Hongdae Korean restaurant for mild Pyongyang noodles: Anok

I had plans in Hongdae and was wondering where to have lunch, so this time I looked for somewhere a little special. When I think of Hongdae, lively restaurants with a young, energetic atmosphere come to mind first, but Anok (안옥), which I visited this time, felt a little different from that typical Hongdae mood.

Walk about seven minutes from Hongik University Station and head into an alley, and a hanok building comes into view. It sits in a quiet alley just off the busy main street, so I loved the atmosphere before even going inside. It was unexpected to be able to enjoy a meal surrounded by the charm of a hanok in Hongdae. Especially on a nice day, I thought it would be lovely just to stroll slowly through the alley on the way there.

Anok is at 13-4 Hongik-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea, about a seven-minute walk from Hongik University Station. Hours are 11:00–22:00, with last orders at 21:00.

Korean food in a tranquil hanok

Anok’s greatest appeal was definitely its space. The calmness of the hanok made it feel as if I had arrived in a different neighborhood, even though I was still in Hongdae. There are so many restaurants with pretty, polished interiors these days, but the atmosphere of an old hanok has a different kind of charm, doesn’t it?

The wood and the hanok’s distinctive atmosphere came together beautifully, making the meal feel quite unhurried. It would be nice for a relaxed lunch with friends, a day when you want a quiet meal, or even a date. More than anything, I actually liked that it was tucked into an alley a little away from central Hongdae. It is a great place to seek out when you want to step away from noisy Hongdae for a calm meal.

Ordering Pyongyang noodles, gomtang, and braised pork tails

We ordered three dishes that day: Pyongyang naengmyeon (cold buckwheat noodles in broth) for ₩14,000, clear gomtang (beef soup) for ₩13,000, and braised pork tails for ₩29,000. The total was ₩56,000.

Anok makes both its gomtang and Pyongyang naengmyeon with a clear, deeply flavored broth simmered in-house, so I ordered both. I also added braised pork tails because it felt a little sad to have only soup-and-noodle dishes. Having several dishes on the table rather than just one made it fun to compare their individual flavors.

The side dishes were neatly presented too.

Even the perilla seed powder and salt shaker were pretty.

Mild and clean Pyongyang naengmyeon

The dish I was looking forward to most that day was, of course, the Pyongyang naengmyeon. It can be a polarizing dish, but I tend to like naengmyeon where you can taste the broth itself without aggressive seasoning, so I ordered it with high expectations.

Anok’s Pyongyang naengmyeon had a clear, clean broth, so it did not feel heavy from the first taste. It had that characteristic mild Pyongyang-naengmyeon flavor, and the noodles and broth worked nicely together. Taking a sip of broth and then eating the noodles left such a clean finish that I kept reaching for more. There are days lately when spicy, punchy food is all I can think about, but sometimes you crave something mild like this, right?

I thought it was worth a visit for anyone looking for Pyongyang naengmyeon in Hongdae. Rather than going only for the noodles, ordering gomtang or a side dish too would let you try more of Anok’s food. That is why I would like to recommend Anok to anyone searching for Pyongyang naengmyeon in Hongdae.

Clear gomtang with a deep broth

The second dish we ordered was clear gomtang. It costs ₩13,000. Anok’s gomtang also uses house-simmered broth, which I had been looking forward to, and true to its name, the soup was quite clear and easy to enjoy.

Gomtang often brings to mind a rich, heavy broth, but Anok’s clear gomtang was a style you could eat more lightly. The warm soup with rice made for a satisfying meal. While Pyongyang naengmyeon is cold and mild, clear gomtang feels warm and comforting, so ordering both gave us two very different appeals.

If you are deciding between naengmyeon and gomtang for lunch in Hongdae, choosing according to your preference would work well. If you are visiting with several people like I was, I would also recommend ordering both and sharing.

It was packed with meat.

Chewy braised pork tails

And then there were the braised pork tails we ordered alongside everything else. They cost ₩29,000. If we had ordered only the Pyongyang naengmyeon and gomtang, the meal would have been mild overall, but adding the pork tails made the table feel much more abundant.

The dish lets you enjoy the pork tail’s signature chewy texture along with tender meat, so it went well with the meal dishes. In particular, its texture and flavor direction were different from broth-centered dishes like naengmyeon and gomtang, so I was glad we ordered it too. If you visit in a group, adding one order of braised pork tails to share would be a good idea.

I came for lunch, but looking at the menu, I thought it would also suit an evening visit with a drink alongside Korean dishes.

A hanok to remember for Hongdae lunch

Hongdae is a neighborhood with so many good places to eat that searching for new restaurants is part of the fun. Among them, Anok felt a little different. It is easy to reach—only about seven minutes on foot from Hongik University Station—but once you enter the alley, the hanok’s tranquil atmosphere is what stays with you most.

Rather than flashy, intensely seasoned food, the menu centers on dishes like Pyongyang naengmyeon and gomtang that let you enjoy the natural flavor of the broth, so the space and food felt like a good match. It seems like a solid option if you are looking for somewhere quiet for lunch in Hongdae. I think of it as a place that would be nice for a lunch appointment with friends in Hongdae, a visit with your parents, or simply a day when you want Korean food. Personally, I liked taking my time over a meal in this quiet space deep in an alley more than being in Hongdae’s bustle.

Pyongyang naengmyeon and gomtang enjoyed quietly in a hanok. It also stayed with me because it is not the kind of restaurant atmosphere you commonly see in Hongdae. If you are looking for Pyongyang naengmyeon in Hongdae, try the mild noodles along with warm clear gomtang and braised pork tails. Anok was easy enough to reach on foot from Hongik University Station too. Next time, I would like to come back and try other Korean dishes.