Hongdae restaurant with 30,000-won corkage and pork tail jjim: Anok

Where is Anok, and what are its hours?

Anok is a hanok Korean restaurant at 358-103 Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, a 7-minute walk from Hongik University Station Exit 9. It's open Tue–Sun 11:00–22:00 (last order 21:00), closed Mondays. Corkage is allowed, there's group seating for up to 12 and private booking, and parking is at a nearby public lot.

A clear broth made with 48 hours of care, and pork tail jjim so smoky and tender it melts in your mouth! This is the one hanok restaurant that truly makes you feel like an honored guest at a noble family's house. Roar~~~

How to find Anok's tiled roof among the modern buildings

Wandering around looking for good food, today I found a genuinely legit Hongdae restaurant that lets you feel the quiet air of a noble family's hanok right in the middle of a busy neighborhood,

'Anok' — and I went! Walk about 7 minutes from Hongik University Station Exit 9, into an alley in Seogyo-dong, and a uniquely tiled hanok roof suddenly appears between modern buildings.

Past the stylish wooden signboard reading '安屋 (Anok)' at the entrance, you step inside, and

a courtyard covered in white gravel opens up, flooded with natural light — I was overwhelmed by the atmosphere right away!

The interior is done in neat wood tones, with a landscape scroll painting that looks like a painting itself, and the scenic view through the lattice windows makes you feel like you're truly being hosted at a noble family's home. I bet it would feel amazing on a rainy day, too.

Anok's menu and prices: corkage is 30,000 won

Once you sit down and check the T-order menu screen, you find an explanation of 'Anok's broth,' the heart of this place.

It says the broth is simmered for 48 hours with carefully selected medicinal ingredients, with fat meticulously skimmed off so that even the very last drop is gentle on the stomach!

The meal menu includes clear pork gomtang (₩13,000), Pyongyang naengmyeon (₩14,000), and yukhoe bibimbap, plus plenty of dishes meant for sharing like the don-bok platter, Korean beef bulgogi hot pot, and pork tail jjim (₩29,000). The traditional liquor lineup is excellent too, and corkage (₩30,000) is available — there's no better menu for hosting special guests.

Anok's Pyongyang naengmyeon, loaded with meat topping

Why is this place called a Hongdae Pyongyang

naengmyeon spot — one sip of the cold noodle broth and you'll know why. It's mild yet has a deep, heavy meaty punch that any real fan will fall for instantly. You can really taste how much devotion goes into the broth. Plus the bowl is piled generously with meat toppings, sliced thin and boiled tender, so eating them together with the noodles is pure art. Not chewy at all, clean and light — it really brings out that distinctive mild charm of Pyongyang naengmyeon!

Anok's clear pork gomtang: a pure, deep broth

True to its name, the clear gomtang has a broth so transparent and pale it's stunning! Gomtang can often feel heavy, but here, thanks to all the time spent skimming off fat, it's refreshing and clean — outstanding. This clear gomtang also comes piled high with meat, fresh and tender with zero gamey smell. It really let me feel the dignity of a true Hongdae gomtang spot — warm, hearty, and completely filling.

Anok's pork tail jjim melts in your mouth

And now, the long-awaited highlight — the pork tail jjim! This is genuinely insane. Glossy, deep red charcoal-grilled sauce, and the smell alone is unreal. Lift up a big chunk of the pork tail with your chopsticks and inside the collagen mass, the meat is packed in tight. The sauce is a slightly spicy-sweet flavor like jokbal (braised pig's trotters), but the skin is so tender that the moment it hits your mouth, it melts away with nothing chewy at all! An extreme softness that regular jokbal simply can't compare to.

Gungchae jangajji, the free side dish worth refilling

What puts the finishing touch on this irresistible pork tail jjim is the basic side dish, 'gungchae jangajji' (pickled stem lettuce). Its crunchy texture is fantastic and it completely cuts through the richness of the pork tail, so I refilled it several times. The cool, crisp kimchi and kkakdugi (radish kimchi) were also a perfect match with Anok's dishes.

What kind of meal is Anok best for?

There's group seating for up to 12 people, so with a phone call ahead of time, it's perfect for small gatherings or company dinners. Thanks to the quiet, elegant atmosphere, I'd also highly recommend it for a date with a partner, a formal meeting with parents, or any occasion that calls for some dignity.

If you want to experience next-level food in a healing hanok vibe right in the middle of the city, don't hesitate — head straight to 'Anok,' a truly legit Hongdae restaurant, the best Hongdae gomtang spot, and a top Hongdae Pyongyang naengmyeon restaurant! Wandering around looking for good food, Anok: fully conquered. Roar~~~