Siheung Baegot eel buffet, white kimchi wraps & makguksu: Songnim

This is my visit review of Songnim Bok Jangeo in Baegot, a perfect summer stamina-food spot. Thick, 100% domestic Japonica eel plus fresh pork belly and duck neck, all unlimited at a great price. Come see the quality of this genuinely good restaurant for yourself.

• Address: 43-7 Seouldaehak-ro 278beon-gil, Siheung-si, Gyeonggi, 1st floor, Unit 133, Songnim Bok Jangeo Unlimited Freshwater Eel
• Hours: Daily 11:30 a.m.–11:00 p.m.

As the weather got hotter I could feel my energy dropping, so I went for eel, the classic summer stamina food.

What are the atmosphere and the eel like at Songnim Bok Jangeo in Baegot?

Songnim Bok Jangeo is an all-you-can-eat freshwater eel restaurant in the Baegot central shopping district, and it says it prepares only domestic Japonica freshwater eel by hand at dawn on the day. The ventilation hoods are excellent, so the place was comfortable with no smell.

The one I visited is Songnim Bok Jangeo in the Baegot central shopping district, and the exterior was so clean that I got a good first impression right away.

They say they use only domestic Japonica freshwater eel, prepared by hand at dawn on the day, so I felt confident about the quality.

Inside, even though it's a grill restaurant, the hood system is so good that we could eat comfortably with no smell. When I first arrived it seemed quiet, but after work hours reservation guests poured in and it was full in no time. A famous Baegot eel place indeed, it was hugely popular. Among the many all-you-can-eat eel restaurants in Siheung, it clearly stood out.

Songnim Bok Jangeo unlimited price and table setup

The unlimited course is ₩29,900 per adult, with a separate ₩3,000 per person table setting fee. Hearty meals like eel soup and yukgaejang (spicy beef soup) and a good drinks list were also available.

After settling in, I checked the price: ₩29,900 per adult, and a ₩3,000 per person table setting fee applies. Hearty meals like eel soup and yukgaejang, plus a good drinks list, were also available.

Once you sit down, the side dishes, the first eel and the first meat are set out, and after that you can freely get more from the self-serve bar without feeling awkward about it.

The table was neatly laid with side dishes that go perfectly with eel: pickled onion, pickled perilla leaves, green onion kimchi, pickled ginger and white kimchi.

The first eel and meat come in small portions so nothing gets wasted, so just use the self-serve bar for as much as you need.

What surprised me was that even at an all-you-can-eat place, the eel was thick and good quality, on par with a regular specialty restaurant. If you want quality all-you-can-eat eel in Siheung, it's definitely here.

The meats also had a vivid color and stayed very fresh, so I felt like I had really found a proper Baegot eel restaurant.

How do you grill eel so it doesn't burn?

At Songnim Bok Jangeo, grill the eel skin-side down first, then flip it, and it cooks through without burning. Dip the finished eel in the special eel sauce at the self-serve bar.

Then I put the summer stamina-food eel on the heated grill. Here's a tip: grill it skin-side down first, then flip it, and it cooks nicely without burning.

Flipped front and back so it didn't burn, the golden-brown eel looked so good it made my mouth water.

When I picked up a well-cooked piece, it was quite thick, probably because it's good eel, and it gave a wonderful, mouth-filling chew.

Dipped well in the special eel sauce from the self-serve bar, the savory flavor just exploded.

Usually eel's richness makes you tire of it fast so you can't eat much, but Songnim Bok Jangeo has such a variety of side dishes that cut the greasiness that I couldn't stop my chopsticks. I fully enjoyed the perks of an all-you-can-eat eel place in Siheung and ate until I was full. No wonder people rave about this Baegot eel restaurant.

Eel, pork belly and white kimchi wraps: the combo to try at Songnim Bok Jangeo

The big plus of Songnim Bok Jangeo is getting eel, pork belly and duck neck all in one place. The writer's tip is a samhap-style wrap: eel on pork belly, wrapped in white kimchi.

I love eel, but I also really love pork belly, so being able to enjoy eel and meat together here is a huge plus.

The pork belly grilled golden on one side of the grill was chewy with no off smell, and its moderate fat gave it a properly nutty richness.

My own tip you have to try here: put eel on pork belly and wrap it in white kimchi. The crunchy white kimchi neatly rounds off the rich, fatty flavor of the eel and pork belly, and it was the best treat.

The other meat was duck neck, with a standout chewy texture that was great to mix in between the eel and pork belly. An eel place with great meat too is rare, and with this variety of quality meats at an all-you-can-eat spot in Siheung, my mouth was happy the whole time. I was really glad I came to Songnim Bok Jangeo.

What happens when you roll eel into the dessert bibim makguksu?

The dessert bibim makguksu (spicy mixed buckwheat noodles) at Songnim Bok Jangeo has a sweet-spicy sauce that clears the grease of the eel and meat, so it works well as a palate cleanser. Rolling a saved piece of eel into the noodles beat the pork belly and cold noodles combo.

I'd filled up on protein, so I ordered bibim makguksu as dessert for a clean finish.

The bright red bibim makguksu looked great, and its sweet-spicy sauce completely cleared the grease left in my mouth, a wonderful treat that made the meal even more filling.

In particular, I rolled a piece of eel I'd saved into the bibim makguksu and ate them together, and it easily beat the familiar pork belly and cold noodles combo. A fantastic pairing, and I enjoyed it down to the last bite.

I was very satisfied to enjoy thick Japonica eel prepared that day and fresh pork belly, unlimited, at a reasonable price. With a comfortable interior and side dishes that cut the greasiness, it was perfect, and I wholeheartedly recommend Songnim Bok Jangeo as a stamina-food restaurant.