1kg eel takeout for 35,000 won at Seongsu eel restaurant Songnim Bok

Hi everyone! Not long ago I visited an eel restaurant with my parents and was so satisfied haha. A few days ago I suddenly craved eel again and ended up going back. This isn't a place I visited once and forgot about — I genuinely kept thinking about it, so this time I'll write an even more honest review~

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

Songnim Bok Jangeo Unlimited Freshwater Eel Seongsu Branch is at 148 Seongdeokjeong-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, and it's open daily from 11:50 AM to 11:00 PM. It's near the Seongsu 119 Safety Center and close to Ttukseom Hangang Park too, so it's great for a walk after eating.

The interior isn't huge, but the tables weren't cramped and it felt more comfortable than I expected. Guests kept coming in the whole time again this visit. I'd recommend arriving early for weekend lunch or dinner.

What the self-serve bar and side dishes include

The self-serve bar at Songnim Bok Jangeo has lettuce, garlic, and various sauces ready, and you can help yourself to eel, pork belly, and chicken neck too. What I loved was that staff refilled anything that ran low right away, so there was never any inconvenience the whole time.

Ginger strips, white kimchi, perilla leaf pickles, green onion kimchi, pickled onion — all pair really well with eel, and honestly I kept reaching for the white kimchi and green onion kimchi especially. Refilled those several times.

Domestic freshwater eel only at Songnim Bok Jangeo

At the entrance there's a sign about using domestic freshwater eel, noting they're a partner business of the Freshwater Eel Farming Fisheries Cooperative. Maybe that's why the quality felt genuinely good relative to the price.

-Menu-

How to grill the eel: shredded ginger and teriyaki sauce

You grill the eel skin-side down first, then cook it golden brown on both sides. Staff explained things along the way and kept the grill well managed, so even first-timers should have no trouble eating here.

Take a nicely cooked piece of eel, top it with ginger strips, and dip it lightly in teriyaki sauce — this combo genuinely never fails. The eel's savoriness plus the ginger's sharp kick had me eating piece after piece.

Before I knew it, we'd swapped the grill plate a few times and kept refilling the meat — just eating away without even noticing. The staff were friendly too, bringing whatever we needed right away.

The quiet winners on a second visit: pork belly and chicken neck

Eating here again, I realized the pork belly is quietly a strong contender too. Tender texture and a subtle aroma made me eat more than I expected. But personally, the most surprising item here is the chicken neck. I loved it on my first visit and it was just as good this time. Grilled with a light coating of teriyaki sauce, it genuinely tastes like something from a yakitori restaurant. Chewy yet tender, and kind of addictive — I kept reaching for it even while eating eel.

If you visit right now, you can get bokbunja (Korean black raspberry wine) as a service!

Just a note about the restroom~

Taking home 1kg of prepped eel for 35,000 won

And Songnim Bok Jangeo also does takeout. You can buy 1kg of prepped eel for 35,000 won, and they include sauce and ginger with it too. If you want to grill it at home, takeout is a solid option.

There are so many good restaurants in Seongsu these days, but factoring in value for money, this place is definitely competitive. The biggest advantage is being able to eat domestic freshwater eel as much as you want without breaking the bank. Great for taking your parents, and also good for family meals or work dinners!