Hongdae hanok restaurant packed at 7pm on a weekend: Anok
In short
Anok is a hanok-style Korean restaurant in Hongdae, Seoul, a 7-minute walk from Exit 9 of Hongik University Station. Every table at Anok was full at 7pm on a weekend, where the meal ran from clear gomtang (beef bone soup) to steamed pork tail and the signature Pyongyang naengmyeon (cold buckwheat noodles) — the broth deep and savory, the pork tail generous for the price. Quieter and more composed than most Hongdae spots, Anok works just as well for family gatherings and anniversaries as for a couple's dinner.
Good to know
- Location
- 13-4 Hongik-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul — 7-minute walk from Hongik University Station Exit 9
- Signature dishes
- Gomtang (clear beef bone soup), Pyongyang naengmyeon (cold buckwheat noodles)
- Other menu items
- Steamed pork tail, naengjeyuk (chilled boiled pork), yukhoe (beef tartare), Korean beef bulgogi, kimchi jeon, cheese potato jeon
- Seating
- Long group table, tables for four, tables for two
- Time of visit
- Around 7pm on a weekend — every table full
as written by the visitor on Sep 13, 2026
My husband and I had a Hongdae date after a while. It happened to be the night of the Yeouido fireworks festival, so I was extra excited! And with the cool autumn weather, Hongdae felt even more atmospheric. Today I visited Anok, known as a Hongdae spot for Pyongyang naengmyeon — here's my honest review.
Where is Anok, and how long is the walk from Hongik University Station?
Anok is a Korean restaurant a 7-minute walk from Exit 9 of Hongik University Station. I never imagined a building with such a pretty hanok (traditional Korean house) feel existed around Hongdae.
Who knew a place like this existed in Hongdae? A warm, quiet atmosphere with Korean character expressed so elegantly in the building. I walked in feeling excited.
Inside Anok at 7pm on a weekend: seating and atmosphere
We visited around 7pm, and since it was the weekend and probably peak time, the place was fully booked, so I couldn't get detailed shots of the interior. Inside felt like a renovated old hanok house, elegant and understated, with a long group table plus 4-top and 2-top tables tucked into every corner.
Every table has little touches of traditional Korean beauty, so I think it'd be great for hosting a big group from Hongdae or foreign friends. If you love Korean food, it'd also be a nice spot for couples celebrating an anniversary!
This is on every table.
Anok's menu
What's on the menu at Anok
Anok reportedly uses carefully selected ingredients to make a broth with a gentle depth. The signatures are gomtang and Pyongyang naengmyeon! There's also a wide range of side dishes like steamed pork tail, cold boiled pork, beef tartare, Korean beef bulgogi, kimchi jeon, and cheese potato jeon, so choosing feels genuinely fun :)
After ordering, these side dishes arrived. Whether it was house-made kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi), the flavor was on point. Real kimchi really does taste different! So good.
How does Anok's clear gomtang taste?
The first dish was the clear gomtang. A pile of meat as tender as char siu sat over clear broth.
Food plated modestly in pretty traditional bowls — you could see the care put into it, almost too pretty to eat.
Under the meat, there's a bowl of rice tucked in.
The meat was boiled so soft it practically melted in my mouth. It wasn't greasy at all, which I liked even more.
This wasn't the taste of some store-bought broth — it was deep and savory. I understood exactly what they meant by simmering it in-house.
The broth wasn't salty, just seasoned right. Perfect for mixing with rice and slurping down. Eaten with the kkakdugi, it's the kind of dish you could fight over :)
Anok's steamed pork tail: worth ordering for two or more
Next we tried the steamed pork tail. Right off the bat, it's a dish that gets a lot of camera shutters for its looks alone.
Personally, if you're not eating alone — if you've got two or three people — I highly recommend this dish. The value for money is amazing.
Generous portion, and delicious too. You don't even need to order drinks — it goes perfectly just alongside the gomtang haha. The seasoning soaked into the meat so well, it was ridiculous!!
The meat was so tender — you'll get it once you try it. Honestly, I found myself thinking pork tail might suit my taste even more than beef tail jjim.
Anok's Pyongyang naengmyeon: the broth does 90 percent of the work
The last dish was Pyongyang naengmyeon! This is the restaurant's signature menu item.
I've had Pyongyang naengmyeon maybe five times, not a huge number. I'm no expert, but I firmly believe naengmyeon is 90% about the broth. Since Anok is clearly a restaurant that takes its broth seriously in general, this bowl captured that savory, lightly-seasoned charm perfectly.
The noodles were chewy too, so I slurped them down with the broth without hesitation. Looking at these photos makes me want to eat it again lol.
Meat is love haha. Wrap it around the noodles and pop it all in one bite!
Who is Anok in Hongdae best for?
A clean-tasting broth and a meal that sat easy even after overeating.
If you're looking for a Hongdae restaurant, a Hongdae gomtang spot, or a Hongdae Pyongyang naengmyeon spot, I'd strongly recommend Anok. The atmosphere is nothing like typical Hongdae — quiet, elegant, and understated — a solid thumbs-up for family gatherings too.
