Gwonseon-gu eel grill in Suwon: 3 rounds for two, Songnim Bok Jangeo

Today is energy-recharge day! This summer was so brutally hot my body is completely wrecked... I needed some proper nourishing food.

The solemn conversation Potato Capybara and I had while picking today's restaurant.

Why we chose Songnim Bok Jangeo in Gwonseon-gu, Suwon

Both of us were ready to eat a lot, so we headed to an all-you-can-eat eel restaurant. Today's spot: Songnim Bok Jangeo Freshwater Eel All-You-Can-Eat (송림복장어 민물장어 무한리필) Suwon Main Branch.

Honestly I usually avoid all-you-can-eat places because I worry about quality, but after some searching the reviews were good and it has quite a few branches nationwide, so I figured it'd be fine. (My logic was: in a world with so much good food, you can't build a chain on food that's just okay.)

When we got there, it was on a street packed with eel restaurants, and it seemed to have survived the competition in that alley.

Songnim Bok Jangeo opening hours

Open daily 10:50 AM - 10:00 PM. Great advantage — you can visit anytime without worrying about closed days! They do lunch service too~

Where is Songnim Bok Jangeo in Suwon?

8-35 Gwonjung-ro 50beon-gil, Gwonseon-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea, 1st floor. There's currently a free Sejong bokbunja (raspberry wine) giveaway event on Naver Map, so go set an alert~

Since it hasn't been open long, the exterior was clean and new,

Inside Songnim Bok Jangeo: a wide hall for groups and team dinners

The inside was also spacious and clean! The interior was really big, so it looked great for group visits. When we went, it seemed like a lot of families were there. Highly recommend it as a company dinner spot in Suwon.

Songnim Bok Jangeo all-you-can-eat prices and menu

For the all-you-can-eat plan: adults ₩29,900 / children (elementary school) ₩14,000. However, since the table charge (₩3,000, excluding children) is also charged per person, adults should count on ₩32,900 per person.

For that price, unlimited eel, chicken neck meat, pork belly, and pork ribs is a steal, a total steal.

Beyond the all-you-can-eat menu:

• Eel soup: ₩10,000
• Yukgaejang: ₩10,000
• Buckwheat noodles (cold/spicy): ₩9,000
• Spicy ramyeon: ₩5,000
• Galbitang: ₩10,000
• Nurungjitang: ₩5,000

What comes out first: the starting meat and side dishes

When you first sit down, you get basic side dishes and basic meat. The basic side dishes include ginger, pickled onion, green onion kimchi, pickled perilla leaves, and aged kimchi.

Once we sat down, the owner first brought out three pieces of eel, about 150g of pork belly, and chicken neck meat for two people, and after that we grilled and served ourselves.

What is on the self-bar at Songnim Bok Jangeo?

At the self-bar you could refill the basic side dishes if they ran low, plus there were extras like lettuce wraps, king oyster mushrooms, cheongyang peppers, garlic, and ssamjang. And at the meat counter, besides the pork belly, eel and chicken neck meat from the first round, there was also seasoned pork ribs!

Grilling duty: Potato Capybara. This potato takes a lot of pride in grilling, so I couldn't interfere. Thanks to that, I got to eat plenty of crispy-outside, chewy-inside eel. We ate three rounds total, and the grilling skills improved as we went... I guess people really do get better with practice.

Is grilling eel difficult? Our verdict after three rounds

You might think grilling eel is tricky, but it was easier than expected — you just have to watch it carefully so it doesn't burn. I was genuinely worried since it was all-you-can-eat, but it was so chewy and had no fishy smell at all.

By the end I thought my stomach would actually burst... I honestly worried the owner might be taken aback by how much we ate, but thanks to that it was a day we filled our bellies and recharged our energy.

I'd recently been debating buying grilling-ready eel at E-mart Traders because it was a good deal, but if you want to really eat your fill, this kind of all-you-can-eat is a good option too. It's more convenient than grilling at home, you don't have to worry about the smell, and above all there are so many side dishes and non-eel menu items that it felt like great value.

Would I go back? 🙆‍♀️ In summer you really need to eat nourishing food properly — how about some eel, everyone?