Poke lunch with ABC cleanse juice near Gyodae Station: Salering

Today I'm introducing a place that's perfect for a healthy meal — Salering Gyodae Direct Store. I know a lot of you are looking for a light-on-the-stomach lunch while dieting these days, and I really want to recommend this place. >_<

Is Salering Gyodae Direct Store good for eating alone?

Salering Gyodae Direct Store sits in the office-dense area on Seochodae-ro 56-gil, so I saw tons of office workers there — which probably means it's a proven local favorite, right? The store is spacious and kept clean, with plenty of solo seats, and the vibe made it totally comfortable to eat alone without feeling self-conscious. Tables were spaced generously too, so it never felt cramped. On top of that, they apparently accept meal ticket coupons, which sounds useful for anyone near the office who wants to grab a healthy meal with their meal tickets — one more option for those of you always agonizing over what to eat for lunch, haha!

Kiosk menu at Salering: how to combine two proteins

You order easily via kiosk, and the menu lineup was more varied than I expected. You can choose salmon poke, beef steak poke, chicken breast poke, tuna poke, or tofu & mushroom poke by protein, and pick your base from brown rice, white rice, or buckwheat noodles. Sauces like whole grain oil, gochujang mayo, basil garlic mayo, and yuzu oil are also up to your taste, so it seemed like you could enjoy a different combo every time. You can also add two or more proteins, so depending on how you're feeling that day, you could pair salmon with steak, or mix chicken breast with tofu.

The drink menu was more varied than expected too, with a choice between cleanse juices and ades. They also had beer and wine — there were even two tables with people drinking beer, haha.

Adding 100g salmon and grilled steak to a brown rice poke

I picked the basic salmon poke, added 100g of salmon plus steak on top, and chose the brown rice option.

A cute napkin came as a bonus.

I also ordered the ABC cleanse juice, and it was totally fresh-pressed — genuinely delicious! With its deep color made from what seemed like apple, beet, and carrot base, and a sweet-tart flavor, it paired really well with the poke.

Bumping the protein up to two kinds definitely made the fullness factor different — it felt like a proper meal, not a light salad. Poke is originally a traditional Hawaiian dish, where diced protein like salmon or tuna is served in a bowl with vegetables, seaweed, and grains, so you can get carbs, protein, and fat all at once — that's its biggest strength. Rather than piling on just vegetables like a salad, the fresh fish or meat is the centerpiece, which I think is what makes poke special: filling yet light.

What's in the salmon poke, and how much vegetable is there?

Salmon and steak were piled on generously, and cabbage, red cabbage, corn, cherry tomatoes, crab sticks, quail eggs, and egg garnish were all packed in by color, so it looked healthy just to look at. There was more veggie volume than I expected too, so there was fun in the chewing, and both the salmon and steak were fresh and tender — very satisfying.

Since so many ingredients are mixed in one bowl, the combo shifted slightly with every bite, which was a fun point. Once I mixed in the sauce, I never got tired of it and cleaned the bowl to the last bite, haha.

Mixing veggies and protein evenly and eating bite by bite, I felt my vegetable intake naturally went up, which felt satisfying. It's a meal that fills you up without the calorie guilt, so I'd strongly recommend it to anyone dieting or looking for a lunch that's easy on the stomach. Next time you're stuck on what to eat for lunch, give Salering Gyodae Direct Store a try! If you want to load up on veggies and get plenty of protein too, I think you'll be especially satisfied.