Salt-grilled eel with dad at Seongsu eel restaurant Songnim Bok

Once the seasons start changing, it's so much easier to catch a cold. I heard the flu is going around a lot these days too. Times like this really call for some immune-boosting food. So I was thinking about what to eat for a little health boost, and landed on an all-you-can-eat eel restaurant. Today's review is of Songnim Bok Jangeo Unlimited Freshwater Eel Seongsu Branch.

Where is Songnim Bok Jangeo Seongsu Branch, and what are its hours?

Songnim Bok Jangeo Unlimited Freshwater Eel Seongsu Branch is located at 148 Seongdeokjeong-gil 1F, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, and it's open daily from 11:50 to 23:00. Doors open at 11:50.

• Songnim Bok Jangeo Unlimited Freshwater Eel Seongsu Branch
• 📍 148 Seongdeokjeong-gil 1F, Seongdong-gu, Seoul
• 🚇 Near Seongsu 119 and Seongsu Sogeukjang
• ⏰ Daily 11:50–23:00
• 📌 Opens at 11:50

Songnim Bok Jangeo Unlimited Freshwater Eel Seongsu Branch sits near Seongsu 119 Safety Center and Seongsu Sogeukjang. If you're out exploring Seongsu-dong and get a craving for eel, it's worth stopping by.

Menu and how the unlimited eel refills work

After we sat down and checked out the menu, it was pretty simple, as you'd expect from an all-you-can-eat place. There were also a few simple meal items on offer. We ordered the unlimited refill course, adult size.

The owner brings out the first plate of eel personally. After that, it's self-serve — you go get your own plates.

The basic side dishes came out like this — nice pairings to go with the eel.

Pork belly and chicken neck are unlimited too, at the self-serve bar

I checked out the self-serve bar too, and it turns out Songnim Bok Jangeo isn't just about eel. There's pork belly and chicken neck as well, both included in the refills. Underneath there were sauces and basic side dishes set up too.

I also learned that Songnim Bok Jangeo is the 8th wholesale partner of the Freshwater Eel Farming Fisheries Cooperative. Knowing exactly where the eel comes from made me trust it even more.

On top of that, Songnim Bok Jangeo also does takeout. Handy if you ever feel like eating this at home.

Does Sejong bokbunja wine go with eel?

Since we were there for eel, we figured we'd order some alcohol too, and went with Sejong bokbunja wine (Korean black raspberry wine). We poured a glass, and my dad — not me — tried it, and said the bokbunja aroma came through nicely with a bit of bitterness that went well with the eel. The portion was genuinely huge though! Worth knowing if you're thinking about ordering it.

Plump freshwater eel, grilled with just salt

Now for the main event — we put the eel on the grill, along with a piece of pork belly. You could really see it sizzling nicely. We let it cook a bit longer, and ta-da, perfectly grilled.

Time to try a piece of this well-cooked eel, right? Look how plump it is — you can tell right away they're using good, pricier eel.

I love eating eel salt-grilled, so I just dipped it lightly in salt — oh man, it was chewy, full of that eel aroma, and salty in the best way. I'm a pretty big eel fan and go out for it often, but places doing unlimited refills are already rare, and most of those grill it with sauce, so salt-lovers like me usually end up eating sauced eel whether we like it or not. This place exactly met that need of mine.

That's not to say Songnim Bok Jangeo has no sauce — dipping it in the sauce too, the sweetness paired really well with the eel.

Charcoal-grilled pork belly with green onion kimchi and lettuce wraps

I also tried the pork belly that had been grilling next to the eel earlier. One bite of that well-grilled pork belly and the juices spread all through my mouth. Charcoal-grilled pork belly really does beat any other kind, no question.

Wrapping it in green onion kimchi cuts through the richness a bit, so you can keep eating without getting sick of it.

We finished off one plate of eel and grilled a second one, setting it up nicely like this haha.

For the second round, we wrapped eel and pickled onion in lettuce. Eating a lot of eel can get a little rich, but wrapping it like this cut that right through.

Chicken neck for the first time: a whole new world

Besides eel and pork belly, Songnim Bok Jangeo also has chicken neck. Honestly, this was my first time ever trying chicken neck, and it was a total revelation.

I've had the neck part when eating fried chicken, but never a proper chicken neck dish like this. Dipped in salt, it's a bit like unsauced dakgalbi (spicy stir-fried chicken), but so tender, and seasoned with pepper — it was really good. The eel and pork belly were already satisfying, but discovering chicken neck made the meal even better.

If you're in Seongsu-dong looking for a local favorite, or hunting for an all-you-can-eat eel spot in the neighborhood, how about Songnim Bok Jangeo Unlimited Freshwater Eel Seongsu Branch?