Hongdae Korean restaurant with a sunlit gravel courtyard: Anok

Today I visited Anok (안옥), tucked away in an alley in Hongdae :) I ordered Pyongyang naengmyeon, pork gomtang, and even pork tail jjim, which I was trying for the first time. But honestly, the space is what I remembered before the food, haha. You open the gate right in the middle of Hongdae and suddenly find this pretty, serene hanok-style place—I went absolutely wild taking photos as soon as I arrived~!

Anok menu and prices

The menu has mul Pyongyang naengmyeon (cold buckwheat noodles in broth) for ₩14,000, bibim Pyongyang naengmyeon (mixed cold buckwheat noodles) for ₩15,000, pork tail jjim (braised pork tail) for ₩29,000, and clear pork gomtang (pork soup) for ₩13,000. Considering prices these days, that is seriously affordable, right?

A hanok-style space beyond the gate

From the gate, I could see roof tiles and wood, so I wondered whether it was a real hanok. I could not confirm whether it is officially a traditional hanok building, and I think it is most accurate to call it a hanok-style space that makes use of roof tiles, wooden lattice doors, a gravel courtyard, and ocher-colored walls.

Further inside, the path runs along a small gravel courtyard, and you can see the courtyard through the lattice windows from the tables. I visited during the day, and sunlight came in through the windows, making the wood tones look even warmer. The space photographs really well, haha.

The side dishes are set out like this! I really love salted vegetables, and the kimchi and kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi) were so good ><<

Very mild mul Pyongyang naengmyeon

First up was the mul Pyongyang naengmyeon~! Anok says it uses its own special house-made broth, and to me the seasoning tasted very gentle. I like Pyongyang naengmyeon with at least some meaty flavor, so my first bite made me think, “Oh... this is really mild,” haha.

There was an incredibly generous amount of pork on top. It felt like the meat alone could fill you up to some extent? There was enough to pick up meat with every chopstickful of noodles, so the quantity of meat is definitely a plus! There were seasonings on the table to adjust the flavor too, so I gradually added a little from the middle onward.

Clear, mild pork gomtang

The pork gomtang we ordered alongside it also came with a huge amount of meat piled over the clear broth. It looks almost like a mountain of meat in the photo... haha. I personally found the warm broth in the gomtang a little tastier than the naengmyeon. It is not a rich, heavy pork gukbap (pork-and-rice soup); it would suit people who prefer a clear, mild broth. I really liked it with the kimchi, kkakdugi, and pickled side dishes, which added little bursts of saltiness between sips!

My first pork tail jjim

And then, the pork tail jjim I was most curious about! It was my first time eating pork tail too. Rather than being a cut with lots of lean meat, it was closer to a dish for enjoying the chewy texture of the skin and collagen. The sauce was red and glossy, with plenty of scallions and sesame seeds on top. I prefer meatier cuts, so I was satisfied just having tried it once, but if you enjoy the chewy texture of jokbal (braised pig's trotters) or pork skin, it will probably suit you much better than it did me.

What stayed with me most at Anok

For me, the space and the generous meat portions stayed with me more than the flavor at Anok. The Pyongyang naengmyeon was much milder than I expected as a true Hamheung naengmyeon fan! But for people who love Pyongyang naengmyeon, this may be the real deal, right?? Both the naengmyeon and gomtang had quite a generous amount of meat, and the side dishes were tasty too. If you are looking for a quiet restaurant with a hanok mood in Hongdae, or you like clear broths that are not overly intense, give it a visit~ :)