Cheongna eel buffet with a slice-your-own sundae bar: Jangsodam

As the weather heats up, I find myself hunting for a place to restore some energy with a hearty meal. But say "all-you-can-eat buffet" and the first worry is that the meat quality will be poor, especially for premium items like eel and beef. Will it smell? Will it be tough?

Well, I found a place that completely smashed that prejudice! Here is my detailed review of the B Set at Jangsodam Eel and Beef Buffet Cheongna Main Branch (장소담 청라본점), a Cheongna spot where you can eat high-quality japonica freshwater eel and premium beef until you're stuffed.

Where is Jangsodam Cheongna and what are the hours?

Jangsodam Cheongna Main Branch is on the 2nd floor at 10-17 Jungbong-daero 612beon-gil, Seo-gu, Incheon, and is open daily from 11:00 to 23:00. It takes groups and has a kids' playroom, pet-friendly seating, separate men's and women's restrooms and lots of parking.

• Name: Jangsodam Cheongna Main Branch
• Address: 2nd floor, 10-17 Jungbong-daero 612beon-gil, Seo-gu, Incheon
• Hours: daily 11:00–23:00
• Facilities: groups welcome, kids' playroom, pets allowed, separate men's/women's restrooms, plenty of parking

Is parking easy at Jangsodam Cheongna?

The restaurant is on the 2nd floor of the parking tower dome building near Cheongna Catholic Church, with a Starbucks on the ground floor, so parking is really roomy. Having no parking spot drains your energy before you even start, but here a family gathering could bring several cars with no problem.

Step inside and you'll be amazed by how huge the place is, you can't see the end of it.

Ventilation, kids' playroom and pet-friendly seating

Even though it's a grill restaurant, the ventilation is so good that there was no smoke and no stuffiness at all.

There's also a big playroom where kids can run around happily, and pets are allowed, so it looks like a nice place to come with a dog too.

B Set for two: how good are the eel and chuck galbi?

To taste a bit of everything we like, my husband and I ordered the "B Set for two" at Jangsodam. You just order on the kiosk at the table. They also have a lunch special menu, and the price looked really cheap, so it seems great for lunch too.

The eel has finally arrived!!

Thick japonica freshwater eel

The first thing on the grill was the japonica freshwater eel, and the thickness was special from the start.

This wasn't the thin eel buffets put out just for show. It was plump and substantial, the kind you'd expect at a dedicated eel restaurant.

I grilled it golden and took a bite: no fishy smell at all, the skin chewy and the flesh bursting with nutty flavor.

Melt-in-your-mouth chuck galbi and spicy marinated crab

The beef chuck galbi (marinated short rib cut) that came with it also had great marbling, with nothing tough about it, and it melted in my mouth.

The yangnyeom gejang (spicy marinated crab) included in the B Set was full of meat and sweet-spicy, a perfect kick that cut through the richness of the meat.

What's at the Jangsodam Cheongna self-bar?

The highlight of Jangsodam Cheongna is the enormous self-bar, where you can eat as much as you like without feeling awkward.

Beyond the main meats, there's nicely colored pork belly, pork neck, sweet pork galbi and dakgalbi (spicy stir-fried chicken), a huge range of meat on its own.

Slice-your-own sundae (blood sausage), liver and lung corner

What impressed me most was the corner with a cutting board and knife where you slice your own sundae (Korean blood sausage), liver and lung! Slicing offal yourself at a buffet felt so fresh and fun. It was nutty and delicious, and I went back for refills several times.

There are also tofu kimchi, mapo tofu, spaghetti and japchae (glass noodle stir-fry), dishes as plentiful as at any dedicated buffet restaurant.

Fried food, self-serve ramyeon and ice cream to finish

There's a variety of crispy fried food too, like shrimp tempura, chicken, gimmari (fried seaweed noodle rolls) and french fries, which I think kids will especially love.

Best of all, Jangsodam Cheongna has a ramyeon machine! And there are lots of kinds of ramyeon. After filling up on meat and eel, cooking some ramyeon seems like a great idea! I finished with ice cream for dessert. Perfect for wrapping up dessert in one go!

Verdict: who should go to Jangsodam Cheongna?

Jangsodam Cheongna is also close to Cheongna Lake Park, so it's a perfect route to eat your fill and then head out for a walk. It's not an all-you-can-eat in name only: if you want the whole family to enjoy genuinely good eel and beef without limits, I strongly recommend Jangsodam Cheongna!