Hongdae restaurant in Seoul with a spotless hanok restroom: Anok

Hongdae is full of hot spots! But when you want a calm meal in a quiet hanok tucked into a Hongdae alley, Anok is the place. Here's my review of the clear pork gomtang, Pyongyang naengmyeon, and pork tail jjim I had there.

Where is Anok? A hanok 7 minutes from Hongik University Station

📍 Location | 13-4 Hongik-ro, Mapo-gu. Anok is a hanok Korean restaurant located in an alley a 7-minute walk from Hongik University Station.

It really struck me — a hanok sitting quietly in an alley in the middle of chaotic Hongdae. I never would have imagined a peaceful hanok hiding here. Anok also seems like a great option for tourists coming into Korea through Incheon or Gimpo airports. You don't need to travel all the way to Seochon or Bukchon, where the hanoks usually are — just take the airport railroad to Hongik University Station and you can eat in a hanok right away. Location-wise, it's excellent.

Anok's hours, menu and 30,000-won corkage

⏰ Hours | Tue–Sun 11:00–22:00 (last order 21:00), closed Mondays. 📋 Menu |

※ Corkage is available. No restriction on alcohol type, ₩30,000 per bottle, no limit on number of bottles.

🚘 Parking | Not available (※ use nearby lots). Given its location, parking at this Hongdae restaurant is tough. I've included nearby lot locations and rates below, so check those before you go!

Inside the Anok hanok — and the spotless restroom

🪑 Atmosphere |

This is the entrance to Anok. Hongdae has plenty of hot spots, but this kind of quiet, old-world atmosphere is rare. It genuinely felt like I'd wandered into Seochon or Bukchon.

The restroom was clean and tidy, too. Old hanoks often have shabby restrooms, but Anok's is decorated with a modern interior and kept spotless.

What two people ordered at Anok, plus the side dishes

For two people, we ordered pork tail jjim, Pyongyang naengmyeon (water broth), and clear pork gomtang.

The basic side dishes: kimchi, kkakdugi (radish kimchi), and gungchae namul (aster greens). The sauce in the bottom left is for dipping the meat that comes in the clear pork gomtang and the naengmyeon.

The broth for both the clear pork gomtang and the naengmyeon is on the mild, unseasoned side, so dipping the meat in the sauce every so often made it even better.

Anok's braised pork tail: chewy meat in a sweet-spicy sauce

The pork tail jjim, braised until deeply tender, had an amazing chewy texture! I've seen braised ox tail plenty of times, but this was my first time trying pork tail, so it felt novel.

The chewy pork tail was thoroughly coated in a spicy-sweet sauce.

It paired well with the clean-tasting clear gomtang and the naengmyeon. If you usually prefer soft, chewy textures, I'd recommend Anok's pork tail jjim.

Clear pork gomtang at Anok: what the transparent broth tastes like

The clear pork gomtang, made from a deep broth simmered in-house, is one of Anok's signature dishes. Most pork gomtang you'd picture has a milky, rich broth, but Anok's has a different kind of charm — a clear, transparent broth.

If you prefer a clean, light flavor, definitely try Anok's clear pork gomtang.

Every grain of rice soaked in the clear broth turned soft and moist.

The clear pork gomtang came piled with big chunks of meat, so I got to enjoy meat with every spoonful throughout the whole bowl.

Anok's Pyongyang naengmyeon: generous meat and noodles

This was my first time having Pyongyang naengmyeon with this much meat on top. Usually naengmyeon is mild-flavored, and the toppings — including the meat — tend to be minimal too.

Anok's Pyongyang naengmyeon is generous with both meat and noodles — at least double the usual portion. Like the gomtang, the naengmyeon uses broth made in-house, giving it a standout clean, light flavor.