Poke and wrap set before a show in Daehak-ro: Sallering Daehak-ro

Before going to see the play <Beautiful Life> in Daehak-ro, I started getting hungry at that awkward time between lunch and dinner. But having something too heavy before the show felt like a lot, while going in without eating felt like my stomach would start supplying sound effects as soon as the performance began. 😂

So that day, while looking for poke near Hyehwa Station, I visited Sallering Daehak-ro. I had poke and a wrap together, and if I had to put it in one sentence: “a very healthy meal, but not one that tasted healthy just for the sake of it.” After loading up on fresh vegetables, I personally even felt refreshed, as if my body had had a little cleanse.

Full exterior of Sallering Daehak-ro

A handy stop before a show near Hyehwa Station

Sallering Daehak-ro is on the first floor at 24 Daehak-ro 10-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul. Since it is in the area where Daehak-ro theaters cluster, it looked convenient for anyone looking for a meal before or after a performance, like I was. I stopped by before <Beautiful Life>, and I especially liked being able to eat something fresh rather than oily and heavy before heading on.

A light atmosphere in white and green

When I walked in, the white and green color scheme gave a clean, fresh first impression. The clear chairs and green tables suited the shop concept nicely, and at the time I visited, I could sit and eat fairly comfortably. The space did not feel overly busy, so it also seemed easy enough to have a meal alone.

Full interior with green tables and seating

Counter and open kitchen area

The staff were kind, too, so I had a pleasant visit from the moment I came in until I finished eating.

Healthy food somehow feels like something you should eat solemnly (?) but the whole mood here was light and casual, haha.

How to order poke and wraps at the kiosk

There is a kiosk by the entrance, where you can choose dine-in or takeout when ordering. Looking through the menu, there was more variety than I expected: not only bibim poke, but wraps, sandwiches, slim packs, soups, juices, and more.

Kiosk

Full menu board

Bibim poke menu and dressing guide

In particular, you can choose the base and dressing for your poke, making it easy to build something that suits what you feel like having that day. There were also notices on the wall about the brown rice-barley rice and bibim sauce.

Brown rice-barley rice guide

Sallering bibim sauce guide

The one-person poke and wrap set I ordered

That day, I chose the one-person poke and wrap set.

• Plain bibim poke
• 100 g brown rice-barley rice
• Classic balsamic
• Basil shrimp cutlet salad wrap
• Sprite Zero

The set was listed as ₩17,900 on the receipt.

Was the plain bibim poke bland?

The first thing I thought when the poke arrived was how fresh it looked just from the colors. Centered around brown rice-barley rice, the bowl was generously filled with vegetables, red cabbage, corn, mushrooms, shredded egg, and more.

Full bowl of plain bibim poke

Close-up of the poke ingredients

I chose classic balsamic, and mixing it with the brown rice-barley rice and vegetables made the overall flavor fresh and bright. Unlike plain white rice, the brown rice-barley rice had a satisfying chew, and the crisp textures of the different vegetables kept every bite from becoming monotonous. Above all, the direction of the flavor I got that day was about the ingredients' own freshness rather than saltiness or intense seasoning.

That said, it did not have that feeling of, “Well, it is healthy food, so I should give up a little flavor…” If anything, while eating it, I thought, “I have taken pretty good care of myself with this meal today.”

This is just my personal way of putting it, but it really felt as if my body had had a little cleanse. I chose it as a pre-show meal and was happy with it.

Why I added the basil shrimp cutlet salad wrap

The basil shrimp cutlet salad wrap I ordered alongside it was also quite substantial from the cross-section alone.

Full basil shrimp cutlet salad wrap

Close-up showing the shrimp cutlet

The tortilla was generously filled with vegetables, with a shrimp cutlet in the middle, so it had a texture quite different from the poke. While the poke was fresh and light, the cutlet made the wrap feel a little more filling.

That is why the poke-and-wrap combination was better than I expected. If you are the type to think you will be hungry again two hours after having only salad, adding a wrap seems like a good option. I also did not want to get too full before the show, but I liked that this was light without leaving me unsatisfied.

Water and utensils at the self-service station

On one side of the shop was a space where you could help yourself to water, cups, spoons, chopsticks, straws, and so on.

Full self-service station with neatly arranged utensils and cups

You simply take what you need, so it was easy to use.

If you are after a healthy lifestyle

After trying Sallering Daehak-ro myself, I felt it would be a shame to see it only as “a salad place for when you are dieting.” The vegetables were fresh, the poke was bright and refreshing, and with the wrap alongside it, the meal was quite satisfying.

It seems like a place that would come to mind after several strongly seasoned meals, when you want to eat something clean; on a day when you are paying a little attention to your diet; or when, like me, you want a meal that is not too heavy before seeing a show in Daehak-ro. The staff were as kind as the food was good, so my overall impression of the visit was positive.

If you, like me, want a healthy lifestyle but do not want to give up flavor, this is a poke spot near Hyehwa Station well worth visiting.