Hongdae Korean restaurant with pork tail stew: Anok

I wanted to properly try Pyongyang naengmyeon (cold buckwheat noodles in a mild broth) at least once, so while looking up good places for it in Seoul, I heard there was a Korean restaurant with a great atmosphere in Hongdae and went to check it out.

When I think of Hongdae, hip cafés and bars usually come to mind first, but this is a Hongdae Korean restaurant where you can enjoy Korean food in a lovely hanok, so I was even more curious. The place I visited this time was Anok (안옥), a Hongdae favorite :)

Getting to Anok from Hongik University Station

Anok is about a 10-minute walk from Exit 9 of Hongik University Station. It is across the road from Seogyo Prugio Apartments; climb the hip staircase covered in graffiti and you will see it immediately on the right. After being surrounded by Hongdae's signature trendy street atmosphere, it was a little surprising to suddenly come across a hanok building haha.

A hanok exterior and courtyard amid Hongdae

When I arrived at Anok, even the building itself was hanok-style. It felt distinctly different from the Hongdae restaurants I already knew—so much so that I wondered whether Hongdae had always had such a lovely hanok.

Follow the main gate inside and you come to a hanok-like courtyard covered in pebble stones, and it was really beautiful. Being able to feel this peaceful hanok atmosphere right in the middle of the city seems to be one of Anok's biggest charms. If you like hanok Korean restaurants, I think you will love it from the exterior alone haha.

Anok’s evening interior atmosphere

I visited at around 7:30 p.m. on a weekday and was seated right away without waiting. The interior was also decorated throughout to preserve the hanok feel, with artwork, lighting, and wood materials coming together for a warm atmosphere. Many Hongdae restaurants are crowded and lively, but Anok felt like a nice choice for a date or a quiet dinner because you can eat at a relaxed pace.

I especially liked the window seats. They have traditional hanok window frames, and the courtyard beyond the window was so pretty. If you are looking for a restaurant with a nice atmosphere in Hongdae, I recommend considering Anok too haha.

Anok’s Korean menu and what I ordered

Anok sells Korean dishes including gomtang (clear meat soup with rice) and Pyongyang naengmyeon, built around its own clear, deeply flavored broth.

Signature dishes include clear pork gomtang for ₩13,000, Pyongyang naengmyeon (mul, or broth-style) for ₩14,000, braised pork tail for ₩29,000, pork bokjaengban for ₩45,000, and Korean beef bulgogi hot pot for ₩64,000. There are also Pyongyang naengmyeon (bibim, mixed) for ₩15,000, yukhoe bibimbap for ₩18,000, yukhoe for ₩26,000, cold boiled pork for ₩24,000, and grilled deodeok for ₩19,000.

Along with standard alcoholic drinks, they sell traditional Korean liquor, distilled spirits, and makgeolli (Korean rice wine), so it seemed like a good place to have a drink with Korean food. Besides the meal dishes, there are items such as braised pork tail and yukhoe that would work well as evening drinking snacks too.

Clear pork gomtang, Pyongyang naengmyeon, and pork tail stew

• Clear pork gomtang ₩13,000
• Pyongyang naengmyeon (mul) ₩14,000
• Braised pork tail ₩29,000

After sitting down, I ordered easily using the tablet at the table. I chose three dishes: clear pork gomtang for ₩13,000, Pyongyang naengmyeon (mul) for ₩14,000, and braised pork tail for ₩29,000. Not long after ordering, they quickly set the table.

Kimchi, gungchae jangajji (pickled stem lettuce), dadegi (spicy seasoning paste), and cubed radish kimchi came out as side dishes that went well with the gomtang.

I especially liked the gungchae jangajji because it included chili peppers, adding a tangy flavor with a slight kick.

The gomtang and Pyongyang naengmyeon arrived first, and while I was eating, the braised tail came out shortly afterward too.

Clear, mild pork gomtang

First up was the clear pork gomtang. Rice sat in the clear broth, topped with broad, generously sized pieces of pork and sliced scallions. It looked very clean and simple too.

It was seasoned as served, so it was fine to eat as is, but salt and pepper were available at the table if you wanted to adjust it. Rather than being intensely salty or rich, the broth was clear and mild with a subtly deep flavor.

The meat pieces were especially large, yet not tough for their size and pleasantly tender. Scooping up the rice and meat together with the broth made this a filling, clean-tasting bowl of gomtang for a meal.

The mildness of my first Pyongyang naengmyeon

And then, the Pyongyang naengmyeon I had been looking forward to! Noodles sat in cold, clear broth, topped with large pieces of meat just like the gomtang. Since it was my first time trying Pyongyang naengmyeon, I was curious what it would taste like, and it was mild and gently seasoned. It was definitely different from the sweet-and-sour naengmyeon I usually eat, but it was clean rather than overpowering, and I liked it more as I kept eating.

It was especially delicious to pick up the noodles and meat together, almost wrapping the noodles in the meat. The mild noodles paired well with the tender meat, and the meat added a satisfying chew. It was my first Pyongyang naengmyeon, but it was tastier than I expected, so I was happy with it haha. If you are looking for Pyongyang naengmyeon in Hongdae, I think it is worth a visit.

Braised pork tail with a chewy texture

Last was the braised pork tail! It is a dish of tenderly steamed pork tail seasoned with sauce. The red sauce made me a little nervous at first because I thought it would be quite spicy, but it was not aggressively hot when I tried it haha.

The outside was richly coated in seasoning, while the meat inside was softly and moistly cooked, so the bold sauce and mild meat worked well together. It also had pork tail's distinctive chewy texture, making it a different kind of fun from an ordinary pork dish. It would go nicely with rice and also seemed like a great drinking snack.

A Hongdae Korean dinner in a hanok

I loved being able to enjoy delicious Korean food alongside a beautiful hanok atmosphere. I would recommend it to anyone trying Seoul Pyongyang naengmyeon for the first time or looking for a good Pyongyang naengmyeon spot in Hongdae. Beyond the noodles, the range of Korean dishes such as gomtang and braised pork tail gives you plenty of choices, so if you are looking for a Hongdae restaurant or Korean restaurant where you can have a quiet meal in a lovely setting, visit the hanok Korean restaurant Anok :)