Hongdae restaurant in Seoul for an 11am opening-run lunch: Anok

This is Anok, a hanok-style restaurant in Hongdae known for its Pyongyang naengmyeon. Parked at a nearby public lot.

Anok, a hanok restaurant in Hongdae: arriving for the 11am opening

I only just found out Hongdae had such a serene hanok-style restaurant, so I had to check it out ~~ My boyfriend had the day off so we timed it to the 11am opening for an opening run at Anok, a Hongdae naengmyeon spot.

Turn into the alley next to Egg Drop on Hongdae's main street and the hanok building appears right away. It was so surreal to find a hanok sitting in a spot you'd never expect.

Once inside the building, there's a gravel and stone path, and going into a separate building gets you to the dining area.

What's on Anok's menu and what it costs

The menu is posted with prices right at the hanok entrance, so you can see everything on offer at a glance. This place would be great to bring foreign friends to as well. The menu is all classic Korean food — naengmyeon, gomtang, pork tail jjim, yukhoe, bulgogi jeongol — couldn't ask for better.

• Pork gomtang ₩13,000
• Pyongyang naengmyeon (water) ₩14,000
• Yukhoe bibimbap ₩18,000
• Hanwoo bulgogi jeongol ₩64,000
• Donbok platter ₩45,000

The interior atmosphere was also so modern and nice. Going for the opening run meant we got a nice, uncrowded meal ~~

It felt like they'd put thought into every single lamp on the tables.

Side dishes, salt and how kiosk ordering works at Anok

Once seated, they bring out water and side dishes. The gungchae jangajji (pickled aster stem) was delicious — a side dish that paired well with the mild-flavored naengmyeon.

Salt for individual seasoning. It was already well-seasoned so I didn't add any extra.

Ordering is done via kiosk, and I ordered three dishes — gomtang, Pyongyang naengmyeon (water), and pork tail jjim. All the food came out within 5-7 minutes of ordering.

First time trying Pyongyang naengmyeon: mild, but you keep thinking about it

My first time trying Pyongyang naengmyeon. The broth was really mild and bland, but oddly enough it's a flavor you keep going back to in your mind. I didn't expect them to be this generous with the meat topping on top either.

The mustard and vinegar served alongside. Surprisingly, even with mustard and vinegar added, the naengmyeon's distinctive mildness didn't disappear haha.

Anok's clear pork gomtang arrives with the rice already in the bowl

Next up, the clear gomtang. The broth was genuinely crystal-clear, so it was clean and light. The meat was really tender too. The rice doesn't come separately — it's served already mixed into the soup.

Braised pork tail in a sweet-spicy sauce made for mixing with rice

The main event, pork tail jjim. A bold, punchy flavor that's the complete opposite of the mild naengmyeon. Spicy and sweet in just the right balance, so I kept reaching for more, and the meat was so tender it melted in my mouth.

The sauce was so good that if I hadn't been so full, I'd have ordered extra rice just to mix it all in.

Mild but addictive naengmyeon, clean and light gomtang, spicy-sweet pork tail jjim — the combination of these three dishes was honestly so good.

If you go to Anok, definitely try this three-dish combo 💜

How to mix the seasoning sauce with Anok's gungchae jangajji (pickled lettuce stems)

I put the red seasoned sauce served with the side dishes on top of the naengmyeon topping meat and the gomtang meat — so good. Personally, I'd also highly recommend dipping it deep into the pork tail jjim sauce.

Gungchae jangajji pairs well with the soup, and the combo with the radish kimchi is a classic I trust completely ~~

Cleaned my plate again today 💪💪💪 If you're in Hongdae looking for a great-atmosphere restaurant with delicious Korean food, I recommend Anok — Hongdae's naengmyeon spot, gomtang spot, and pork tail jjim spot all in one :-))) 🐷🐷🐷