Hongdae Seoul restaurant with six palm-sized meat slices: Anok

Craving naengmyeon and gomtang at the same time in Hongdae

Today I was craving naengmyeon (cold buckwheat noodles) and gomtang (beef bone soup) so badly that I visited Anok, a Korean restaurant in Hongdae. I'd tried Pyongyang naengmyeon a few times before and remembered it as kind of... bland, so I was curious how Anok's version would be.

And I was also curious how good the gomtang would be. Getting excited already.

Where Anok is and when it opens

• Name: Anok
• Address: 13-4 Hongik-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Transit: 365m from Hongik University Station Exit 9
• Hours: 11:00–22:00, last order 21:00, closed Mondays
• Amenities: group seating available, delivery available, reservations available, Wi-Fi, separate men's/women's restrooms, no parking, takeout available

Anok's entrance, down the alley stairs

Anok sits right in the middle of Hongdae's hottest strip. Look to the right in the middle of that busy area and you'll see a tall staircase — cut through and around it, and you'll spot Anok! It wasn't hard to find.

What does Anok look like inside?

The moment you step through Anok's door, you're greeted with an entrance styled like a serene hanok (traditional Korean house). The stone floor was beautifully done, and the lanterns and interior touches nearby made the mood great right from the entrance. Excitement rising further~~

Inside, the air conditioning was blasting, and the lanterns and seating were all nicely coordinated.

Aprons were hung on the wall like this, and there were also Korean-style hanging scrolls as decoration, which gave off an even stronger authentic Korean restaurant feel.

Anok's menu and prices

• Clear gomtang ₩13,000
• Clear gomtang (special) ₩17,000
• Pyongyang naengmyeon (broth) ₩14,000
• Pyongyang naengmyeon (mixed) ₩15,000
• Yukhoe bibimbap (raw beef rice bowl) ₩18,000
• Pork tail jjim ₩29,000
• Cold jeyuk (pork) full plate ₩24,000
• Cold jeyuk half plate ₩13,000
• Yukhoe (raw beef) ₩26,000
• Donbokjaengban (mixed platter) ₩45,000
• Hanwoo bulgogi hot pot ₩64,000
• Grilled deodeok (mountain root) ₩19,000
• Cheese potato jeon (pancake) ₩15,000
• Kimchi jeon ₩16,000
• Bowl of rice ₩1,000
• Extra naengmyeon noodles ₩3,000

Besides gomtang and rice dishes, there were plenty of good options for drinking snacks too. They also had a lot of traditional liquors and drinks that highlighted Korean flavors, which I really loved.

Four side dishes and the tableware at Anok

First, four side dishes came out. Kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi), napa cabbage kimchi, a seasoning sauce, and one I couldn't identify. The kkakdugi and cabbage kimchi tasted perfectly fermented!! These days a lot of places use Chinese-made kimchi, but this didn't seem to be the case here. The kimchi was so good. And the unidentified one tasted like pickles. That one was tasty too.

The bowls and utensils also felt a bit upscale and substantial, like they'd put real thought into them.

Clear gomtang, 13,000 won: rice already in the broth

First we ate the gomtang at Anok. What stood out was that the rice came already mixed into the broth. And the meat was huge — palm-sized slices, about 6 of them?! Chopped scallions were sprinkled in too, and the flavor was clean, deeply simmered, and refined!!! There was salt and pepper on the side so you could adjust it to your own taste. Very good, good.

So the rice sits right in the broth like this. But honestly the portion was so huge we couldn't finish it and left some ㅠㅜ It was so delicious, but the amount was massive!!

Pyongyang naengmyeon, 14,000 won: not bland at all

Next up, Pyongyang naengmyeon! This one also came with about 6 huge slices of the same meat. Honestly, just eating all that meat alone would fill you up. The naengmyeon was delicious too. The way the broth flavor melded in with the noodles as you ate, that subtle meaty taste, was so good!!

This is the size of a single slice of meat, wow. And there were more than 6 slices like this in there...!! You have to try it ㅠㅠ You're supposed to top this meat with the seasoning sauce from earlier. The sauce was spicy and savory — honey-sweet flavor!

Steamed pork tail, 29,000 won: good with a drink

This is the pork tail jjim (braised/steamed pork tail), and the portion is huge. The visual alone was so satisfying, and it was packed with collagen.

Scallions were mixed in, and they were kind of the secret kick to it. The seasoning tasted like a deodeok muchim (seasoned mountain root)-style sauce. It's the kind of savory flavor that would go down really smoothly with drinks!!

Here's the full spread shot. Looking at it now, the whole table is packed. I'd say this counts as having eaten proper Korean food in Hongdae.

Is Anok worth a visit in Hongdae?

Anok is a place where the interior and atmosphere truly nail the traditional Korean restaurant feel, so it was easy to enjoy. If you're craving authentic Korean food, gomtang, or Pyongyang naengmyeon in Hongdae, you won't regret visiting.

Oh, and they sell a lot of traditional liquors and snacks too, so it'd be great for a drinking session as well. Big portions, perfect side dishes — Anok is a place I plan to visit again. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️