Poke takeout in Bangbae during morning sickness: Botanic Market

Why I went to Botanic Market in Bangbae during morning sickness

I'm in my second trimester, but the morning sickness hasn't fully gone away and my stomach feels bloated, so I picked up an açaí bowl and a chipotle salmon poke to go from Botanic Market, a salad and poke shop in Bangbae-dong. Lately my digestion is bad and my stomach is just constantly bloated, so I can't handle greasy food.

(When is this morning sickness ever going to end... I'm still taking anti-nausea medication and it's still like this, ugh.) At times like this, what I always crave is clean food like salads and poke, so today I went to Botanic Market, a well-known Bangbae-dong favorite.

Botanic Market hours and parking

Botanic Market is at 96 Bangbaecheon-ro 2an-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul, on the first floor, and it's open daily from 10:30 to 20:00. Break time is 15:00 to 16:00, and parking is available.

• Address: 96 Bangbaecheon-ro 2an-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul, 1st floor
• Hours: daily 10:30 - 20:00
• Break time: 15:00 - 16:00
• Parking: available

Of all days, the road in front of Botanic Market was under construction, so I couldn't go straight in and had to circle the building once before finally getting there. Honestly there's so much construction everywhere these days that driving is incredibly stressful. There's construction in front of my office too... is it construction season or something??? Still, the moment I arrived the clean, bright atmosphere cheered me up, a proper salad-spot feel.

Botanic Market's new açaí bowl: toppings and taste

The açaí bowl at Botanic Market came loaded with coconut chips, chia seeds, strawberries, banana, cacao nibs and granola. I ordered the açaí bowl and the chipotle salmon poke, and the açaí bowl looked so healthy that just seeing it made me feel better.

Açaí berries are super hot right now, right? I usually love hunting down good açaí spots, and Botanic Market's new açaí bowl really satisfied me.

What if your takeout açaí bowl melts?

I stopped by the market on the way home with the açaí bowl, and it melted a little. So I put it in the freezer for a bit before eating, and it actually got thicker and creamier, which was totally my style.

It was sweet yet refreshing, and the granola texture was so good that I was happy the whole time I ate it. I think people will be seeking this out like crazy once summer comes.

Pregnant women will totally fall for this taste!!! I'm going back next week to eat it again!!! Normally once I've had something I don't touch it again for a while, but Botanic Market's açaí bowl made me want it again~ I'm going to bring my husband too haha.

What's in Botanic Market's chipotle salmon poke?

Botanic Market's chipotle salmon poke has a mixed greens base piled with raw salmon, topped with flying fish roe, hijiki seaweed, crumbled seaweed, fried onion flakes, corn and avocado. The real showstopper was this chipotle salmon poke, because the combination was just perfect.

Add the spicy chipotle dressing on top and it was a dream... I fully agree this is a top Bangbae-dong poke shop.

Why it's hard to pick a good poke shop

The raw salmon at Botanic Market's chipotle salmon poke was super fresh, and the dressing was seasoned just right. Honestly, salads are decent pretty much anywhere, but a bad poke place gives you a fishy taste and awkward ingredient combos, so you feel like you wasted money and ruined your appetite. That's why I rarely eat poke unless it's a place I trust, but this day's choice was truly perfect.

I was marveling the whole time I ate. Eaten with brown rice, it was filling too, just right as a full meal.

Why I recommend Botanic Market when you have no appetite

If you have no appetite and an upset stomach like me lately, and want something that isn't harsh but still tastes great, I really recommend Botanic Market in Bangbae-dong. It should satisfy people looking for a Bangbae-dong restaurant, a salad spot or an açaí bowl spot.

Next time I want to try Botanic Market's other poke options. When it's hot and I have no appetite, I'm definitely heading to Botanic Market!