Saesol-dong eel and duck buffet with a 9-year-old: Songrim Bok Jangeo

I went to eat all the eel I wanted, and ended up properly stuffed on pork belly and duck too!

My 9-year-old son said he wanted eel, so I figured if we were going to eat it, we might as well eat as much as we wanted — which is how we ended up at Songrim Bok Jangeo Freshwater Eel All-You-Can-Eat Saesol Direct Branch.

It would already be great if just the freshwater eel were unlimited, but here you can also enjoy unlimited pork belly and duck meat, which makes it a solid Saesol-dong restaurant for family meals. Spoiler: our family ate really, really well that day. :)

Where is Songrim Bok Jangeo in Saesol-dong, and what does the buffet cost?

• Address: 12-2 Kkonnaeum 2-gil, Manse-gu, Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do (Units 111-113)
• Hours: 11:50 AM – 11:00 PM
• Break time: None
• Regular closing day: None
• Parking: Basement parking available in the building
• All-you-can-eat price: Adults ₩29,900 + ₩3,000 table charge / Elementary schoolers ₩14,000

Why Songrim Bok Jangeo is easy to visit with children

Walking into Songrim Bok Jangeo Saesol branch, there were more seats than I expected, and the space felt clean and comfortable. What I liked most, though, was the built-in sofa seating!

When you're eating out with a kid, even the type of chair matters more than you'd think. Having sofa seats made it easy to sit next to Yul and much more relaxed throughout the meal. There's a good number of seats too, so it looks like a fine spot for family meals or bigger groups — worth keeping in mind if you're looking for a Saesol-dong group dinner spot.

Unlimited freshwater eel, pork belly and duck at the self-serve bar

I liked that at Songrim Bok Jangeo Saesol branch, you don't have to agonize over the menu. When you sit down, staff first bring out eel, pork belly, and duck meat. After that, you just grab as much of whatever you like from the self-serve bar.

I thought an 'eel all-you-can-eat' place would just be eel, but being able to enjoy pork belly and duck meat too turned out to be way better than I expected. When you're out with family, some people love eel and others love pork belly, right? Here everyone can pick what they like, which makes it a good option for family meals or gatherings in Songsan Green City too.

The side dishes that pair best with eel

The side dishes were all put together to pair well with eel. It wasn't just one or two things I kept reaching for — there was a fun mix of little bites, and I made several trips to the self-serve bar whenever anything ran low.

For wrapping greens, there were two kinds — lettuce and perilla leaves — and both were fresh and in great condition.

The self-serve corner had everything you'd need: extra side dishes, wrapping greens, ssamjang (dipping sauce), garlic, and more, so you can just help yourself without worrying about it. At all-you-can-eat spots, managing the self-serve bar matters as much as the meat itself, and it was nice that everything stayed tidy.

A first look at the freshwater eel

And now, today's main event! The self-serve bar was stacked with eel, and even at a glance it looked thick and appetizing. You just grab as much as you want and grill it right away — a very welcome sight for anyone who loves eel. :)

Right next to it, you can grab as much pork belly as you like, and there's duck meat too, which turned out to be quite the treat. Freshwater eel + pork belly + duck meat, all unlimited at one table — that might be the biggest draw of Songrim Bok Jangeo Saesol branch.

Rice and soup dishes on the Songrim Bok Jangeo menu

It's not just grilled meat — there's also a full lineup of meal dishes. Eel soup, galbitang (short rib soup), yukgaejang (spicy beef soup), buckwheat noodles, and spicy ramyeon are all available, so you can pick whatever fits how you want to finish the meal.

And good food deserves good drinks. :) Bokbunja, which pairs really well with eel, was provided as a free service at every table. A bite of eel followed by a sip of bokbunja — sounds like it'd set the mood perfectly for an adults' gathering or a Saesol-dong group dinner, right?

Grilling the freshwater eel

First, the eel goes on the grill.

Once the eel started sizzling on the grill, that savory smell came up, and suddenly the waiting time felt so much longer!

How big is the eel at Songrim Bok Jangeo?

I unrolled the coiled eel out flat on the grill — wow, the tail section was really bigger than I expected. As the thick eel cooked, the surface turned golden brown and a bit of fat started to render out.

That distinctive savory eel smell rose up, and Yul kept asking beside me when it would be ready, and honestly I suddenly got hungry too, haha.

Golden outside, tender inside

There were a few slightly charred spots, but honestly I like eel that's grilled a little crisp at the edges like this. Finally, the first bite! The exterior was grilled golden and savory, and the flesh inside was soft and moist.

The more you chew, the more that rich, distinctive eel flavor comes through, and it was less greasy than I expected, so I kept reaching for more.

It's plenty tasty on its own, but I think Songrim Bok Jangeo's eel sauce is really the key. Dip it lightly in the salty-sweet sauce and the savory eel flavor deepens, while the sauce also cuts through what could otherwise get greasy — so you go for another piece.

Eating the eel with ginger

After dipping in eel sauce for a while, this time I put a piece of eel on a perilla leaf with ginger and garlic and took a bite. The fragrant perilla leaf plus the sharp ginger cleanly cuts the richness of the eel. Eat a piece of eel, then a bit of ginger, and your mouth feels refreshed enough to go straight back for more eel — an endless loop. :)

I'd also recommend wrapping eel in baek-kimchi (white kimchi) with ginger on top. The tangy, refreshing flavor of the baek-kimchi went surprisingly well with the savory eel. There are so many ways to eat it that even having the same eel over and over never got old.

A 9-year-old clears a whole bowl of rice

When I cut the eel into bite-sized pieces, Yul ate really well. He put eel over rice and finished the whole bowl! I dipped a bit in the eel sauce for him, but after one try he said, 'Mom, this isn't my style.' Hahaha. In the end he dipped it in his favorite ssamjang instead.

He ate the eel so fast that the grilling couldn't keep up with his pace. I'm glad we came to this Saesol-dong restaurant just because he wanted eel.

After the eel, on to the pork belly

Once we'd had our fill of eel, it was pork belly time! No matter how good the eel is, eating just eel the whole time can get a little much. Switching to pork belly instantly perked up my appetite again.

As the pork belly sizzled on the grill with fat bubbling up, it looked absolutely appetizing. The pork belly, grilled golden and crisp, was slightly crunchy on the outside and juicy and savory inside.

You might think the pork belly at an eel-specialty restaurant is just there to round things out, but that wasn't the case at all. It was delicious on its own, so I kept alternating — eel, then pork belly, then back to eel. :)

A Saesol-dong spot for eel fans and pork belly fans alike

Yul, who'd been happily eating eel, eventually moved on to pork belly too. 'Mom, this is good too!'

Switching between eel and pork belly, he said both were delicious. That, I think, is the real strength of Songrim Bok Jangeo Saesol branch. When an eel lover and a pork belly lover eat out together, choosing a menu can be tricky — here, there's no need to choose!

Team eel, satisfied. Team pork belly, satisfied! So it seems like a great fit not just for family meals but for Saesol-dong group dinners where everyone's tastes need to be accommodated.

Put pork belly on a perilla leaf, add baek-kimchi, onion and garlic, and wrap it all into one big bite — no words needed. :) The savory meat, the crunch of vegetables, and the fresh tang of baek-kimchi together made for another standout bite.

Finishing the meal with duck

We were already pretty full from just eel and pork belly, but we couldn't skip the duck meat. You can grab as much duck meat as you like too.

Trying it myself, it had a springy, chewy texture that held up with each bite and a savory, salty depth of flavor — a totally different charm from the eel and pork belly. Soft, savory eel, then juicy pork belly, then chewy duck meat in between! Alternating between the three, I stayed full and satisfied without ever getting tired of it, right to the end.

Is Songrim Bok Jangeo Saesol branch worth it for a family dinner?

We came here originally because Yul wanted eel, but by the end, both the adult and the kid were satisfied with dinner. Being able to eat all the freshwater eel we wanted was already great, but getting to enjoy pork belly and duck meat unlimited alongside it was what I liked most. With so many sides to pair it with — eel sauce, ginger, baek-kimchi, wrapping greens — we got to enjoy the eel in a bunch of different combinations.

There's also sofa seating that's comfortable to sit in with a kid, and basement parking in the building, which made it convenient as a family dinner spot. Best of all, we went for eel and left having eaten our fill of whatever meat each of us personally loved!

If you're looking for a Saesol-dong restaurant and you like eel or pork belly, this place is worth a visit. It fits family meals, a Songsan Green City restaurant search, or a Saesol-dong group dinner spot for a bigger crowd alike! Eel, pork belly, and duck meat all in one sitting — on a day when you just want to eat until you're properly full, I'd recommend Songrim Bok Jangeo Saesol branch. :)