Eel buffet by Ansan Jungang Station with perilla pickles: Songnim Bok

What is Songnim Bok Jangeo's Ansan City Hall Direct Store like?

Songnim Bok Jangeo Freshwater Eel All-You-Can-Eat Ansan City Hall Direct Store is an eel-buffet restaurant at 33 Danggok-ro, Gojan-dong, near Ansan Jungang Station and Ansan City Hall. It's open daily from 11:20 AM to 10:00 PM, and parking is available in the building's basement lot.

There's a place that's not just trendy but opening branches all over the country — an all-you-can-eat eel restaurant! So I visited "Songnim Bok Jangeo Freshwater Eel All-You-Can-Eat Ansan City Hall Direct Store"!! Maybe it's just me, but a direct-operated store feels trustworthy. I heard you could get high-quality eel at a low price, plus pork belly and chicken neck meat, so I thought — I absolutely have to go here.

I think the opening might have been done by a YouTuber called Yasaengma (wild horse?), since there was a photo of him together with the shop description.

Is the restaurant spacious and okay for bringing kids?

The Songnim Bok Jangeo Ansan City Hall Direct Store is incredibly spacious and comfortable. There were plenty of baby chairs, and the tables were spaced really far apart. It seemed like a great spot whether you're coming as a pair, a group of four, or a large party.

What's on the menu, and what's the table fee?

Since all-you-can-eat eel is the main draw, Songnim Bok Jangeo's menu is simple. For a ₩3,000 table fee, you get unlimited refills of pork belly, chicken neck, and basic side dishes — such great value!!

The drink menu was also really varied.

How is the all-you-can-eat eel served?

Once you order the all-you-can-eat set for your party size, they bring out all these different side dishes,

and eel, pork belly, and neck meat as the first round. The first plate comes out with eel, pork belly, and neck meat together, and after that you grab whatever you like from the self-serve bar. I was surprised at how good the condition of the eel, pork belly, and chicken neck all were.

Oh!! And they even gave us bokbunja wine as a free service — not just a glass, but a whole bottle?

Do the side dishes at Songnim Bok Jangeo go well with the eel?

The side dishes at Songnim Bok Jangeo — ginger, pickled perilla leaves, scallion kimchi, baek-kimchi (white kimchi), and pickled onion — are all matched to go with eel and meat. The ginger, essential with eel, was great, and the pickled perilla leaves were delicious too,

and the scallion kimchi was nicely spicy, pairing well with the eel, pork belly, and chicken neck all alike. Do I even need to mention the baek-kimchi?

The pickled onion was tasty too — they really nailed the side dish combination.

The essential sauce for eel was also really delicious, T_T

How was the quality of the all-you-can-eat eel?

The eel at Songnim Bok Jangeo was so big and plump, it was hard to believe it was all-you-can-eat. First, they place the eel on the grill — the body and tail are grilled together.

Can you see how plump the eel is? This is all-you-can-eat?! Honestly, I was blown away by the quality.

When they flipped it, it looked even more delicious.

Wow, is this plumpness even real? Seeing such plump eel, I couldn't resist a bokbunja drink... it had a refreshing, sweet taste that felt healthy, haha.

They cut it up and grill it to a golden brown. Looking at it again... this really doesn't look like all-you-can-eat eel. So big and plump...

Which side dish tastes best with the eel?

Since the eel itself is delicious... it's great with pickled perilla leaf topped with ginger,

and delicious with scallion kimchi too, T_T

and delicious wrapped in baek-kimchi too, T_T

Honestly everything is good... I grilled up more golden-brown eel and ate to my heart's content.

How is the self-serve bar kept, and how did the pork belly and chicken neck taste?

At Songnim Bok Jangeo's self-serve bar, you can grab eel, pork belly, chicken neck, and side dishes yourself. When I went to get more eel and side dishes, it was kept impressively clean.

Eel!! Pork belly!! Chicken neck!! All unlimited refills, and yet the condition of everything was so good, T_T

Now they put on the pork belly and chicken neck. After grilling it a bit, can you see how it looks?

The pork belly was as good as at a specialty pork belly restaurant!!

The chicken neck meat tasted like it came from a specialty chicken-part restaurant, haha.

The chicken neck was tender and seemed to be seasoned too — so delicious.

The pork belly was as delicious as at a specialty pork belly place, T_T

Is Songnim Bok Jangeo's Ansan City Hall Direct Store worth a return visit?

At Songnim Bok Jangeo's Ansan City Hall Direct Store, the price would already be worth it just for the delicious eel alone, but the side dishes are great, the pork belly is great, the chicken neck is great — and all of it is all-you-can-eat!! On top of that, a free bottle of bokbunja wine?

"Songnim Bok Jangeo Freshwater Eel All-You-Can-Eat Ansan City Hall Direct Store"!! This is an absolute must-visit. If you love eel, pork belly, chicken neck, and bokbunja wine, I strongly recommend stopping by.