Hongdae restaurant in Seoul for fall-off-the-bone galbijjim: Anok

The weather's been chilly lately and I was craving hearty Korean food, so I headed to Hongdae.

It's right in the heart of Hongdae. I've always loved gomtang (clear beef bone soup) and Pyeongyang naengmyeon (cold buckwheat noodles), so this was a place I'd wanted to try for a long time, and I finally made it haha *this was genuinely so good!

The restaurant's name is Anok!

Where is Anok in Hongdae?

Anok is at 13-4 Hongik-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul, near Hongdae's main street. Since it's close to the main street, it's easy to find, and even the alley leading up to it has that distinct neighborhood charm — I was already excited just walking in.

Inside Anok: wood-toned rooms and seating

Walking into Anok, the place was bigger and cleaner than I expected! (Seriously so clean ㅠㅠ I looked around going 'wow, this is great!' the moment I saw it.) The warm wood-toned interior with a hint of hanok (traditional Korean house) feel made for a cozy atmosphere.

The tables were spaced generously and everything was neatly arranged, so it felt like exactly the kind of place to sit down comfortably when you're looking for a good Hongdae lunch spot. It also seemed great for groups — it'd been a genuinely long while, haha.

Anok's broth guide and tablet ordering

The first thing that caught my eye as soon as I sat down was this broth explanation! It said the base is a clear broth simmered in-house, and both the gomtang and the Pyeongyang naengmyeon start from this same broth. Seeing that kind of care spelled out made me even more curious about the taste before I'd even eaten haha.

You can order easily from the tablet on the table. For meal items there's clear gomtang and Pyeongyang naengmyeon (water or mixed), and there's also a solid lineup of main dishes that are great for sharing with a group.

We wanted to try a bit of everything, so we ordered the signature meal dishes plus a dish to share on top. The moment it was set on the table, the neat, generous spread was so impressive I had to take a photo first haha.

Even the basic side dishes were the clean kind that go perfectly with gukbap (soup with rice) or naengmyeon. The kimchi and kkakdugi weren't overly strong-flavored and were fermented just right, so I kept reaching for more.

Anok's clear gomtang and spicy kkorijjim

First up, the clear gomtang from this Hongdae gomtang spot, Anok! The broth is genuinely clear and fat-free, and one sip really warms you up from the inside.

And the combination with the kkorijjim (braised oxtail), carefully seasoned with a spicy sauce, was absolutely insane... a spoonful of the clean, deep gomtang broth, then a bite of the spicy kkorijjim — the balance was just perfect haha.

The broth is so clean and deep that it's great as a meal, but it would also be perfect for a light drink on the side. No wonder it's earned a reputation as a gukbap spot in Hongdae.

Anok's Pyeongyang mul naengmyeon: why the broth went down to the last drop

And then the Pyeongyang mul naengmyeon I'd been really looking forward to from this Hongdae Pyeongyang naengmyeon spot! It had that subtle yet deep meaty aroma spreading through a mild broth — truly the real deal. The noodles still had that characteristic bite-and-snap texture of Pyeongyang naengmyeon, so I drank the broth down to the last drop ㅠ.

Is Anok worth a Hongdae lunch? The verdict after the galbijjim

Anok's galbijjim (braised short ribs) was so tender the meat fell right off the bone, and the seasoning had soaked all the way through — I enjoyed every last bite. I'd just gone for a hearty lunch, but from the gomtang to the naengmyeon to the shared dishes, it turned out to be a far more polished and satisfying meal than I expected!

If you're near Hongdae and craving carefully made Korean food or a bowl of gukbap to warm you up, definitely check out Anok as your next Hongdae lunch spot :)