Poke restaurant in Seocho, Seoul: yuzu-oil shrimp and scallops

Poke near Gyodae Station when I missed lunch

I was out near the courthouse on business and missed lunchtime, but everywhere was on break, so my menu options got pretty limited;; I remembered a great bibim poke place I had tried before and revisited Salering Gyodae Direct Store. Since there is no break time, I could stop by without rushing—and not only were the vegetables and toppings fresh, the portions were generous and the sauces were especially delicious. Let’s get into it!!

This time, I went to Salering Gyodae Direct Store. Being a directly operated branch made it feel even more trustworthy. Salering is a Korean-style bibim poke restaurant, just a three-minute walk from Exit 1 of Gyodae Station, an area packed with university students and office workers.

The phrase “Make today’s me healthier! Slow aging by Salering” caught my eye. Let’s head in.

There is a menu board outside, which was nice because I could check the menu before even entering.

The interior is modern and clean. Plants placed throughout give it a fresh feel, and there are window-side seats for solo diners.

Kiosk ordering and bibim poke choices

Pepper chicken breast bibim poke ₩10,900 Fried tofu bibim poke ₩10,900 Smoked duck bibim poke ₩11,900 Grilled chicken thigh bibim poke ₩11,900 Soy meat bibim poke ₩10,900 Beef brisket bibim poke ₩11,900 Meat all-in-one bibim poke ₩15,900 Healthy all-in-one bibim poke ₩14,500 Seafood all-in-one bibim poke ₩15,900 Shrimp & scallop bibim poke ₩12,900 Atlantic fresh salmon bibim poke ₩13,900 Flame-grilled steak bibim poke ₩13,900 K-style spicy pork bibim poke ₩12,500

You can order at the kiosk. Salering specializes in Korean-style bibim poke, with a wide range of bibim poke and wrap options. There are so many kinds of poke! The K-style spicy pork bibim poke looked like something Koreans would really enjoy, haha.

Salering Gyodae’s recommended dressings include three choices for each menu item, from more than 10 house-developed mixed sauces, so there is plenty to choose from. I thought it was unusual to see a gochujang (Korean chili paste) dressing.

Shrimp & scallop bibim poke ₩12,900 Grilled chicken thigh bibim poke ₩11,900

Shrimp and scallop bibim poke with yuzu oil

I ate the shrimp and scallop bibim poke at the restaurant. It comes with luxurious toppings that let you enjoy grilled scallop adductor muscle and shrimp together, plus around 15 vegetables and superfoods. I chose yuzu oil for the sauce, and it paired beautifully with the seafood. I already love yuzu sauce, so I enjoyed this so much, haha.

The shrimp were nice and large, and the cherry tomatoes were incredibly fresh. The scallops were so tender they practically melted in my mouth.

I chose whole-wheat pasta as my base. Eating poke felt like eating seafood pasta!! Since it was whole-wheat pasta, it was nice to enjoy it without worrying about blood sugar.

Takeaway grilled chicken thigh bibim poke

And this is the grilled chicken thigh bibim poke I took home. It was the store’s No. 1 ordered item, so I was curious—and as expected, it was reasonably priced and excellent. The chicken thigh is cooked sous vide to remove excess fat while keeping it tender, then grilled once more over direct flame. Impossible for it not to be delicious!!

There was a generous amount of grilled chicken thigh, along with the brown rice base I chose. The nutty, clean-tasting chicken thigh topping is joined by around 15 vegetables and superfoods. With romaine, red cabbage, cherry tomatoes, imitation crab, and quail eggs, there are so many toppings that it is fun picking through them.

Salering’s bibim sauce in particular reinterprets gochujang with a spiciness that is just right for Korean palates! Its addictive heat and savory depth kept coming back to me.

I visited Salering Gyodae in search of poke for dinner near Gyodae Station. As a newly opened spot, the restaurant was pleasant and comfortable. I loved the fresh ingredients, from the vegetables to the chicken thigh, shrimp, and scallops, and the portions are big. Salering Gyodae Direct Store is healthy food that delivers on flavor, fullness, and wellness—a delicious healthy meal.