Solo lunch at Anguk hanok restaurant: squid ink vongole pasta

Hello, this is Chugu, traveling while running.

There are so many great places to eat around Anguk Station while walking through Bukchon or Samcheong-dong. Korean food is always good, but that day I wanted pasta and Western food in a nice atmosphere, so I went to Concasse Anguk (콩카세 안국).

What kind of place is Concasse, the hanok restaurant near Anguk Station?

Walk a short way up from Anguk Station toward Bukchon and you'll find it — the hanok-style exterior, which fits perfectly with the surrounding atmosphere, caught my eye right away.

The combination of the hanok-style outer wall and the green plants made the exterior really pretty. And why was the sky so gorgeous that day too? It was such a shame to be there alone in that moment.

A lush, green atmosphere — recommended for dates

Anguk itself is a neighborhood where old hanok houses and new shops blend naturally together, and Concasse felt like it captured that vibe well.

From the outside there's a quiet, timeworn hanok feel, but once you step in, a more modern restaurant atmosphere takes over.

So rather than just a place to eat, it seemed like it would suit an Anguk date, a blind date, or a weekend get-together really well.

I came alone today to eat at Concasse, the hanok restaurant near Anguk Station, but I really wanted to come back again with my wife.

Right at the entrance you can see wines available to order. I really wished I could come with someone I love and have a glass of wine with delicious food.

Concasse Anguk menu and prices

I ordered the tomato salad, the squid ink vongole oil pasta, and a Mungyeong omija ade.

• Tomato salad ₩12,000
• Squid ink vongole oil pasta ₩19,000
• Mungyeong omija ade ₩5,000

The tomato salad and Mungyeong omija ade

The Mungyeong omija ade and the tomato salad arrived first.

It looked less like food and more like a French Impressionist painting — so colorful.

My mood lifted just from the colors, even before tasting anything. The Mungyeong omija ade was so tangy — perfect for beating fatigue on a slightly hot day!

There was a sauce plated alongside it, and the moment I tasted it, I thought — this is genuinely a dish, not just a salad.

How does the squid ink vongole oil pasta taste?

Right as I was marveling over the salad, the squid ink vongole oil pasta arrived.

Vongole (a clam pasta) doesn't rely on a strong sauce like cream or tomato, so the balance between ingredients and seasoning matters even more.

The umami from the clams combined with the savory richness of the oil made for an overall clean, enjoyable bite.

What stood out most was how well it paired with the tomato salad I'd had before. A bite of bright tomato, then a bite of vongole — even though it's an oil pasta, it never felt too heavy.

A weekday lunch alone at Concasse, the hanok restaurant near Anguk Station — I felt almost spoiled.

The pasta noodles had a slightly rough texture — probably because they're not the store-bought kind.

And the clams, the essential ingredient of vongole, were seasoned with a nice salty savoriness — soaked in oil, they were really delicious.

To sum up

If you're walking through Bukchon and craving pasta, Concasse near Anguk Station is worth remembering — the charm of this place is being able to enjoy Western food in a space that keeps the quiet, timeworn feel of a hanok.

This time I tried the tomato salad and the squid ink vongole oil pasta, and the flavors didn't overlap, so the pairing worked well. I'd especially recommend starting light with the tomato salad before moving on to the pasta.

If you're planning a date in Anguk or Bukchon, or looking for an Anguk pasta restaurant that delivers on both atmosphere and food, Concasse Anguk is worth putting on your list. The location is also great for a leisurely stroll through Bukchon or Samcheong-dong afterward, making it easy to build into a full day-trip course.