Late-night Ansan City Hall eel buffet after diving: Songnim Bok Jangeo

Hi, it's Jjini! I've been diving a lot lately and it turns out it wears you out way more than expected, so I went out for some eel to recover my strength! Normally eel isn't something I casually order since it's on the pricier side. So this time I looked for somewhere I could eat my fill without worrying about cost, and ended up at Songnim Bok Jangeo Freshwater Eel All-You-Can-Eat Ansan City Hall branch.

What kind of place is Songnim Bok Jangeo near Ansan City Hall?

Songnim Bok Jangeo Freshwater Eel All-You-Can-Eat Ansan City Hall Direct Store is an eel all-you-can-eat restaurant at 33 Danggok-ro, 201-202, Danwon-gu, Ansan, Gyeonggi. The location near Ansan City Hall is convenient, and even though I'm usually not a buffet person, an all-you-can-eat eel place gave me a weirdly strong sense of anticipation. If you love eel, this is worth marking down as a Gojan-dong eel buffet spot.

Late-night atmosphere and whether you need a reservation

Even though we came late, the place was still bustling with customers!

There were a lot of tables clearly having a company dinner, but the space itself is big enough that it never felt noisy, haha. If you're going with a big group on a weekday, I'd recommend booking ahead!

Ordering all-you-can-eat eel for two and what's on the self-serve bar

The menu is simple, but the drink options are varied!

Of course we ordered the all-you-can-eat for two plus drinks, haha. Beyond the basic table setting, you just help yourself at the self-serve bar — and even right before closing time, it was still fully stocked!

There's a good variety of meats prepared too, so there's zero chance of getting sick of just eel!

They also have a microwave and a burner ready to use, haha.

Charcoal setup and the free bokbunja wine

Once you sit down, after a quick setup, they add charcoal to your grill like this.

Eel over charcoal... how could that not be delicious! That day we also got a complimentary bokbunja (black raspberry) wine, and since every table had one, I'm guessing it's some kind of limited-time event.

But this bokbunja wine was seriously amazing... I had ordered a soju-and-beer mix but cancelled it and just kept drinking the bokbunja wine instead. They lay the eel out generously...

And while flipping the eel, they added pork belly to the grill too!

How does the eel taste at this Gojan-dong buffet?

Songnim Bok Jangeo Freshwater Eel All-You-Can-Eat Ansan City Hall branch is a place where you can eat freshwater eel all-you-can-eat. Eel is delicious but the price often makes you think 'should I just eat a little?' — here, being all-you-can-eat, that worry disappeared completely. The moment you walk in, you're hit with the savory smell of grilling eel, and honestly, coming here hungry would be dangerous, haha. Sitting down felt like I was really there to recover my strength, and some of the fatigue built up during the week melted away a bit. The eel is grilled on the grill plate until golden. As it cooks, it develops a glossy sheen, crisping slightly on the outside while staying moist inside — satisfying from the very first bite.

Eel is tasty on its own, but my favorite combo was eating it with ginger. Put a piece of eel with a bit of ginger and wrap it up — you get savoriness and freshness together, and it just kept going down. With all-you-can-eat places, quality can sometimes be a worry, but here I liked most that you can eat plenty of both eel and pork belly. Going with fellow eel lovers would be really satisfying. Eating it, I thought, 'ah, this is why people look for eel all-you-can-eat.'

Does Songnim Bok Jangeo work for a group dinner in Gojan-dong?

Songnim Bok's Ansan City Hall branch also seemed like a solid company dinner spot. There were indeed tables having a work dinner during our visit! Eel itself feels a bit more special than an ordinary grilled meat place, and being all-you-can-eat means less agonizing over the menu with a bigger group. Picking a menu for a work dinner is oddly hard — you need something that's not too light but not too heavy either, and an eel buffet fits that nicely. So this could work well for anyone searching for a Gojan-dong company dinner spot.

Final thoughts on the Songnim Bok Jangeo Ansan City Hall branch

Overall, Songnim Bok Jangeo Freshwater Eel All-You-Can-Eat Ansan City Hall branch was a place where you can eat eel without worry. Instead of rationing small bites, being able to eat as much as you want made for a much bigger sense of satisfaction. It felt like a good fit for family dinners, couple dates, friend gatherings, and company dinners alike, and the location near Ansan City Hall made it easy to get to. If you love eel, it's worth a visit at least once.

• Anyone looking for an eel all-you-can-eat spot in Ansan
• Anyone curious about a good Gojan-dong eel buffet restaurant
• Anyone looking for a hearty recovery meal