Poke restaurant in Seolleung: grilled seafood bowl for one, Hola Poke

Why Hola Poke Seolleung Branch during a 3-hour board game convention wait?

On the weekend I was told the on-site queue for the board game convention near Seolleung Station would be 3 hours, so I went to fill my stomach while waiting at Hola Poke Seolleung Branch (올라포케 선릉점), a poke shop near the Seolleung Station food alley. I'd been waiting for this event for days, so I rushed out early on a weekend morning. My goal was just one thing: to get the new Seti expansion no matter what.

Of course, far more people showed up than I expected, and I was handed an enormous 3-hour on-site wait. There was no way I could just stand around in that blazing sun, so I decided to eat a proper meal first and headed toward the Seolleung Station food alley.

I usually prefer a light, healthy meal over heavy food, so I decided to try a poke shop in Seolleung that's supposed to be popular these days.

What toppings and sauces are on the Hola Poke Seolleung Branch menu?

Hola Poke Seolleung Branch offers a varied range of main toppings alone: chicken breast, smoked duck, salmon, even yukhoe (Korean beef tartare). Choosing from the menu board was a lot of fun.

The sauces, like oriental, spicy mayo and sesame, are split up to suit different tastes, so you could come every day and never get bored. With a tofu topping for vegans and flank steak for meat lovers, the choice is so wide that it seems easy to come with friends who have different tastes.

Is the solo seating at Hola Poke Seolleung Branch good for eating alone near Seolleung Station?

Hola Poke Seolleung Branch has quite a lot of bar-table solo seats, and every seat comes with a phone stand. After ordering, I looked around the shop and was amazed at how well the space is set up for customers who come alone.

When I eat alone, I usually hold my phone in one hand and a spoon in the other, so my meals always end up clumsy and awkward.

But here you can just prop your phone on the stand, watch YouTube and eat comfortably with both hands. I thought it was a great touch that really hits the spot for solo diners. The atmosphere is quiet and relaxed too, so it was the perfect Seolleung poke shop to enjoy my own time at leisure without feeling self-conscious.

Does the seafood poke come with grilled seafood?

The seafood poke at Hola Poke Seolleung Branch comes with octopus, scallops and shrimp that are golden-grilled, not raw. The buzzer went off, and finally the seafood poke I ordered arrived at my table.

First, my jaw dropped at the overwhelming look and generous portion filling a huge bowl.

Fresh green vegetables were piled underneath in the ratio I had chosen, with the seafood main toppings generously heaped on top. The real kicker of this seafood poke is that the octopus, scallops and shrimp come golden-grilled rather than raw.

In hot summer weather, buying raw fish outside feels a bit unhygienic and worrying, right? But Hola Poke Seolleung Branch cooks the seafood nicely, so I could eat safely and healthily without worrying about an upset stomach. It was really reassuring and satisfying.

How did the grilled seafood poke taste, and was it filling?

In the seafood poke, chewy octopus, tender scallops and springy shrimp went well with the crunchy vegetables and brown rice, and it was clearly filling even without sides. I drizzled on a little sauce, mixed the toppings evenly and took a big bite.

The perfectly cooked octopus wasn't tough at all and had an excellent chewy texture, and the scallops melted softly in my mouth. Add the springy shrimp and the flavor of the sea spread pleasantly through my mouth. The savory umami of grilled seafood and the crisp, fresh salad vegetables blended together instead of feeling separate. Thanks to the nutty brown rice I bit into now and then, it felt light but really filling, and I was glad I hadn't ordered a side.

The balance of carbs, protein and fat is spot on too, so I thought nothing beats this as a lunch for dieters or office workers.

Is this Seolleung poke, found while waiting for the board game convention, worth returning to?

It was a weekend where I had to endure a long 3-hour wait just to buy the Seti expansion, but thanks to that I discovered Hola Poke Seolleung Branch, a Seolleung poke shop I really like, so it turned into a good day after all. If you're looking for a comfortable place to eat alone around Seolleung Station, or a clean, filling and gentle healthy meal, I really recommend stopping by Hola Poke Seolleung Branch, which has it all: hygiene, taste and thoughtful details for solo diners.