Hongdae Korean restaurant with a hanok courtyard: Anok

A hanok gomtang restaurant tucked into a Hongdae alley

While walking through the alleys of Hongdae, I spotted this beautiful hanok. What is this place? I was curious, and it turned out to serve gomtang and Korean food. They had gomtang, plus braised pork tails—which I love—so I went straight in.

A great Hongdae gomtang spot with an absolutely lovely hanok atmosphere

It is a seven-minute walk from Exit 9 of Hongik University Station and a three-minute walk from the main gate of Hongik University. It is down a small alley directly across from KB Youth Maru.

This is the exterior of Anok (안옥), a Hongdae gomtang favorite. Doesn't it look like the kind of place you'd wonder about as you pass by? The peaceful tiled-roof house is so charming. Through the wooden gate at the entrance is a little gravel courtyard, and the calm atmosphere was just so nice. In the photo, there is a wooden-floor-style space on the left—what a shame! There are tables there too, and it feels like it would be lovely to eat outside on a nice day.

Inside Anok, overlooking the courtyard

Have a look at the video too. This is what Anok looks like inside. The traditional hanok lattice windows really stand out. I loved being able to see the courtyard and feel the sunlight coming in. There is a good mix of two- and four-person tables, and the interior is neat, cozy, and traditional.

Korean-style decorative pieces and lighting are placed throughout, bringing out the tranquil hanok feel even more. Disposable Anok aprons are also available on one side.

There is a restroom inside the restaurant too. It is extremely clean as well.

Anok's menu and our full spread

Here is the menu at Anok in Hongdae. There are meal dishes such as clear gomtang and Pyongyang naengmyeon, along with meat dishes, hot pots, Korean pancakes, and grilled deodeok. For drinks, they have soju, beer, draft beer, highballs, and a range of traditional Korean liquors. They also have non-alcoholic beer, for reference.

• Clear gomtang (regular/special) ₩13,000/₩17,000
• Pyongyang naengmyeon (mul/bibim) ₩14,000/₩15,000
• Yukhoe bibimbap ₩18,000
• Braised pork tails ₩29,000
• Cold boiled pork (full/half portion) ₩24,000/₩13,000
• Yukhoe ₩26,000
• Donbok jeongol ₩45,000
• Korean beef bulgogi hot pot ₩64,000
• Grilled deodeok ₩19,000
• Cheese potato julienne pancake ₩15,000
• Kimchi pancake ₩16,000

These are the dishes we ordered: clear gomtang (regular and special), Pyongyang naengmyeon (mul and bibim), braised pork tails, and soju... I took one full-table shot. Wow, it is such a generous spread, right? The white ceramic bowls make the food look even better.

A neatly arranged Korean table spread

These are the side dishes that come with the meal. I loved that there was kimchi, seokbakji (cubed radish kimchi), which goes so well with gomtang, and pickled gungchae. That red seasoning paste is gochu dadaegi, a chili condiment.

Clear pork gomtang and Pyongyang mul naengmyeon

First out were the clear gomtang and Pyongyang mul naengmyeon (cold buckwheat noodles in broth). Their signature is the clear, deep broth simmered in-house.

The clear gomtang is pork gomtang, with rice underneath the meat. The meat tastes even better with gochu dadaegi. The mild, clear broth just keeps going down so easily. Salt and pepper are set out on one side of the table, but we skipped extra salt and ate it with the chili condiment and kimchi instead—the combination was really good.

The Pyongyang mul naengmyeon also came generously topped with thinly sliced meat. The buckwheat noodles are underneath, so just mix it well before eating. The charm of Pyongyang naengmyeon is its mildness, right? This one was mild and simple in flavor. I am someone who likes bold food, so I found it even better with gochu dadaegi too!!

We could not resist soju with that mild broth, so we ordered some. Responsible adults going out for a hangover cure and having hangover soju...

Tender, then chewy braised pork tails

Next came the braised pork tails I had been looking forward to. They were pork tails coated in a red sauce. They even seemed to have a little of that torch-seared smokiness... Eat them while hot and they are tender; let them cool a little and they turn chewy. There was no off smell, and despite the red color, they were not very spicy, so even my spice-sensitive companion ate them well. Rather than heat, the lightly spicy seasoning had a strong sweet note too, so I think international visitors would enjoy this flavor as well.

The braised pork tails came in a generous portion too.

I recommend Anok, a Hongdae gomtang spot where you can enjoy clear gomtang, Pyongyang naengmyeon, and braised pork tails amid the peaceful atmosphere of a hanok.