Hongdae hanok restaurant with foreign diners at weekday lunch: Anok

My husband and I went on a Hongdae date over a weekday lunch, something we hadn't done in a while. Hongdae usually brings to mind crowds and noise, but this time we decided to try something different: a quiet lunch in a serene hanok (traditional Korean house).

Where is Anok in Hongdae, and its hours and parking

Anok is located at 358-103 Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul. It's open Tuesday through Sunday, 11:00-22:00, and closed every Monday. There's no parking at the restaurant itself.

• Location: 358-103 Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul
• Hours: Tue-Sun 11:00-22:00
• Closed: Every Monday
• Parking: Not available

What Anok looks like inside and out

The hanok exterior of Anok in Hongdae

Anok is a hanok Korean restaurant about a 7-minute walk from Hongik University Station. Once you step off the busy main Hongdae streets, the atmosphere shifts completely — it's a hanok building tucked into a quiet alley, the kind of place that catches your eye as you walk past.

They serve gomtang (bone broth soup) and Pyongyang naengmyeon made with their own clear, deep broth, so it's worth a visit if you're a fan of guk-bap (soup with rice) or cold noodles.

That said, given the nature of the Hongdae commercial district, there's no dedicated parking, so if you're driving you'll need to use a nearby public lot.

Inside Anok: seating and atmosphere

Once inside, the space kept its hanok character while offering comfortable table seating for eating. We visited at lunchtime and the mix of guests was interesting — solo diners eating quietly on their own, couples like us on a date, and foreign visitors too.

It felt cozier and cleaner than I expected, making it a nice spot for a lunch date with my husband, and thanks to the hanok space it felt slightly removed from the bustle even though we were right in the middle of Hongdae. It seemed like it would also suit a quiet family gathering, a meal with elders, or a small get-together.

Three dishes at Anok: clear pork gomtang, Pyongyang naengmyeon, steamed pork tail

That day at Anok we ordered three dishes: clear pork gomtang 13,000 won, Pyongyang naengmyeon (water broth) 14,000 won, and steamed pork tail 29,000 won. Since there were two of us, we wanted to try a bit of everything, so we ordered a spread.

• Clear pork gomtang / ₩13,000 — Anok's signature bowl, made with a clear, deeply flavored homemade broth
• Pyongyang naengmyeon (water broth) / ₩14,000 — chilled homemade broth served for a clean, light bowl of cold noodles
• Steamed pork tail / ₩29,000 — pork tail slow-cooked until tender, with a springy, chewy texture

I wanted something warm so I had the clear pork gomtang — the broth was rich but not heavy, and clean-tasting. It came with a generous amount of pork, so with rice it made for a satisfying lunch, and it wasn't spicy or greasy, so it was easy to eat.

I also tried a bite of the Pyongyang naengmyeon my husband ordered, and the chilled broth was light and clean. Eating the noodles with the broth left my mouth refreshed, and it paired well alternating bites with the gomtang.

I'd also been curious about the steamed pork tail, so we ordered that too — the slow-cooked pork tail was chewy yet tender, with a fun texture. The seasoning wasn't too strong, so it went well alongside the gomtang and naengmyeon, and sharing it between the two of us let us enjoy a variety of dishes.

Looking at all three dishes together, Anok works well for a single-bowl meal, but it's also a good place to share a dish like the pork tail jjim or a savory pancake among a group. Unlike the typical restaurant vibe you find around Hongdae, eating gomtang, naengmyeon and pork tail jjim in a hanok made our weekday lunch date feel a little special.

Next time I'd like to come back and slowly work through a pancake or another meat dish. With the calm atmosphere of the hanok on top of the food, this is a place I'd want to return to on a day I want a quiet lunch in Hongdae.

Is Anok worth a weekday lunch in Hongdae?

• A hanok Korean restaurant 7 minutes on foot from Hongik University Station
• Clear, deep homemade broth for the gomtang and Pyongyang naengmyeon
• A varied menu including pork gomtang and yukhoe bibimbap
• Good for sharing among a group with hot pot, pancakes, or meat dishes
• Recommended for family gatherings, meeting-the-parents lunches, and small get-togethers