Cheongna eel buffet with pickled leek wraps and Idong galbi: Jangsodam

I was looking for a good-value place to eat in Cheongna and heard about a spot where you can even eat eel all-you-can-eat. Eel prices are a bit scary these days, so it's not easy to eat as much as you want, and I liked that this place has an all-you-can-eat deal plus a well-stocked self-bar :) Below I'll walk you through how it's set up at Jangsodam, the Cheongna eel buffet in Incheon.

Jangsodam Eel and Beef Buffet Cheongna Main Branch (장소담) · 10-17 Jungbong-daero 612beon-gil, Units 206, 207, 208, Seo-gu, Incheon · Daily 11:00–23:00

Where is Jangsodam Cheongna, and what about parking and atmosphere?

Jangsodam's Cheongna branch is on the 2nd floor of a building in the middle of Cheongna's main shopping area, so it's quite easy to get to. You'll see it right when you go upstairs, so it should be easy to find!

Parking was also relatively easy, so driving there wasn't a hassle.

From the outside it looks like an ordinary Korean BBQ place, but the inside was roomier and tidier than I expected.

The tables are spaced well so it didn't feel cramped, and it seemed popular for family meals and company dinners. It's lively without being rowdy, so I think it's comfortable for a relaxed meal :)

What's on the Jangsodam self-bar?

The self-bar had a wide range of food: tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), fried snacks, tofu with kimchi, japchae (glass noodle stir-fry) and sundae (Korean blood sausage). The self-bar was the first thing that caught my eye here, and it's not just a few side dishes. It's surprisingly varied!

On top of that, everything from basic ssam (wrap) vegetables to salad, kimchi and assorted sides was well stocked, and there was myeongina (pickled wild-garlic-style leaves) that goes great with eel. So nice to have alongside! It pairs well with the meat, and as I kept grabbing a bit of this and that, it felt less like a plain all-you-can-eat and more like a proper buffet.

How does the B Set (₩34,000) come out? Eel and chuck galbi

Once you sit down and look over the menu, the staff set out the basic side dishes. If you need more, just use the salad bar.

We chose the B Set (₩34,000). It lets you enjoy eel and beef together, so I figured it was the safest choice.

First they bring out one eel and chuck galbi (beef short rib), which is a really good way to start.

With all-you-can-eat I worried it might be thin, but the eel was surprisingly thick.

It looked really fresh :)

Grilling the chuck galbi alongside the eel made it feel quite hearty. After that you can order more as much as you like, so I could keep refilling at my own pace.

That's the biggest plus of all-you-can-eat, after all. The grill plates are also divided by use, for pork galbi, eel and dak-galbi (spicy stir-fried chicken), so just ask for a swap to match what you're cooking :)

How to eat the eel: myeongina, wraps and seasoned raw crab

The eel was fine on its own, but it was even better because you can eat it so many ways. See how plump it is? Wrapping it in myeongina in particular worked better than I expected,

and eating it with ssam vegetables cut the richness so I just kept going.

There are several sauces too, so you can adjust to your taste. With the fun of grilling added, the whole experience felt more satisfying than just eating.

Midway I also ordered yangnyeom-gejang (seasoned raw crab). I was told it can be ordered only once, so I timed it carefully.

The seasoning was balanced and it went well with the eel, so that was a highlight too. One bite of eel, one bite of crab: perfect combo ☆

To finish, I even had yi-dong galbi (marinated pork galbi) and pork skin. I really ate well!

Jangsodam dessert: soft serve and cookies to finish

The self-bar at Jangsodam's Cheongna branch has soft serve and 2 kinds of cookies, so dessert is covered too. After a good amount of meat and eel I started thinking about dessert, and luckily there was soft serve, so I could end the meal neatly :)

The cookies next to it with the ice cream: GOOOD. It was a light way to cleanse the palate, and being self-serve you can help yourself freely, so it was a natural way to wrap up the meal!

Jangsodam, the Cheongna eel buffet in Incheon that seems to have everything: I really left stuffed and happy :) Overall, the eel + beef + self-bar + dessert lineup means you can try lots of things in one visit, which felt like a clear plus. If you're looking for a good-value all-you-can-eat eel place in Cheongna, it's worth a visit!