Eel buffet in Saesol-dong, Hwaseong for ₩29,900: Songrim Bok Jangeo

I visited Songrim Bok Jangeo, a Saesol-dong restaurant where you can enjoy all-you-can-eat domestic Japanica freshwater eel for under ₩30,000.

Songrim Bok Jangeo Saesol Direct Branch hours and parking

Songrim Bok Jangeo Freshwater Eel Saesol Direct Branch is open daily from 11:50 to 23:00, and parking right in front of the shop is free for 3 hours. Groups, reservations, and takeout are all possible, and there are baby chairs too.

Parking available (free) / free for 3 hours

Inside Songrim Bok Jangeo: wide, well-ventilated grill tables

The interior of this Saesol-dong favorite was overall clean and spacious. Since it's an all-you-can-eat place with constant grilling, there's naturally a lot of smoke, but each table had its own ventilation system, so it was totally fine.

The tables were spacious and there were plenty of them, so this place looked perfectly suited for a Saesol-dong work dinner too. And I loved that the chairs had basket-shaped seats you could use to store your bag and coat.

Disposable aprons are also provided at the restaurant.

Menu and prices: 29,900 won per adult

<Songrim Bok Jangeo menu board> All-you-can-eat adult ₩29,900 / child (elementary school) ₩14,000 / table setting fee (children excluded) ₩3,000. For meal dishes there was eel soup, galbitang, yukgaejang, buckwheat cold noodles, and spicy ramyeon. Eating eel non-stop can get a little tiring, so it would have been nice to mix in the spicy ramyeon too. Soju and beer were ₩5,000, soft drinks ₩2,000.

What we ordered at Songrim Bok Jangeo

All-you-can-eat for 2, ₩59,800 / table setting fee ₩6,000

Side dishes included aged kimchi and green onion kimchi.

Pickled perilla leaves and pickled onions, plus ginger — the essential eel barbecue side dish!

Fresh wrap vegetables also came out.

Unlimited eel, duck neck and pork belly, with a free bottle of bokbunja

This Saesol-dong eel restaurant is an all-you-can-eat grilled eel place, but you can also enjoy unlimited duck neck meat and pork belly. The eel was huge, firm, and plump. Its color was glossy, and the condition looked excellent.

At Songrim Bok Jangeo Freshwater Eel Saesol Direct Branch, bokbunja wine is served as a free service. I thought it would just be a small taster glass, but they gave us a whole bottle. Eating eel with bokbunja felt like it could bring energy back even when you had none left.

How to grill freshwater eel properly

• First grill with the skin side facing down.
• Once both sides are well cooked, remove the middle, sides, and head/fin.
• Cut into bite-sized pieces and grill the edges until golden.

Pretty simple, right? Now let's grill some amazing eel!

First, we put all the eel, duck neck meat, and pork belly they brought us onto the grill! Covering the grill with an 'eel blanket' — as it grills well, the eel's fat rises up and it turns golden brown.

After cooking it enough, flip it over and grill the other side well too!

Trim off the fins on the side to make it easier to eat. Snip snip with scissors, and it cuts really easily.

Then grill the sides until golden brown. As the sides cooked to a golden color, a savory aroma wafted up. Especially at this Saesol-dong favorite, the eel meat was thick and the quality looked great, so my anticipation exploded while grilling.

The eel's fat wasn't excessive, just the right amount rose up, giving it a light yet savory taste. The eel meat was really tender — crispy outside and moist inside from the grill — so the texture was excellent.

Since it's all-you-can-eat, I cut generous, big pieces and ate plenty.

The more I chewed the eel, the more a subtle savory flavor came through, and the meat was moist, not dry at all. Every bite of eel felt like it gave me energy. I really think nothing beats eel as a stamina food.

I also ate the pork belly and eel grilled together, wrapped in the perilla leaves and lettuce that came as side dishes. Both the perilla leaves and lettuce were in great condition, which was very satisfying.

The tail is the kicker with eel. Grilled golden and eaten in one big bite!

Personally, I think well-grilled eel pairs best with ginger. Eating eel alone can start to feel greasy quickly, but the slightly bitter ginger really cuts through the richness.

Pork belly and duck neck meat were also unlimited, and the pork belly's quality was great, so I kept refilling it. Grilling it golden on the grill and alternating between pork belly and eel is pure happiness.

Just as good a pairing as ginger with grilled eel is the eel sauce. Each table gets a whole container of eel sauce, so it was great being able to refill it generously right away. Dipping thoroughly into the sauce, the combination of savory eel and slightly sweet sauce was the best.

Taking eel, pork belly and duck neck from the self-service corner

The eel is at the self-service corner, so as soon as you finish, you can go grab more right away. The portions were very generously stocked, so we could eat plenty. Ginger and pickled onions were there too.

Pork belly and duck neck meat were also at the all-you-can-eat self-service corner, along with all the other side dishes. The self-service corner overall was clean and well managed.

Plenty of ssamjang, sauce, and wrap vegetables too.

Family dining, takeout and the 2-hour rule

This Saesol-dong favorite has baby chairs on hand, so it looked great for family dining out too. They also sell eel for takeout — 1kg (650g after trimming) for ₩35,000 (2 sauces free, ginger ₩1,000).

On one wall, the benefits of pork and eel were each posted up. Freshwater eel is famous as the classic stamina food — good for fatigue recovery, boosting immunity, and even skin care, so there's no reason not to eat it! Lately I've been running low on energy preparing for my wedding, but eating eel along with pork belly and duck neck meat felt like it brought my energy back to life.

This Saesol-dong favorite allows a 2-hour time limit, and of course, leftovers can't be packed to go.

Is the Saesol-dong eel buffet worth it?

If you're feeling low on energy lately and looking for a Saesol-dong spot to recharge, I'd recommend visiting Songrim Bok Jangeo Freshwater Eel Saesol Direct Branch for nutritious, delicious grilled eel. Being able to enjoy such good eel for just ₩29,900 is amazing! Plus, free parking right in front of the shop makes it convenient to visit even if you're driving.

📍 Location: 12-2 Kkonnaeum 2-gil, Units 111, 112, 113, Manse-gu, Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea