Hongdae restaurant for a first Pyongyang naengmyeon with Hwayo: Anok
In short
Anok is a hanok Korean restaurant in a Hongik-ro alley near Hongik University Station in Mapo, Seoul, with a stone bridge across the front courtyard and an open kitchen. For a first try at Pyongyang naengmyeon (14,000 won), the table also ordered clear gomtang (13,000 won) and pork tail jjim (29,000 won), and the mildly spicy pork tail with the clear broth was the best pairing of the three. Anok can have a wait, so booking a table ahead is the better plan.
Good to know
- Clear gomtang
- 13,000 won
- Pork tail jjim
- 29,000 won
- Pyongyang naengmyeon
- 14,000 won
- Drinks
- Hwayo, makgeolli and more
- Kitchen
- Open kitchen
- Reservations
- Waits possible, booking recommended
- Price reference
- ₩13,000 ≈ $9.6 · ₩29,000 ≈ $21.5 · ₩14,000 ≈ $10.5 (2026-09-15)
as written by the visitor on Sep 5, 2026
Hi everyone! I was going to try Pyongyang naengmyeon (buckwheat cold noodles), and it turned out there's a new hot spot in Hongdae, so off I went!!!!
I heard Pyongyang naengmyeon is a real love-it-or-hate-it dish — let's see if it suited my taste!!!!!
Finding Anok in Hongdae: the stone bridge and front courtyard
Anok is a hanok (traditional Korean house) Korean restaurant tucked in an alley off Hongikro near Hongik University Station. When I arrived at the entrance, the front courtyard had such great atmosphere and looked so pretty!!
You could really tell they put thought into the design, right down to the stone bridge and courtyard, and I got exactly what mood they were going for!!!!
What side dishes come first at Anok?
Once I got to my table at Anok, the side dishes came out fast. They looked so neat and tidy, and I figured they'd pair perfectly with the mild, understated flavor of Pyongyang naengmyeon!!!
(And the lighting was perfect for photos too!!)
Anok menu and prices: what we ordered
Before the mains came out, I browsed the menu. I ordered three things: clear gomtang (beef bone soup) ₩13,000 / pork tail jjim (braised pork tail) ₩29,000 / Pyongyang naengmyeon ₩14,000.
I was excited for the naengmyeon, but since I love spicy braised pork trotters, I was really looking forward to the pork tail jjim too, expecting something similar!!! From the reviews, the donbok tray portion looked insane, so next time I'm definitely getting the donbok tray!!!!
Deodeok gui (grilled deodeok root)... when will I ever grow up. Everyone recommended the deodeok gui, but as a picky eater, I just quietly skipped right past that page on the menu... haha
Drinks at Anok: Hwayo soju and makgeolli
Eating the gomtang and pork tail jjim, everything felt so clean that I really craved a drink, and having clean options like Hwayo (premium soju) or makgeolli (rice wine) on hand was such a nice touch!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Inside Anok: open kitchen and hanok dining room
There were so many people at Anok that I couldn't get a full shot of the interior, but the open kitchen was reassuring for hygiene, and I waited in awe watching how fast the dishes came out. Being in Hongdae, it seemed like a lot of foreign visitors come through too.
Clear gomtang with pork tail jjim: the best pairing?
The gomtang came out first. Even from the photo, the broth looked clear and clean, and it lived up to that!!! So clean, refreshing, and good.
Personally, one bite of pork tail jjim followed by a clean sip of gomtang made for a combo I couldn't stop eating!~
Full shot once everything arrived!! Eating the gomtang with gungchae (pickled mustard stem) made it disappear in seconds!!
The pork tail jjim I'd been looking forward to was genuinely beer-calling delicious, and I barely held back. Mildly spicy, savory, and topped with scallions!!! It was just per. fect.
Is Anok worth a return visit, and do you need a reservation?
It was so good that even writing this post right now makes my mouth water. I'm going back soon to devour the donbok tray and pork tail jjim again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You should all go try Anok soon too!!!
There can be a wait, so reservations are a must!!!!!
