Hongdae Seoul restaurant with open windows and free aprons: Anok
In short
Anok is a Korean restaurant set in a hanok with a courtyard in Mapo, Seoul, a 7-minute walk from Exit 9 of Hongik University Station. On an evening visit, the table by the full-length windows was thrown wide open, and the meal covered clear pork gomtang (bone broth soup), Pyeongyang naengmyeon (cold buckwheat noodles in broth) and the signature pork tail bone jjim (braise), with kiosk ordering and a disposable apron handed out at the table. For a quiet hanok setting plus mild, understated naengmyeon broth, Anok works well as a Hongdae date spot.
Good to know
- Location
- 13-4 Hongik-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul (7-minute walk from Exit 9, Hongik University Station)
- Hours
- Tue–Sun 11:00–22:00, last order 21:00
- Closed
- Every Monday
- Reservations
- No reservations; seated in order of arrival
- Group seating
- Group table for 12
- Parking
- No parking on site; use nearby public lots
- Ordering
- Kiosk at every table
- Dishes tried
- Clear pork gomtang, Pyeongyang naengmyeon (broth), pork tail bone jjim
as written by the visitor on Sep 22, 2026
I love hunting down pretty, buzzy hot spots and good restaurants! I was passing through Hongdae when this gorgeous Korean restaurant caught my eye from the outside, so I dashed in for dinner. It's a place I used to be obsessed with — naengmyeon (cold buckwheat noodles) — and I hadn't had it in ages, and paired with sweet-spicy bone jjim (braise), the combo was insane haha. Here's my honest review of Anok, a solid pick for Pyeongyang naengmyeon in Hongdae :)
Where Anok is and when it opens
- Location: 13-4 Hongik-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul (7-minute walk from Exit 9, Hongik University Station)
- Hours: Tue–Sun 11:00–22:00 (last order 21:00 / closed every Monday)
- Tips: No reservations, seated in order of arrival; table for up to 12
Finding Anok from Exit 9
Coming out of Exit 9 of Hongik University Station and walking toward Hongik University for about 7 minutes, it's tucked inside an alley! There's no dedicated parking, so if you're driving you'll need to use a nearby public parking lot.
Super easy to reach by public transit, which makes it great for planning a Hongdae date route!
The hanok at night, with the windows wide open
Anok looks like an upscale restaurant from the outside — a gorgeous hanok with its own courtyard! I went in the evening, and since the weather was nice they had one big window opened wide. The view outside was so pretty and serene, absolute top-tier atmosphere for a couple's date haha.
Maybe it's that distinctive hanok feel, but I saw quite a few foreign guests too! It's recently opened, so the whole place is really clean and spotless.
Kiosk ordering, and an apron for every diner
How the kiosk order works
Every table has its own kiosk, so you can just order easily from your seat.
There were separate salt and pepper shakers on the table, which made it easy to season everything to taste haha.
They thoughtfully gave us a disposable apron too, so no worrying about splashes on your clothes!
What side dishes come with the meal
After ordering, the side dishes came out — the kimchi and diced radish kimchi were clean-tasting and genuinely delicious! There was also a jangajji (pickled side dish) similar to wild leek, sweet and tangy, perfect alongside the meat or naengmyeon haha.
How is Anok's clear pork gomtang?
The first thing to arrive was the clear pork gomtang (bone broth soup) — the broth was genuinely clear with an incredibly deep flavor! The meat was so tender it practically melted the second it hit my mouth ㅠㅠ
Finely chopped green onion on top made it even cleaner-tasting, and rice folded in at the bottom made it feel hearty and comforting!
Sprinkle on salt and pepper to taste!!
Pyeongyang naengmyeon in Hongdae: a mild, understated broth
I used to be obsessed with Pyeongyang naengmyeon back in the day and ate it constantly, and it had been a while since I'd had it — I fully approve of this as a Hongdae naengmyeon spot ㅠㅠ
The house-made cold broth was clean and light, mild yet with that distinctive umami you keep craving — perfect haha.
The noodle texture was great too, and the meat topping was so tender that wrapping it with the noodles was seriously delicious!
The signature dish: pork tail bone jjim
Couldn't not order this after seeing the visuals — Anok's signature dish, the bone jjim!
It's pork tail braised until the meat practically falls off the bone — so tender and chewy haha.
The seasoning had soaked in perfectly, and with sesame and green onion piled on top, it was nutty and sweet-spicy at once — the combo with the naengmyeon and gomtang was insane!
Is Anok worth it? An honest verdict
Getting to enjoy refined, high-quality Korean food in such a serene hanok setting was so satisfying! The staff were genuinely kind, and every dish felt made with care, so I left in a great mood haha. If you're looking for an atmospheric date spot in Hongdae, or a clean Korean restaurant to bring a foreign friend to, I'd recommend Anok without hesitation!
So that's my honest review of Anok, the Hongdae naengmyeon spot I fell for both in atmosphere and taste on a recent Hongdae outing! Whenever you're craving clean naengmyeon with a bite of tender bone jjim, definitely pay it a visit :)
