After-work Korean BBQ and unlimited eel in Siheung: Songrim Bok

I hadn't treated myself to a proper recharge meal in a while. And if there's one food that's a byword for that in Korea — especially for men — it's eel. So when I heard about a place serving unlimited domestic freshwater eel, I had to go check it out.

What kind of restaurant is Songrim Bok Jangeo in Jeongwang-dong?

I visited Songrim Bok Jangeo Freshwater Eel Unlimited Refill Jeongwang Direct Branch, a restaurant serving all-you-can-eat domestic Japonica freshwater eel. The words "unlimited freshwater eel" were plastered in big letters on the storefront, and I practically ran inside.

The restaurant is open from 11:30 AM to 10:00 PM, and it's clearly popular — the eel is fresh and high quality, and the dining room is big enough to handle work dinners, casual meals, or a proper group drinking session.

Arriving after work, just before closing: was there a table?

I went straight after work, aiming to eat properly and late. Arriving on a weekday just before closing, I luckily didn't have to worry about seats at all — honestly, the place is so spacious that seating isn't really a concern regardless of when you go.

Unlimited eel price and what the 29,900 won covers

The price is ₩29,900 for adults and ₩14,000 for elementary school kids. Adults pay an extra ₩3,000 table charge, bringing it to ₩32,900, while kids get in with no table charge. And it's not just eel — pork belly is unlimited too.

The self-serve bar was stocked with a bunch of side dishes to eat alongside the eel and meat — lettuce wraps, ginger, pickled onion, scallion, kimchi, white kimchi.

There were also a variety of sauces set out: a special dipping sauce made for the eel, ssamjang, and sesame oil salt.

As for meat, they had freshwater eel, pork belly, and duck neck — or was it chicken neck? Either way, some kind of neck meat was also on offer.

Since it's a single-menu place, ordering the unlimited set gets you the whole side-dish spread right away, and every single item paired well with the grilled meat, so I kept going back for more of everything.

How fresh was the domestic Japonica freshwater eel?

Doesn't the eel quality look great!? The moment it arrived, you could tell it was genuinely domestic Japonica eel — clean and packed with flesh. It was obviously trimmed carefully, and the portions were generous.

A nice touch: they serve pork belly and chicken neck alongside so you don't get sick of eating just eel. The combination of the eel's clean flavor, the pork belly's rich, savory fat, and the springy, chewy texture of the duck neck was just excellent.

How to grill eel on a pork-fat-coated pan

Instructions for grilling the eel properly are printed right on the chopstick holder, so it's easy to follow along. For raw eel, grill it skin-side down first, cook both sides thoroughly, then remove the fin before eating.

I put the eel on the grill first, then added the pork belly right alongside it. I was too hungry to wait — grill everything at once and eat the two together like a samhap (three-way combo).

The pork belly started cooking first. As fat rendered out and coated the pan, I noticed that grilling the eel on a pan already coated in pork belly fat somehow made it taste even better.

I kept grilling the pork belly, eel, and chicken neck all together, and the neck meat cooked quickly enough that I could eat it right away too.

With the pork belly and eel cooking side by side and being flipped in turns, before long they were nicely mingled on the grill. This right here is happiness — eel and pork belly with a drink after work.

The eel disappeared fast, so I had to keep grilling more. The meat can never run out. And since it's unlimited, nobody bats an eye if you grab two pieces at a time — pure happiness.

How did the eel and pork belly taste?

I spread out a lettuce leaf, piled on pork belly plus pickled perilla leaf for that combo, and separately dipped the eel in ginger and sauce before popping it in — the clean, savory flavor was outstanding.

No matter how it was grilled, the eel turned out delicious. It wasn't even fried, but it still came out crisp on the outside and moist inside, firm yet tender at the same time. You could really taste that clean, savory quality that comes from the eel itself.

The eel was great, but honestly the pork belly at Songrim Bok was just as impressive — thick-cut and tender, on par with what you'd get at a high-quality dedicated barbecue spot.

One thing that stuck with me while eating the eel was the texture — the skin was chewy yet crisp, and eating it together with the flesh made for a fun contrast. It's the kind of food that's delicious and good for you, especially known to benefit men's health.

Is Songrim Bok Jangeo good for group dinners and drinks?

The chicken neck was nicely chewy too, and dipped in sesame oil salt it made a perfect drinking snack. Great for a group coming to drink together.

If you're looking for a good dinner spot centered on eel and pork belly, or a restaurant to visit with family, I'd definitely recommend keeping Songrim Bok Jangeo Freshwater Eel Unlimited Refill Jeongwang Direct Branch in mind.