Hongdae Seoul restaurant with gochuji sauce and pork tail jjim: Anok

Hanging out with friends in Hongdae for the first time in ages~

Apparently people don't even call it "around Hongdae" anymore — it's just "Hongdae behind Hongik University Station" now... All the flagship stores with free trial experiences have moved to Seongsu-dong too. Is Hongdae developing in a different direction? Walking the streets, it felt even more geared toward foreign visitors.

Food first, though! We did a lap first, then headed to our meeting spot, Anok.

Anok in Hongdae: a hanok Korean restaurant that takes no reservations

Anok is a hanok Korean restaurant at 13-4 Hongik-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul, in an alley behind Hongik University Station. They don't take reservations — it's first-come-first-served, so you may need to factor in a wait depending on the time.

Funnily enough, everyone arrived early and we all showed up at the same time. I called out to the friends who were just about to go in for a quick photo!

Loving the old-fashioned interior from the entrance~ It's quiet and serene, feels like walking into somewhere upscale.

The sign is stylish too~

This is what it looks like once you step in. Even before noon there were a lot of people, so I snapped this once it had thinned out on our way out.

Seating at Anok: mostly two-person tables, easy for solo diners

There's a pretty window seat by the entrance, but we went for the very back table today~ It's a window seat, but since it's near the entrance, people would keep going in and out behind it...

The most tucked-away spot, but our table was cozy.

Two-person tables make up most of the seating. That's proof that there are a lot of solo and duo customers, right? It's a comfortable atmosphere for eating alone too.

Even the disposable apron has a name printed on it, which makes it feel a bit more special.

It's a newly opened place, so the tableware still sparkles.

Ordering Pyeongyang naengmyeon at 14,000 won and clear pork gomtang at 13,000 won

At Anok we ordered Pyeongyang naengmyeon (cold buckwheat noodles) for ₩14,000 and clear pork gomtang (pork bone soup) for ₩13,000. First came the simple side dishes and we started chatting. The naengmyeon enthusiast among us gave an enthusiastic explanation to the three who'd never had it before.

Here comes the Pyeongyang naengmyeon (₩14,000) and clear pork gomtang (₩13,000) we ordered~

The friend who'd been going on and on about naengmyeon was stunned. She said she'd never seen this much meat, and such big pieces, in a bowl before. It wasn't just plentiful — it tasted upscale too. Since when is pork this fancy?

The last dish, pork tail jjim (₩29,000), arrived too! So generous~~~! There were four of us, so we thought about ordering more, but decided to start with this much and order more if we were still hungry.

Is Anok's Pyeongyang naengmyeon easy for first-timers?

Time to taste it~ Naengmyeon first. According to my friend, Pyeongyang naengmyeon noodles are usually really hard to bite through, but Anok's version breaks less, making it easier to eat.

The broth really is mild and clean-tasting. A healthy flavor. But it's not bland either. I think I understand a bit now why people say a few bites in, you keep craving it.

Anok's clear pork gomtang: tender pork with no gamey smell

The pork gomtang. The other friend who doesn't know much about naengmyeon and I were completely hooked on the gomtang. There's tender bossam-style pork inside, and it felt like soul food. The meat was so tender and soft. No gamey smell either, very clean.

The gochuji sauce for the meat: why Anok is a sauce specialist

And then there was this sauce, gochuji I think it was called. Genuinely delicious.

Not knowing what it was for, I asked a staff member and she said it's meant to go with the meat. Wow~~~ it pairs perfectly.

And this side dish too. Goes so well with the meat.

Pork tail jjim at 29,000 won: soft, chewy collagen

Now for the pork tail jjim~ I love collagen. This was soft and chewy, quite the special treat~

Picked it up with personal tongs and dug in! The seasoning wasn't harsh but had great flavor. This place really is a sauce specialist!

Perfect as a drinking snack too! There was Kooksoondang makgeolli on the table — I didn't drink any, but even without drinking, the good aroma wafted over.

Cleared everything out. Glad we didn't order more.

Where to wait at Anok: the hanok courtyard

On the way out after paying, the courtyard caught my eye. If there's a wait, this courtyard seems like a nice place to enjoy it!