Hongdae Korean restaurant for clear pork soup: Anok

I visited Anok (안옥), where you can enjoy a slightly different kind of Korean food in Hongdae. Hongdae has no shortage of good places to eat, of course, but this time I wanted a proper meal that was clean rather than intensely seasoned. Anok is known for clear pork gomtang (beef-bone-style soup) and Pyongyang naengmyeon (cold buckwheat noodles). The menu was appealing, but the entrance was also striking from the start, with a distinctly hanok-inspired feel.

A hanok-like atmosphere in the heart of Hongdae

When I arrived at Anok, the atmosphere felt unique right away. Although it is a restaurant in the middle of Hongdae, the entrance opens onto a space decorated with gravel, stone paths, and wooden doors. Broad stepping stones run between black and white pebbles, and the soft lighting makes it feel as if you are stepping into a little hanok, a traditional Korean house. It was calm and quietly elegant, quite different from Hongdae’s busy, flashy mood, so I loved the first impression. It is also a pretty space for photos, and it looked like a nice date spot too 📸

The interior naturally continues the mood from outside. Wood tones and wooden ornaments with traditional patterns give this modern Korean restaurant a convincing hanok feel. There are wood-rafter-like details on the ceiling as well, and the warm lighting makes the whole space comfortable. A water dispenser and drink area were neatly arranged on one side, while tablet ordering systems at every table meant I could take my time looking through the menu without calling over staff. It felt like a good balance of modern convenience and traditional atmosphere.

What I ordered and the side dishes

This time, I ordered clear pork gomtang for ₩13,000, Pyongyang naengmyeon in broth for ₩14,000, and braised pork tail for ₩29,000. Pork gomtang and Pyongyang naengmyeon are Anok’s signature dishes, so I definitely wanted to try both. I also wanted something a little special, so I added the braised pork tail. With mild dishes like soup and noodles alongside the spicy, deeply flavored pork tail, it was easy to mix and match.

After ordering, the basic side dishes arrived first. The simple spread included napa cabbage kimchi, kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi), pickles, and a dipping sauce. Rather than offering a huge range of banchan, the sides seemed chosen to pair well with the main dishes, as you would expect from a soup and noodle specialist. The napa kimchi was nicely fermented and went well with the brothy gomtang. The kkakdugi had a crisp texture that was nice between spoonfuls of mild pork soup. The pickles added salty, tangy notes to refresh the palate now and then.

What does the clear, refined pork gomtang taste like?

Clear pork gomtang

The first dish I want to introduce is Anok’s signature clear pork gomtang. Just as its name suggests, the broth is exceptionally clear and clean. It goes in a completely different direction from the cloudy, rich pork gukbap many people picture. Although the broth tasted as if it had been simmered for a long time, the distinctive pork odor did not come through strongly; its mild flavor came first instead.

There was a generous layer of thinly sliced pork on top, with boiled pork neatly piled in a round mound at the center. The pork was soft rather than dry, and eating it with the broth made its flavor feel much more natural. The soup was neither overly salty nor aggressively seasoned, so it was easy to eat from beginning to end. Adding kimchi or kkakdugi brought a spicy note to the mild broth, which worked very well. If you prefer clear, composed gomtang to a heavy, rich gukbap, this is more than enough reason to seek out Anok.

Pyongyang naengmyeon for savoring a delicate broth

Pyongyang naengmyeon in broth

The second dish was Pyongyang naengmyeon in broth. The first thing that catches your eye is the clear, transparent broth. The menu described it as mul-naengmyeon, cold noodles served in house-made chilled broth for a light finish. The broth was not strongly sweet or sour; from the first taste, it was closer to gentle and lightly seasoned.

Rather than being overly chewy or springy, the buckwheat noodles had the characteristic soft bite of Pyongyang naengmyeon, breaking easily as you eat them. There was also a generous topping of thinly sliced boiled pork, and eating the meat with the noodles made the dish even more delicate. At first the broth tastes very subtle, but after a few bites, the flavor of the meat stock gradually comes through. I think it would suit people who want to appreciate the broth itself rather than eating regular cold noodles loaded with vinegar and mustard. If you are looking for non-overpowering Pyongyang naengmyeon in Hongdae, it is worth trying.

Sweet-savory braised pork tail

The final dish, and the most intense one that day, was the braised pork tail. While the gomtang and Pyongyang naengmyeon were mild, this dish had a completely different personality. A red sauce had thoroughly soaked into every piece of pork tail, making it look as spicy and richly flavored as you would expect.

Unlike typical pork cuts, pork tail lets you enjoy meat, skin, and cartilage together, giving it a distinctive texture. The skin in particular seemed to have been cooked for a long time: soft, yet still pleasantly chewy. The sauce was not simply hot; it had sweetness and saltiness together. Since the seasoning was quite rich, alternating it with the mild gomtang or Pyongyang naengmyeon made for a great combination.

I think it would pair quite well with drinks, and it would be especially suited to anyone who likes chewy textures such as jokbal (braised pig’s feet) or pork skin. If having only soup or noodles at Anok feels like a shame, I recommend ordering the braised pork tail too, as both a side and a main dish.

What I liked about Anok was being able to try clear pork gomtang, Pyongyang naengmyeon, and braised pork tail all in one place—dishes you do not often see together in Hongdae. Overall, the food was not excessively intense, with a clean, refined Korean-food feel. The hanok-inspired exterior and wood-toned interior were lovely too, making it a place to enjoy the space as well as the meal. If you are looking for a filling but clean meal in Hongdae, Anok is well worth a visit 😊