Hongdae Korean restaurant for sharing pork tail stew: Anok

Anok’s location and exterior near Hongik University Station

Anok is about a 7-minute walk from Hongik University Station. It is also within a 10-minute walk from Sangsu Station on Line 6!

An entrance with hanok charm

What I especially loved was that, rather than feeling like a typical Hongdae restaurant, it is a Korean restaurant set in a hanok (traditional Korean house). I do not think I had seen many restaurants with this kind of atmosphere while eating around Hongdae, so the exterior alone was quite impressive!!

There is no separate parking space, so if you are driving, you will need to use a nearby parking lot!

Inside Anok and its group tables

The atmosphere inside Anok was also so lovely! Warm lighting, traditional paper doors, and wood-toned interiors come together to bring out that distinctive hanok feel, making the whole space cozy and calm~

Tables accommodate visits from 2 people up to 12, so it seemed suitable for gatherings with friends, family meals, and even small work dinners~!

Anok’s menu and what we ordered

Most of the single-bowl dishes are priced around ₩13,000–₩18,000, so it did not feel overly expensive for lunch in Hongdae. Please refer to the photos for details!

Anok’s signature dishes are clear gomtang (beef soup) and Pyongyang naengmyeon (Pyongyang-style cold noodles)! They serve both dishes with their house-made clear broth as the base. I was already getting excited.

I visited with friends, and this is what we ordered!

• Clear gomtang | ₩13,000
• Pyongyang naengmyeon | ₩14,000
• Pork tail stew | ₩29,000

Clear, mild clear gomtang

First up, the clear gomtang! Just as its name suggests, the broth is very clear, with meat, scallions, and rice inside. As you can see in the photo, there was a ton of meat!

Rather than a rich beef-bone broth, it was clean and mild, making it easy to enjoy without feeling heavy. Since Anok emphasizes its house-made clear broth, I recommend it to anyone looking for gomtang in Hongdae.

Sweet-spicy, chewy pork tail stew

Then came the pork tail stew, which caught my eye from the visuals alone! It was my first time trying it, so I had really been looking forward to it. The texture was chewy and tender, while the sauce was spicy and sweet. I am not great with spicy food, but it was deliciously spicy for me.

I visited with two friends, and I think ordering one dish like this to share would be a good idea too~!

My first Pyongyang naengmyeon and the stew pairing

Next was the Pyongyang naengmyeon! Like the gomtang, it is said to use a clear broth as its base. This was actually my first attempt at Pyongyang naengmyeon... and it definitely had a milder, subtler flavor than regular naengmyeon!

It paired especially well with the strongly seasoned pork tail stew—so good, so good. If you are visiting with two or more people, it might be nice to order one alongside the gomtang and compare them.

Side dishes and sauces are served too, so you can enjoy them however you like, haha. Since the dishes overall were not overly strongly seasoned, ordering all three did not make the flavors feel repetitive.

If you are looking for a Korean restaurant in Hongdae that also delivers on atmosphere, this is a place worth visiting at least once!! Being able to enjoy everything from gomtang and Pyongyang naengmyeon to pork tail stew made for a great combination of dishes.