Seongsu eel restaurant, five eels for two: Songnim Bok Jangeo

I was in the mood for something a bit more special than usual, so I went to Songnim Bok Jangeo Seongsu Branch, which offers unlimited freshwater eel. Eel is delicious, but it always feels like a splurge menu because of the price — here, though, you get unlimited pork belly and chicken neck alongside the eel too, so I had to check it out.

Where is Songnim Bok Jangeo Seongsu Branch, and is there parking?

Songnim Bok Jangeo Seongsu Branch is on Seongdeokjeong-gil in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, somewhere between Seongsu and Ttukseom stations. There's no parking at the restaurant itself, so if you're driving, it's worth checking nearby parking lots ahead of time :)

Walking in, the place felt more like a casual charcoal grill joint than a typical eel specialty restaurant. That actually made it feel more relaxed

What 29,900 won gets you: the unlimited freshwater eel menu

Unlimited freshwater eel is 29,900 won for adults. The buffet includes not just eel but pork belly and chicken neck as well, which I liked — you're not just eating eel the whole time, you can switch things up in between. Eel can get a bit much after a while, so switching to other meat mid-meal is a nice refresh~~

After ordering, they set out the side dishes

Grilling the freshwater eel yourself over charcoal

Eel really does taste best over charcoal. Once you sit down, the charcoal is set up and you grill the eel yourself right on the grate.

They also gave us bokbunja wine (black raspberry wine) as a complimentary drink. Of course, bokbunja wine goes with eel

Once the eel hits the grill and starts sizzling, that distinct savory eel aroma rises up — just watching it made my mouth water.

The key with eel is grilling it slowly until golden rather than blasting it with high heat all at once!

Once the outside turns golden and the inside is cooked through and juicy, you cut it into bite-sized pieces and dig in haha

How good is the all-you-can-eat eel? Five eels between two people

Honestly, when I first heard "unlimited eel," I wondered what the quality would be like. But the eel fillets were pretty plump, so it was more satisfying than I expected.

It's tasty dipped in sauce, and pairing it with ginger or perilla leaves cuts the richness so you keep going back for more.. Between the two of us that day, we must have eaten about five eels..haha

Pork belly and chicken neck are unlimited too

Eel isn't the only thing that's unlimited! You can enjoy pork belly and chicken neck too!

Once you've had your fill of eel, putting pork belly on the grill changes the mood again. Switching between menus in between actually let us keep eating happily for longer. Chicken neck has a chewy texture and less fat than eel or pork belly, so it's a nice change of pace between the two!

Self-serve bar for the meat as well: refills with no awkwardness

After the initial table setting, you can head to the self-serve bar for any extra side dishes or wrap greens you need. It was convenient being able to grab as much ginger or wrap greens as I wanted, since those are essential with eel. But honestly, the biggest advantage of Songnim Bok Jangeo is that eel, pork belly and chicken neck are all self-serve, so you can eat as much as you want without feeling watched!

Even with unlimited refills, ordering eel over and over can make you feel self-conscious in front of the owner — but here everything is self-serve, so if you love eel, this part will probably be quite satisfying!

Is Songnim Bok Jangeo in Seongsu worth it?

If you've wanted to eat eel but the price has kept you from doing it often, a place like Songnim Bok Jangeo where you can eat eel all-you-can-eat is a decent option. If you're looking for a good eel restaurant in Seongsu, Songnim Bok Jangeo is worth a visit :)