Hongdae gomtang restaurant with a pebble courtyard off Exit 9: Anok

Today I want to introduce Anok, where I had some proper Korean food in Hongdae 😊 I was looking up what to eat in Hongdae when I found a place that serves both Pyongyang naengmyeon (cold buckwheat noodles) and clear gomtang (bone broth soup) under one roof, so I paid a visit! Hongdae usually makes me think of hip bars and cafés, but Anok lets you enjoy naengmyeon and gomtang in a quiet hanok (traditional Korean house), so the vibe felt totally different right from the start haha.

That day I went all out and ordered Pyongyang naengmyeon, clear gomtang, and pork tail jjim (braised pork tail) together, and the three-dish combo worked way better than I expected — total gold 😋 So let's go find out what kind of place this is~ haha

Where Anok is and when it opens

Anok is located at 13-4 Hongik-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul, open Tuesday through Sunday from 11:00 to 22:00 with last order at 21:00, and closed every Monday. It's within walking distance of Exit 9 of Hongik University Station, so it was easy to reach by public transit.

It's close to the heart of Hongdae but tucked down an alley, so it has a completely different feel from the buzzing main streets.

Facilities and services at Anok

• Group dining available
• Delivery
• Takeout
• Free Wi-Fi

Anok's hanok exterior in the middle of Hongdae

First up, Anok's exterior! Walking down the alley, a hanok building suddenly appears — something you rarely see in the middle of Hongdae — and the atmosphere felt really different from the moment I saw it haha.

The hip streets of Hongdae nearby and the quiet, old-fashioned hanok mood blend together in an odd but pleasant way, making you want to snap a photo right at the entrance! Step through the gate and you find a small pebble-floored courtyard leading into the hanok building. Coming for a meal but feeling like I'd stepped into a whole different space made me happy haha 😊

Inside Anok: atmosphere and seating

Inside, Anok mainly has 2–4 person tables, and groups of up to about 12 are possible with advance notice! The hanok mood from the exterior carries through naturally, with wood elements and traditional hanok lattice windows creating a warm yet calm atmosphere~

Especially by the windows, you can see the hanok courtyard and roof tiles, which made me briefly forget I was in Hongdae haha. It's more of a relaxed, conversation-friendly space than a loud, bustling restaurant, so it would suit a date or a family meal well~ Above all, it felt comfortable enough for a lunchtime bowl of hot broth, so it would be a good pick if you're hunting for a Hongdae lunch spot!

Anok's menu and prices

Anok is a Korean restaurant that builds its gomtang and Pyongyang naengmyeon around a house-made clear broth. Here's a look at the menu! 👀🍜

• Clear pork gomtang ₩13,000
• Pyongyang naengmyeon (water) ₩14,000
• Pyongyang naengmyeon (mixed) ₩15,000
• Pork tail jjim ₩29,000
• Cold pork jeyuk ₩24,000
• Yukhoe (raw beef) ₩26,000
• Donbok platter ₩45,000

There's a good range, from single-bowl dishes like gomtang or naengmyeon that are great to eat solo, to shareable dishes for a group haha. After some deliberation, I ordered Pyongyang naengmyeon + clear gomtang + pork tail jjim! Warm gomtang, cold naengmyeon, and pork tail jjim on top of that... just reading the menu had me excited about the combo 😆

The side dishes: kimchi, kkakdugi and gungchae namul

Before the food arrived, I checked out the basic table setting! Kimchi, kkakdugi (radish kimchi), gungchae namul (seasoned herb greens), and other side dishes that pair nicely with gomtang or naengmyeon were neatly laid out.

Salt and pepper were also set on the table, so you can taste the gomtang broth on its own first and season it to your liking afterward haha. And of course, gomtang with kkakdugi is unbeatable lol. Just thinking about a sip of hot broth followed by a crunchy piece of kkakdugi had me already buzzing with anticipation 😋

After a short wait, the dishes started arriving one by one! Total visual jackpot!! First I snapped an overall shot with the naengmyeon, clear gomtang, and pork tail jjim all lined up together. The gomtang's clear, not-milky broth caught my eye, the naengmyeon was plated neatly and cleanly, and the pork tail jjim's glossy sauce made the whole spread look amazing haha.

With a warm dish, a cold dish, and a spicy dish all together, you get to enjoy totally different charms in one sitting! I really nailed the combo that day lol.

How is the clear pork gomtang at 13,000 won?

Anok's clear gomtang lives up to its name — the broth is remarkably clear and transparent, which caught my eye right away~ Piled generously with pork and green onion on top, the contrast against the clear broth looked really appetizing too haha.

I took a spoonful of the broth and it looked super clean but tasted deeper than expected! Rather than heavy or greasy, it leaned light and refreshing, so I kept dipping my spoon back in. Eating the pork along with the broth added a clean meaty aroma that was totally my style 😆

Eating it with rice too — gomtang really is the ultimate hearty meal~! Dipping rice lightly in the broth and topping it with a piece of meat was pure gold haha. Adding a bite of kkakdugi here and there brought crunchy, tangy flavor into the mix — a solid combo all around~

If you prefer clean, clear broth over something heavily seasoned, this style would suit you especially well! A hot bowl of broth with a hearty serving of rice — this is the kind of dish that would come to mind when searching for a Hongdae gomtang spot or a Hongdae gukbap spot 👍

Pyongyang naengmyeon, 14,000 won: mild broth with real savouriness

The naengmyeon's visual was also a jackpot! The buckwheat noodles sat neatly in a clean, clear broth with a meat topping on top — the whole plate looked tidy. True to Pyongyang naengmyeon style, it focused on the noodles and broth themselves rather than flashy toppings. Just looking at it felt cool and light!

I took a sip of the broth right away! It's not the kind of flavor that hits you hard from the first sip — it goes down mild and clean, and the umami of the broth built up the more I drank haha. It kept the naengmyeon's signature understated charm while the broth's flavor lingered subtly, making me keep going for one more sip, and another.

The noodles also had a soft bite and blended naturally with the broth, so it went down easily without feeling heavy 😋 Having usually eaten the more intensely flavored naengmyeon, this style had a different kind of charm~ I could see why people come looking for a Pyongyang naengmyeon spot in Hongdae haha.

Braised pork tail jjim, 29,000 won: the best dish of the day

And the dish I was most curious about that day — pork tail jjim! haha. Pork tail isn't a dish you come across often, so I was really curious what it would taste like even before it arrived haha. It came out piled generously in an appetizing sauce, giving it a completely different look from the naengmyeon or gomtang~ Glossy and shiny — there was no way I could pass this up lol.

I picked up a piece and tried it — the signature chewy texture of pork tail really came through! Braised until tender rather than tough, with a chewiness in the skin part alongside the soft bite — if you like jokbal (braised pig's feet) or pork skin, this texture will feel both familiar and refreshingly new 😋

The sauce soaked into the meat really well, so after one bite my chopsticks naturally reached for the next piece lol. Personally, this was the standout dish of the day!