Restaurant in Seoul, South Korea
Michelin-value pork soup, no reservation needed.
ANAM holds a 2025 Michelin Bib Gourmand for its dwaeji-gukbap in Bukchon Village, Jongno District. The pork and rice soup uses Spanish Duroc ribs and a Cheongyang chili-kale oil that sets it apart from most Seoul gukbap options at the ₩ price tier. Walk-in only, focused menu, and worth the detour for a calibrated bowl near the hanok district.
Book ANAM. For a Bib Gourmand-awarded bowl of dwaeji-gukbap in the heart of Bukchon Village, this is one of Seoul's most compelling value propositions at the ₩ price tier. The Michelin recognition in 2025 validates what regulars have known for a while: the pork and rice soup here is technically considered, not just comforting. If you are visiting Seoul and want a single bowl that justifies the walk through Jongno District's back streets, ANAM is the answer. If you want multi-course Korean cuisine or a wine-forward dinner, look elsewhere — this is a specialist, and it is excellent at the one thing it does.
ANAM sits at 10 Bukchon-ro 5-gil in Jongno District, a neighbourhood better known for its hanok architecture and cultural density than for Michelin-spotted dining. That tension — a humble diner operating in one of Seoul's most historically loaded postcodes , is part of what makes the experience worth noting. The address alone signals this is not a restaurant designed to impress on arrival; it earns attention through what ends up in the bowl.
The core dish is dwaeji-gukbap, pork and rice soup, available in two sizes: medium and extra-meat. That simplicity of menu is a strength, not a limitation. Chef Ly Nguyen has built the offering around a clean broth finished with a special oil made from Cheongyang chili pepper and kale, which sits on the surface and gives the soup a distinct visual character before you eat. The oil does double work: it adds depth to the broth and a low, slow heat that does not overpower. The Cheongyang chili is one of Korea's hotter varieties, so the warmth builds gradually rather than landing upfront.
The proteins are where ANAM separates itself from the wider dwaeji-gukbap category. Spanish Duroc baby pork ribs and thin-sliced pork butt are included in the bowl, and both are notably tender. Duroc is a heritage breed prized for intramuscular fat and flavour, and using Spanish Duroc at this price point reflects a deliberate sourcing decision. Cilantro is available as an optional garnish, an unusual offering for a traditional Korean soup format and one that adds an aromatic brightness if you want it. If you are averse to cilantro, skip it, but the broth holds its own without it.
ANAM earned its 2025 Michelin Bib Gourmand rating, a designation given to restaurants offering good cooking at moderate prices. In practice, that means the inspectors found the quality-to-price ratio strong enough to recommend without reservation. At the ₩ tier, you are paying for craft and sourcing, not for room service or a sommelier. Google reviewers rate it 4.2 across 246 reviews, a score that holds across a meaningful sample size and suggests consistency rather than a single viral moment.
The wine program angle here is contextual: dwaeji-gukbap is a category built around broth, heat, and pork fat, not around pairing culture. ANAM does not operate as a wine destination and is not positioned that way. If wine pairing is a priority for your Seoul itinerary, venues like Mingles or Jungsik are better-suited stops. What ANAM offers instead is something harder to find at any price: a Michelin-cited bowl of gukbap in a neighbourhood where the surroundings make the meal feel like a deliberate choice rather than a convenience stop.
For solo diners, the format works well. A single bowl with rice is a complete meal, the counter or small-table setup suits one person comfortably, and the focused menu means there is no decision fatigue. For couples or small groups, the extra-meat option scales up without complication. For larger groups or those marking a special occasion with a shared dining event and wine, ANAM is not the right frame , the experience is personal and quick-paced, not celebratory in the conventional sense.
Booking is direct. The Bib Gourmand recognition will draw more visitors in 2025, so arriving at off-peak times (mid-morning or early afternoon if hours allow) is a practical hedge against a wait. No phone or website is listed in available data, which suggests walk-in is the primary access method, consistent with the diner format. Arriving early or outside the standard lunch rush is the most reliable way to get a seat without a long wait.
For context on the broader dwaeji-gukbap category in Korea, the dish is historically associated with Busan, where venues like Anmok and Hapcheon Gukbapjip represent the regional standard. Finding a Michelin-cited version in Seoul's Jongno District, executed with imported Duroc pork and a calibrated chili-kale oil, is a meaningful point of difference. Within Seoul's gukbap options, Gwanghwamun Gukbap and Okdongsik are the obvious comparisons; ANAM's Bib Gourmand gives it a documented edge in terms of inspector-verified quality at this price tier.
If you are building a Seoul itinerary that spans food, lodging, and experience, our full Seoul restaurants guide covers the range from budget bowls to multi-Michelin tasting menus. For where to stay nearby, see our Seoul hotels guide. Bukchon's proximity to Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung palaces also makes ANAM a practical lunch stop on a cultural day, which is a better framing than treating it as a destination meal in isolation. See also our Seoul bars guide, Seoul wineries guide, and Seoul experiences guide for the full picture.
One last practical note: the Cheongyang chili oil and cilantro garnish are the two variables that let you adjust the bowl to your taste. Use both if you want the full intended version. Adjust or omit if your tolerance for heat or cilantro is low. The broth is described as agreeably clean, which means it is not overwhelmingly rich or salty on its own, and the oil adds rather than dominates.
If you are travelling beyond Seoul, Mori in Busan is worth a look for a different register of Korean dining, and Baegyangsa Temple in Jangseong-gun offers temple food at a completely different pace. For Korean fine dining in Seoul itself, Kwon Sook Soo in Gangnam-gu and alla prima represent the higher end of the spectrum. Beyond Seoul, The Flying Hog in Seogwipo, Double T Dining in Gangneung, and Market Café in Incheon round out a South Korea dining itinerary at different price points and styles.
Walk-in appears to be the standard access method , no booking platform, phone, or website is currently listed. Go early or outside peak lunch hours to avoid a wait. The Bib Gourmand listing will increase foot traffic through 2025, so timing your visit accordingly is the clearest practical advice available.
Only if the occasion calls for honest, no-frills eating rather than a celebratory dinner format. ANAM's Bib Gourmand recognition signals quality-to-price ratio, not occasion dining. For a milestone meal in Seoul, Onjium or 7th Door fit that brief better. ANAM is the right call if the occasion is a deliberate eat-well-cheaply moment in Bukchon.
Yes, and arguably the format it suits best. A single bowl of dwaeji-gukbap, sized medium or extra-meat, is a self-contained meal, and walk-in access means no coordination required. Solo diners at a counter or small diner typically turn tables without friction here. Go at off-peak hours if you want a quieter seat.
No advance booking appears to be available — no website, phone, or reservation platform is currently listed for ANAM. Walk-in is the access method. To reduce wait time at a Michelin Bib Gourmand spot in a high-footfall neighbourhood like Bukchon, arrive early or outside the standard lunch rush.
The menu is built around pork, so ANAM is not suitable for those avoiding meat or pork specifically. The soup includes pork ribs and sliced pork butt as core components, not optional additions. No dietary accommodation information is documented. If dietary flexibility matters, this is not the venue.
For a different register of Korean dining at higher spend, Onjium in Seoul offers refined hansik in a setting that justifies the price step-up. Zero Complex is worth considering if you want a more contemporary Seoul food experience. ANAM is the call specifically when you want Bib Gourmand-level value in the Jongno area.
ANAM does not operate a tasting menu format. The offer is a single signature dish, dwaeji-gukbap, available in two sizes: medium or extra-meat. That simplicity is part of the value case. If a multi-course format is what you need, look at 7th Door or L'Amitié instead.
At ₩ pricing with a 2025 Michelin Bib Gourmand, ANAM is one of the stronger value propositions in Seoul's recognised dining scene. The Bib Gourmand designation is specifically awarded for quality at a modest price point, so the credential does the heavy lifting here. You are unlikely to find a more externally validated bowl of dwaeji-gukbap for less.
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