Restaurants in Hongdae Seoul: alley-side hanok dinner for two at Anok

Yesterday I took my sister to Anok, a hanok-style Korean restaurant that recently opened in Hongdae. It had already gotten word-of-mouth buzz as a Hongdae Pyongyang naengmyeon (cold buckwheat noodles) spot and gomtang (pork bone soup) spot, so I had high hopes.

Where is Anok in Hongdae, and is there parking?

You can get to Anok by crossing the crosswalk next to KB Cheongchunmaru in Hongdae to the other side, then walking into the alley next to Egg Drop. There's no separate parking lot, unfortunately ㅠㅜ

A hanok exterior you rarely see in Hongdae

Here's the exterior of Anok. It's built as a hanok (traditional Korean house), and once you walk through the front gate in the first photo, the scenes in the second and third photos greet you. A Korean restaurant + hanok combo is hard to find in Hongdae... pretty impressive, honestly haha

Inside Anok: the mood and tablet ordering

Here are the interior photos. It's a liiittle brighter in person than in the pictures. The interior really leans into the hanok mood. You could describe it as a Korean restaurant in Hongdae with genuine hanok character. You order using the tablet at each table.

We ordered the clear pork gomtang, Pyongyang naengmyeon, and pork tail jjim (braised pork tail). I went with the gomtang, and my sister went with the naengmyeon.

Clear pork gomtang at Anok — the rice comes already in the bowl

First up, the clear pork gomtang. You can taste the clear, deep broth simmered in-house. It was clean but pretty hearty too. The rice comes already added to the bowl. You start by dipping the meat on top in the chili dip, then scoop up the well-soaked rice. The meat was really tender and delicious.

And of course, when you're eating rice soaked in soup, kimchi is non-negotiable... a fantastic combo haha

Pyongyang naengmyeon (water broth) — good as it comes, no seasoning

Next up, my sister's Pyongyang naengmyeon (water broth). Just like the gomtang, it comes topped with quite a lot of meat garnish. The broth is cool, clear, and deep, with that plain, mild flavor — this is exactly why people eat Pyongyang naengmyeon, isn't it... lol. The noodles were good too, and the broth tasted great enough that we didn't add any extra seasoning. Both of us were satisfied!

Pork tail jjim at Anok — impressive in portion, then in taste

And finally... the pork tail jjim...! This came out much bigger and more generous than I expected. My sister and I were impressed once by the taste, and impressed again by the portion. This is seriously top-tier good... amazing.

Can you see how tender and rich that meat looks...? Genuinely amazing, I'm losing it a little

Really impressive. So, so delicious. It's a braised dish made from chewy pork tail cooked down until it's soft, so you get that chewy-yet-tender texture that's really easy to eat. I want to go back for it already...

Verdict: Anok in Hongdae gets both the mood and the food right

Anok is the new hanok-style restaurant in Hongdae that's become known for pork gomtang and Pyongyang naengmyeon. I was lucky enough to get to try it this way. True to a Korean restaurant, the building is decorated in hanok style, and true to that setting, every dish on the menu tasted great too. Everything was good, and the pork tail jjim especially was so delicious. I'll have to go back for it again;;; for real. Anok in Hongdae — a restaurant that nails both mood and taste! Whether you come with a friend or on a date, it holds up. Really great...