Gangnam poke restaurant, diet lunch for meat cravings: Ola Poke

Picking lunch around Gangnam Station is sneakily hard. There's tons of tasty food, but some of it feels like a lot to eat alone, and if I go for something heavy every time, I end up feeling bloated all afternoon. So this day I wanted something lighter, searched for poke near Gangnam Station, and ended up at Ola Poke Gangnam (올라포케 강남점) :)

I'd always thought poke makes a good full meal, since you get veggies, rice and a protein topping together. What I picked this time was the flat iron steak poke. 🥗🥩 If you're looking for a place to eat solo in Gangnam, or want a salad or poke for lunch, here's how it went when I tried it myself!

Ola Poke Gangnam: location and menu

Ola Poke Gangnam is a poke specialty shop on the first basement floor at 46 Teheran-ro 4-gil, near Gangnam Station. It's open daily 10:30 to 20:30 and closed every Sunday. Being so close to the station, it's a convenient spot to head to at lunchtime.

As you'd expect from a poke specialist, the menu has plenty of options: seafood toppings like salmon and tuna, and also meat options like chicken breast or steak. That day I was craving meat more than seafood, so after some dithering I went with the flat iron steak poke.

Personally, I think the whole mood of a poke changes depending on the topping. When you want something light, you can go with chicken breast or mostly veggies, and when you want a hearty lunch like I did, the steak option looked good too.

Is Ola Poke Gangnam good for eating alone?

The atmosphere at Ola Poke Gangnam wasn't intimidating at all for a solo diner. When you eat alone around Gangnam Station, the vibe of the place is what you quietly worry about.

Maybe because poke and salads are the kind of simple meal people often eat alone, eating solo here didn't feel awkward.

I came alone that day too, ordered and ate comfortably, and it felt more like a place to wrap up a tidy lunch than somewhere to sit for a long time, you know~?

I think it suits people near the office who want something quick at lunchtime, and anyone looking for a spot to eat alone around Gangnam Station.

What does the flat iron steak poke taste like?

The flat iron steak poke at Ola Poke Gangnam comes in one bowl with rice, veggies, flat iron steak and several toppings. And here it is, the flat iron steak poke I ate!

When you say poke, raw salmon or tuna come to mind first, but I wanted meat that day, so I chose the steak. 🥩

With rice, veggies, flat iron steak and various toppings all in one bowl, it looked pretty generous.

Because veggies come with it, it definitely felt lighter than a regular steak meal. The steak at Ola Poke has a nice chew and that clean, mild beefy flavor, so it went well with the veggies.

Rice alone would leave me feeling empty quickly, but with the steak in there I felt like I was getting my protein too.

Mix your poke with the sauce for the best flavor

The flat iron steak poke tasted better mixed with the sauce and eaten all together than eating the ingredients separately. At first I ate things one by one, then mixed it with the sauce, and yes, poke really is best when you get all the ingredients in one bite.

The mildness of the rice, the crunch of the veggies and the savory flavor of the flat iron steak all combined, so every bite tasted a little different.

Once I mixed in a moderate amount of sauce, the flavors came together nicely and I kept scooping up rice and toppings together.

Above all, with plenty of veggies in it, it felt less heavy than a typical rice dish!

Of course, poke isn't automatically low in calories, so if you're dieting, it's best to adjust the amount of rice, the sauce and any extra toppings to fit your plan. Still, I think it's a good pick for days when you don't feel like a heavy lunch such as fried food or noodles.

Why flat iron steak poke works as a Gangnam diet lunch

The biggest plus of the flat iron steak poke at Ola Poke Gangnam was getting veggies, carbs and protein in good balance in one bowl. It's not just rice and not just salad, so you cover vegetables, carbs and protein in one go.

Choosing the flat iron steak especially took away that unsatisfied feeling you get from eating only salad. If lunch is too light, I sometimes get hungry again quickly in the afternoon, but this day, maybe thanks to the steak, it felt like a proper meal. So it's a good choice on days when you're dieting but don't want to eat just greens, or when giving up meat is hard. 😊

Ola Poke Gangnam at a glance

If you're hunting for a solo lunch near Gangnam Station and poke comes to mind, Ola Poke Gangnam is worth a visit. I had the flat iron steak poke, and with steak added to the veggies and rice it was more filling than I expected, and overall it felt like a clean, tidy meal!!

Especially if you want an easy solo lunch near Gangnam Station, or you're dieting and want to avoid anything too greasy, poke seemed like a good option. Next time I'd like to try other toppings like salmon or tuna. If you're after a light but filling salad or poke lunch around Gangnam Station, give the flat iron steak poke I ate that day a look! 🥗