Hongdae Korean restaurant with tablet ordering and 48-hour broth: Anok
In short
Anok is a budget-friendly Korean restaurant in a hanok-style building down an alley near Hongik University Station in Mapo, Seoul. Orders for clear gomtang (beef bone soup), Pyongyang naengmyeon (cold buckwheat noodles) in broth, and braised pork tail were placed on a tablet, and the kkakdugi (radish kimchi) was good enough to warrant a refill before the food even arrived. Anok pairs a hanok atmosphere with broth that clearly took real care to make, making it a solid Hongdae find.
Good to know
- Address
- 13-4 Hongik-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
- Hours
- Tue–Sun 11:00–22:00 (last order 21:00)
- Closed
- Every Monday
- Transit
- 8-minute walk from Exit 9, Hongik University Station
- Parking
- Nearby public parking lot
- Ordered
- Clear gomtang, Pyongyang naengmyeon (water broth), braised pork tail
- Seating
- Tables for 2, 4, and groups
- Ordering
- Tablet ordering at every table
as written by the visitor on Sep 6, 2026
Today I want to introduce a place I keep thinking about since I visited a while back — Anok, a budget-friendly Korean restaurant near Hongik University Station. Hongdae has plenty of famous eateries, but finding somewhere for a proper, satisfying meal is surprisingly hard.
Anok's location and hours
- 📍 Address: 13-4 Hongik-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul
- ⏰ Hours: Closed Mondays / Tue–Sun 11:00–22:00 (last order 21:00)
- 🚊 Transit: 8-minute walk from Exit 9, Hongik University Station
- 🚘 Parking: Nearby public parking lot
A hanok gate down the alley: Anok's exterior
Past the busy alleys near Hongik University Station, a calm hanok-style (traditional Korean house) gate comes into view. With its doors wide open, this is Anok. Even before stepping inside, it had the smell of a proper traditional Korean fine-dining restaurant.
Walking along the stone path toward the entrance, the soft lighting and wooden door seemed to welcome me in, and I felt good before I'd even sat down.
The signature dishes here are the clear gomtang (beef bone soup) and Pyongyang naengmyeon (cold buckwheat noodles). Honestly, Hongdae already has plenty of famous gomtang and naengmyeon spots. But even though this place recently opened, the atmosphere at the entrance alone already had the feel of one of Hongdae's best naengmyeon and gomtang restaurants.
Interior and seating
Inside, warm lighting and wood-tone chairs greeted me. Most tables were for two or four people, with a larger table available for group parties.
The tables were spaced generously apart, and the whole place felt very clean and well kept.
Side dishes and tablet ordering
These are the basic side dishes. The kkakdugi (radish kimchi) paired so well with the care that clearly goes into Korean-style gomtang that I got a refill before the food even arrived, haha :)
Every table has a tablet ordering device, so you can browse menu photos and order comfortably. Since I wanted to try a bit of everything, I ordered one each of the clear gomtang, Pyongyang naengmyeon (water broth), and braised pork tail!
Anok's broth, said to simmer for 48 hours
After ordering, I read the tablet's description of 'Anok's broth' — apparently it's simmered for 48 hours with medicinal ingredients like milk vetch root and burdock, with the fat skimmed off along the way. Broth that takes that much effort had me excited even before the food arrived.
Clear gomtang
It looked clean from the start — a clear broth with no fat, but one spoonful in and it was surprisingly deep and savory.
Piling the thinly sliced pork and scallions onto the rice and eating it with kkakdugi felt gentle on the stomach. It wasn't a punchy flavor, but a deep one, and I kept eating without noticing.
In particular, the harmony between the rice and the broth was a work of art. I kept eating bite after bite of meat and rice, and the portion of meat was so generous it barely seemed to shrink. That's how good a deal this clear gomtang was. Hongdae gomtang restaurant, case closed 🧑⚖️
Pyongyang naengmyeon (water broth)
The Pyongyang naengmyeon arrived topped with a large slice of meat. Personally, I love regular naengmyeon, but I hadn't had much experience with the Pyongyang style.
So I tried the broth half-expecting not to love it, but the mild, understated flavor mixed with the meaty aroma had me thinking, wow, why haven't I been eating this all along.
As you can see, the noodles were bouncy and chewy, and paired beautifully with the meat.
Even now as I write this, I still can't forget how good this budget-friendly Pyongyang naengmyeon was. Hongdae naengmyeon restaurant, case closed 🧑⚖️🧑⚖️🧑⚖️
Braised pork tail
Honestly, I ordered this out of curiosity, wondering what braised pork tail even was. But that first experience ended up being the dish I remember most.
With its glossy red look, my spoon went straight in the moment it arrived. One bite in and I thought, huh, this tastes familiar — it was exactly like braised short ribs. The more I ate, the more I liked how chewy and tender it was, with no unpleasant smell at all.
On top of that, the seasoning had soaked all the way through the meat, and the soft, chewy texture was the real charm. My chopsticks never stopped moving, and I finished it in no time.
Overall verdict trying all three dishes together
Above all, the combination of dishes worked perfectly. Moving between the gomtang broth and rice, the spicy braised pork tail, and finally the mild but meaty finish of the naengmyeon — the food felt like it captured Korea in one meal.
My overall take is that this place brings together a broth that clearly took real care and a hanok atmosphere that fits it well. Hongdae restaurant, case closed 🧑⚖️🧑⚖️🧑⚖️🧑⚖️ It'd be great for a family lunch, and just as good for an evening gathering with gomtang broth and pork tail to share. If you're looking for a budget-friendly Hongdae restaurant to eat out at with family, especially around the holidays, I'd strongly recommend Anok, one of Hongdae's best spots for gomtang and Pyongyang naengmyeon :)
