Eel & chicken neck buffet near Inha Univ., Incheon: Songrim Bokjangeo

Eel is something I always want to eat, but the price makes it hard to eat as much as I'd like. You have one or two pieces, want more, and then quietly hesitate over the bill. Songrim Bokjangeo (송림복장어) Inha Univ. Hakik-dong branch is all-you-can-eat, so my husband and I went on a day we wanted a proper health-boosting meal and ate to our heart's content.

Where is Songrim Bokjangeo Inha Univ. Hakik-dong branch, and where do you park?

The restaurant is on the 1st floor at 248 Soseong-ro, Michuhol-gu, Incheon, and it has its own parking lot, so no parking worries! If you're looking for a meal near Inha University, or a spot in Hakik-dong for a family dinner or a work get-together, the location is really good. It's also handy if you're searching for a place to eat around Munhak Stadium or Munhaksan, depending on your route.

Is the inside clean and spacious?

Yes on both counts. The interior is clean and comfortable, and it's so big that the seating goes all the way to the back. I understand it opened recently, and I was surprised by how fresh it felt. Grilling eel or pork belly usually means strong smells and floors slippery with grease, but this place felt clean and tidy overall. And it isn't just "reasonably" big, it's huge! Perfect for a group dinner, I'd say!?

How much is the eel buffet?

The buffet is ₩29,900 per adult and ₩14,000 per elementary school student. See the photos above for the full menu and prices. Eel, pork belly and chicken neck, all-you-can-eat at a price this affordable and reasonable? Ideal for a day when you want to set aside time to treat your body.

How does the self-serve bar work?

At the start, the staff bring side dishes and a first platter. After that, if you want more, you go and get it from the self-serve bar. Honestly, pressing the call button to reorder every time you finish something at an all-you-can-eat place is kind of annoying, so serving yourself was convenient. You try eel, pork belly and chicken neck on the first platter, and from then on you only take what you want, so it's a pretty sensible (?) self-serve corner.

How to grill freshwater eel so it tastes great

The wall of the restaurant has instructions on how to grill eel well, so I read them carefully and then started grilling properly ˇ◡ˇ

• First, grill the eel skin side down.
• Cook both sides well, then remove the center of the back fin, the side fins and the head fin.
• Cut it into bite-size pieces, stand them up and cook the sides evenly too, and it's ready!

I grilled it golden brown and took a bite, and wow!?! It was so good I was startled ~!~~~ The first bite is always the best ˇ◡ˇ I'd planned to hold off on drinking that day, but with food this perfect the soju (Korean liquor) just kept going down.

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

The freshwater eel here was much plumper than I expected, and it stayed thick even after grilling. Honestly, since it was a buffet I didn't expect much on quality, but I thought, it's unlimited and the quality is top-notch too. Eel can shrink a bit once it's grilled, but they must pick really chubby ones, because it stayed thick and was properly satisfying to eat :)

Are the pork belly and chicken neck worth eating too?

At Songrim Bokjangeo you can alternate between eel, pork belly and chicken neck, so you don't get bored. However good something is, eating only one thing gets old, but with eel plus pork belly plus chicken neck it stays delicious the whole time haha. When you go with family or friends, everyone's favorite food is bound to differ, and here everyone can eat what they want, so it seems like a good place for a group!

After grabbing a bit of everything, I ended up taking only eel and chicken neck at the end :) Honestly I had no big expectations for the chicken neck, but one bite and wow!?! It was so good that I kept bringing it back after that hahahahaha

Songrim Bokjangeo Inha Univ. Hakik-dong branch: overall verdict

On a day when I'd been wanting a health-boosting meal for a while, Songrim Bokjangeo Inha Univ. Hakik-dong branch let me eat unlimited and leave completely stuffed. If you're like us, wanting eel but finding it awkward to grill at home and too pricey to eat out, I recommend giving it a visit ★