Hongdae Korean restaurant with a hanok yard for a lunch trio: Anok

While looking for lunch in Hongdae, I ended up at Anok, a Korean restaurant with a bit of a different vibe. It sits in an alley off Hongik-ro in Mapo-gu, Seoul, and unlike Hongdae's usual bustling street scene, there's an actual hanok (traditional Korean house) building here — the atmosphere was striking even before I stepped inside.

When people search for good lunch spots in Hongdae, they usually picture ordinary restaurants along the main streets, but Anok is a hanok tucked into an alley, so the exterior alone already felt totally different.

Where is Anok, and what are its hours and parking?

Anok is about a 7-minute walk from Hongik University Station Exit 9, so it was easy to reach by public transit. Head into the alley, climb a short staircase, and the hanok exterior comes into view — not hard to find at all.

• 🕖 Hours: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM (last order 9:00 PM)
• Closed every Monday
• 🅿️ Parking: not available

Inside Anok: the hanok left as it is, and the seating

Anok keeps the hanok structure fully intact, which felt a little surreal for a place located in Hongdae. It'd be a great spot to bring a foreign friend or guest, haha! The hanok layout has a courtyard, a space that feels like a daecheongmaru (open wooden hall), and the interior overall was tidy and well kept.

There's seating ranging from tables suited for 2 or 4 people up to spots for larger groups. If you're looking for a Hongdae lunch spot that isn't too loud and lets you eat calmly, Anok's atmosphere would suit that well.

Anok's menu and prices

Anok's menu ranges from single-serving dishes like Pyongyang naengmyeon and clear pork gomtang, to shareable dishes like pork tail jjim and cold sliced pork (naeng jeyuk).

This time I ordered three dishes: Pyongyang naengmyeon, clear pork gomtang, and pork tail jjim.

• ✔️ Pyongyang naengmyeon ₩14,000
• ✔️ Clear pork gomtang ₩13,000
• ✔️ Pork tail jjim ₩29,000

Pyongyang naengmyeon, 14,000 won — a quiet savory depth

The Pyongyang naengmyeon came with noodles and toppings laid cleanly over a cold, clear broth.

Rather than leaning into the plain, subdued flavor that's typical of Pyongyang naengmyeon, the broth had a gentle savoriness that made it surprisingly easy to eat. The noodles paired well with the clean broth, and I kept eating without needing any sharp seasoning — the kind of bowl you just keep going through.

Clear gomtang, 13,000 won — the rice comes already in the broth

As the name suggests, the clear pork gomtang has a very clear broth, but it tasted deeper than expected once I tried it. The rice comes pre-mixed into the soup, and there was quite a generous amount of it.

If the naengmyeon was cold and clean, the gomtang was warm and comforting — ordering both and sharing really highlighted how different their appeals were.

There was plenty of meat in it, so paired with the rice it made for a filling meal.

Pork tail jjim, 29,000 won — a chewy, springy bite

The dish I was most curious about that day was the pork tail jjim (braised pork tail). It kept the distinctively chewy, springy texture of pork tail while being well seasoned, making it great to pick at alongside the other dishes.

The pork tail jjim in particular felt less like a single-serving dish and more like something meant to be ordered and shared among a group. Compared to just ordering the plainer naengmyeon or gomtang, adding the pork tail jjim made the whole table feel a lot more filled out.

Final verdict — who is Anok a good fit for?

What stuck with me about Anok was being able to eat neat, well-put-together Korean food inside a hanok space, a step away from Hongdae's busy atmosphere. The naengmyeon was clean and light, great for a casual lunch, while the gomtang was warm and filling, good for when you want something heartier. Add the pork tail jjim on top, and the whole spread ends up feeling quite substantial.

If you're looking for a Hongdae lunch spot that offers more than just an ordinary meal — one where the atmosphere matters too — Anok fits the bill. If you're torn between naengmyeon and gomtang in Hongdae, ordering both to share works well, and adding pork tail jjim on top means a group can try a good range of dishes. With the calm mood that comes from the hanok setting, this is a solid one to remember as a Hongdae lunch spot.