol. I went back for a second round of eel. Coming all the way to an unlimited refill restaurant and stopping at just one plate of eel would've felt like a waste.

Chicken neck meat and pork belly on the same grill

I also tried grilling the chicken neck meat, and it turned out chewy and tender in a surprisingly good way.

It was a nice break from eating eel nonstop and kept things from getting monotonous.

Even if someone in your group can't eat eel, having other meats on the menu makes it easy for everyone to find something to order.

Finishing with ramyeon topped with green onion kimchi

After all that eating, I started craving a not-quite-dessert kind of dessert. I was debating between eel soup and yukgaejang (spicy beef soup), but then the ramyeon at the table next to us caught my eye. The noodles looked so perfectly chewy, lol. Since the green onion kimchi was already so good, I figured it'd pair even better with ramyeon, so we ordered that.

Wait, why is this ramyeon so good, lol? I have no idea how they cooked it, but no wonder it looked so tempting! The noodles were perfectly chewy and the broth was genuinely delicious — I kept slurping it up. Why does it never taste like this when I make it at home...

One bite of ramyeon topped with a piece of green onion kimchi — whoa, lol, nothing more needs to be said. I briefly took back my claim of being full from the eel and meat, haha. And the owner even threw in the ramyeon for free as part of a review event, even though we'd just ordered it normally, which made me really happy.

Would I go back to Songnim Bok Jangeo in Dongnae, Busan?

The staff were really kind throughout the meal. Even during a nearly full house, they took care of us without making us feel rushed, and between that and the good food, I left feeling genuinely happy about the whole experience.

Freshwater eel can sometimes feel too pricey to eat freely, but Songnim Bok Jangeo's Dongnae branch lets you eat eel, pork belly, and chicken neck meat as much as you want, which made for a really satisfying meal. Seeing it nearly full well past dinner time made me think this place has already built up quite the reputation in the neighborhood.

The eel was great, the green onion kimchi was great, and even the ramyeon we ordered on a whim at the end turned out to be excellent. I went over to check the country-of-origin labeling since it caught my eye, and found a familiar little mascot there.

Where did Okji go, Ppang-ppang-a!! Hahaha. After tasting the quality of that ramyeon, I want to try the eel soup and yukgaejang next time... but if I spot ramyeon at the next table again, I honestly can't make any promises, lol. The staff were so kind and the meal was so comfortable and delicious that this is a place I'd love to come back to whenever I'm craving freshwater eel.