Jungang-dong, Ansan eel buffet with perilla and white kimchi wraps

Why two sisters chose Songnim Bok Jangeo, an eel buffet near Ansan City Hall

Songnim Bok Jangeo Freshwater Eel All-You-Can-Eat Ansan City Hall Direct Store is an eel and meat buffet right near Ansan City Hall in Jungang-dong, Ansan. We had errands near the city hall and heard there was an eel buffet nearby, so we figured we'd check it out~

Who knew a place like this existed near Ansan City Hall! Let's go eat until we're stuffed!!

Inside Songnim Bok Jangeo: seating and baby chairs

And they have baby chairs ready! 🪑 Looked like people bringing along kids could eat comfortably here~ Seems like a good spot to come for a family meal too 😊

What is on the self-serve bar: eel, pork belly and side dishes

At Songnim Bok's self-serve bar you can refill eel and meat as much as you want, and you go grab your own side dishes to go with it. And the self-serve bar is seriously spotless! ✨ One of the best things here is unlimited eel and meat refills at the self-serve bar!! There's a wide variety of side dishes to eat alongside the eel and meat, all laid out generously~ Best of all, everything was kept so clean overall that it was really pleasant to just go help yourself haha

Our full spread swept up from the self-serve bar 🤭 We kept piling stuff on and ended up with a whole table full~ so generous haha Make sure you grab the side dishes in the photo! They taste totally different eaten with the eel, so I kept adding one side after another and they just kept disappearing into my stomach~

How much is the Songnim Bok Jangeo buffet? 29,900 won and a 2-hour limit

The time limit at Songnim Bok's Ansan City Hall branch is 2 hours, and all-you-can-eat for adults is ₩29,900. The most important thing at any all-you-can-eat place is time! ⏰ Here you've got a 2-hour limit so make sure to keep an eye on the clock~ But the time turned out to be pretty generous, so we could eat eel, eat meat, and enjoy this and that in between at a relaxed pace, which was just right haha

Here's what we ordered:

• All-you-can-eat (adult) - ₩29,900
• Table setting fee - ₩3,000
• Buckwheat noodles in broth - ₩9,000
• Spicy buckwheat noodles - ₩9,000
• Drink - ₩2,000

Honest review: the eel-loving sister and the pork-belly-loving one

Can you see the meat and eel turning golden brown bit by bit??? 👀 Being able to eat eel and meat together on one table — I really like this combo haha My love of meat and my sister's love of eel met in the middle, a win-win~ A very peaceful meal, star.ted 🤭💕

Can you see how the freshwater eel came off the grill smooth without a single bone? 👀 Both the eel and the meat were thick and hearty, piled high on the grill, so just looking at it felt satisfying haha

Since the freshwater eel was supposed to be the main event, I didn't expect much from the meat, but what is this??? The meat's so thick, yet why is it so tender? 🤭 The quality was every bit as good as meat from a dedicated BBQ restaurant~ And since I'm someone who loves the fat, the lean-to-fat ratio was totally to my taste haha The fat wasn't greasy or chewy either — soft and nutty, perfect eaten together with the lean meat~

First bite: grilled eel with ginger

The first bite, clean and simple: eel + ginger 🤍 Ginger really goes so well with eel! Best of all, the eel had zero fishy taste and was so tender that I could fully taste the eel itself in this clean, soft bite 😋

Second bite: perilla leaf salad, white kimchi and spicy sauce wrap

For the second bite I tried something a bit different~ Perilla leaf salad, white kimchi on top, and a dab of spicy sauce — one bite of eel 😋 The fragrant perilla, the crunch of the white kimchi, and a little kick from the spicy sauce gave it a totally different charm from the first bite~ Wrapped up like this, a piece of eel disappeared in no time haha

Cold broth vs spicy buckwheat mak-guksu: which one to order?

Songnim Bok's buckwheat mak-guksu comes in broth or spicy style, both ₩9,000, and I preferred the broth version. The buckwheat noodles in broth really didn't need any vinegar or mustard at all haha The seasoning was just right, the kind you just slurp right up! I especially loved the broth — cool and full of savory depth, so my chopsticks kept going back for more, again and again~ Being mak-guksu noodles, the texture was so chewy! I normally prefer the spicy version when eating meat, but somehow the broth version was tastier here?😋 I recommend the broth style~

The spicy buckwheat noodles have a pretty strong vinegary-chili-paste flavor, sweet and tangy~ haha You can kind of tell from the photo, right? The flavor is stronger than you'd expect!!🌶️ I liked it better with a little mustard mixed in rather than eating it plain — it brought out more savory depth! If you like bold, punchy flavors, you'll probably enjoy the spicy version too :)

Finishing with the complimentary bokbunja (black raspberry wine)

And the owner gave us a complimentary glass of bokbunja (Korean black raspberry wine) 🫶 Little things like that make you feel good, you know haha After stuffing ourselves with eel and meat, finishing with a glass of bokbunja~! It wrapped things up on a really nice note 🤭💕

Ate eel~ ate meat~ and finished it off properly with mak-guksu at Songnim Bok 🤭💕 The eel was thick and tender so it was delicious, and the meat was way better than expected too, so both the eel-loving sister and the meat-loving me left happy and satisfied haha If you want to eat both eel and meat to your heart's content, recommended as a Gojan-dong get-together spot!! If you're after all-the-eel-you-can-eat, worth checking out as a Gojan-dong eel buffet favorite~ And if you're looking for a good eel spot near Ansan City Hall, this one's worth a visit too 💕 We left that day with full bellies and happy hearts 🫶✨