Salmon protein box solo lunch with pumpkin soup: Wystab Diet

Here's my recommendation for a diet-friendly salad solo lunch spot in Gwanghwamun: Wystab Gwanghwamun.

Location and hours of Wystab Gwanghwamun

Wystab Gwanghwamun B1, 122-2, 19 Jongno, Jongno-gu, Seoul Hours Closed weekends 10:00 - 20:40

It's right in front of D-Tower, where a ton of Gwanghwamun office workers pass through! Located in the basement level of the Lemeilleur Jongno Tower shopping arcade. There are so many great lunch spots down here.

On weekdays it's open from morning until late at night, so it seems like a perfect place for dieting or health-conscious office workers to grab lunch or dinner.

Calorie and nutrition labels, and how to pick your menu

All the nutrition info and calorie counts are displayed, which should help anyone managing their diet when choosing a menu. Great for picking high-protein options too!

For the protein box, first pick one of five mains: chicken, smoked duck, beef, salmon, or mala. Nice that you can choose according to your taste.

You can also pick your base: vegetable-only, tofu noodles, oat rice, cauliflower rice, or pasta. Add a sauce choice on top and it's almost as customizable as Subway — you can really build your own dream salad!

There are also sets that come with drinks and sides in various combinations. I went for the protein set, which felt filling enough to enjoy solo!!

You can choose the protein, the base, and various sides and drinks.

What sides are available

The sides include Greek yogurt, tomato soup, pumpkin soup, protein cookie, and baked egg. They're nice to pair with the salad when it feels a bit plain on its own, and they're all guilt-free options while dieting!

I've only tried chicken here before, but I've heard so much lately about how great salmon is for dieting and protein loading, so this time I went with the salmon protein box haha. Not just the main, but any base you pick feels light and guilt-free too — pasta, oat rice, cauliflower rice. You can pick based on how filling you want it and the calorie count.

Wystab, a solo lunch salad spot in Gwanghwamun

Is it good for eating in? (seating and atmosphere)

I asked for takeout, but the store also looked clean and comfortable for eating in, with plenty of seats.

The space isn't cramped at all, and the vibe is bright and pretty. You can tell some thought went into the interior haha. It'd be a nice, comfortable spot to sit down for a salad lunch.

I love that salad shops these days aren't just takeout-focused but also come with a clean space to sit and eat.

There really are so many office workers in Jongno and Gwanghwamun. On days when you're dieting for lunch, or just want to eat light, Wystab is a great solo lunch spot in Gwanghwamun where you can eat simply, comfortably, and quickly!!

It's not just about appealing with low calories — protein loading matters too~~ Nice that there are so many protein-packed menu options haha.

Here's my salmon protein set!

Salmon protein set

How was the salmon protein box?

I went with the vegetable-only base salmon protein box, pumpkin soup as my side, and Pepsi Zero as my drink!

Fresh vegetables topped with olives, green beans, onion flakes, and grilled salmon steak. I normally can't eat raw salmon — I'm pretty sensitive to the fishy taste and was worried, but the salmon must've been fresh and grilled well, because there was zero discomfort — it was clean and delicious!!

I really love the pumpkin soup here too — taking a warm bite between forkfuls of salad, so mellow and sweet, it's amazing. If you're looking for a solo lunch spot in Gwanghwamun or a salad restaurant in Jongno, I recommend Wystab Diet Gwanghwamun!!!