Siheung Baegot eel restaurant with a self-serve meat bar: Songnim Bok

When I go out for eel, I usually enjoy it at first but get a bit tired if I keep eating only eel. This time I went to Songnim Bok Jangeo, and what caught my eye was that this Siheung all-you-can-eat eel spot lets you eat not just fresh freshwater eel but also whole pork belly and duck neck. Being able to eat both eel and meat made it a decent spot for a family meal out.

What the Songnim Bok Jangeo Siheung Baegot branch looks like

The place I visited was Songnim Bok Jangeo Unlimited Freshwater Eel Siheung Baegot Direct Branch. Inside, every table had its own grill and a large hood installed above it, the tables were spaced well apart, and the restaurant was clean overall.

More than eel: what else is on the self-serve bar

Songnim Bok Jangeo's self-serve bar had whole pork belly and duck neck prepared alongside the fresh freshwater eel. The fresh eel was naturally the first thing that caught my eye, but looking around the self-serve bar, it wasn't just eel that was ready to go. I could grab fresh freshwater eel, whole pork belly, and duck neck all in one place and eat them however I liked.

When you order, staff bring out the first serving like this, and after that you just use the self-serve bar.

The self-serve bar had a variety of items ready, including eel, whole pork belly, duck neck, ginger, pickled onion, and perilla leaves.

How to grill the fresh freshwater eel

At first, I put the eel on the grill in big pieces and cooked both sides thoroughly. The eel flesh was quite thick, and once on the grill, you could really watch it start cooking from the skin side. As it cooked, the surface turned golden brown and the fat began rendering out. Once it was cooked enough, I cut it into bite-sized pieces and grilled it a bit more.

It was great eating the eel grilled golden brown, cut into bite-sized pieces. Best of all, since this was unlimited eel in Siheung, it was convenient to just bring over as much as I wanted and grill it right away.

Switching between whole pork belly and duck neck

Songnim Bok Jangeo's pork belly isn't thin, shaved samgyeopsal (pork belly) but a thick, whole cut, so I grilled it slowly on the same grill as the eel. Once the outside turned golden brown, I cut it into bite-sized pieces and cooked it through to the inside. Switching from eel to pork belly made a big difference, so it didn't feel like I was eating the same thing over and over. I also tried the duck neck. Being able to alternate between eel, pork belly, and duck neck on the same grill seemed like it would work well for a family with different tastes, since everyone could pick their favorite.

I went back to the self-serve bar for more eel. Being able to freely grab as much as I wanted was really convenient and nice.

Side dishes and the perilla leaf wrap combo

Eating everything plain was fine, but it was also fun to try adding the side dishes one by one. I topped the eel with condiments as before, and wrapping the meat with condiments in a perilla leaf gave a whole different flavor. The self-serve bar had not just meat but also vegetables and side dishes to go with it, so I helped myself to as much as I needed.

Finishing the meal with ramyeon

After eel, pork belly, and duck neck, the meal wouldn't have been complete without instant noodles (ramyeon) at the end. Scooping out the bubbling ramyeon was the perfect finish after all that grilled food. Ramyeon after meat is always a special treat. Going through eel, then meat, then ramyeon in order made for a pretty varied meal.

Visiting in person, what stuck with me about Songnim Bok Jangeo was that, despite its name centering on freshwater eel, it isn't an all-you-can-eat spot for eel alone. I could grill fresh freshwater eel and then also eat whole pork belly and duck neck, switching things up along the way. It was especially nice that people who love eel and people who love meat could pick this one spot and still each get what they want. If you're looking for unlimited eel in Siheung or a good eel restaurant in Baegot that also lets you eat meat dishes, this is worth checking out.

Songnim Bok Jangeo, where I grilled eel, whole pork belly, and duck neck in turns and finished with ramyeon at the end. For those of us who prefer eating a bit of everything rather than sticking to one dish, this meal suited us well.