Hongdae healthy salad restaurant with a self-serve sauce bar: Slow

Are you eating light and healthy these days?! 🥗 I'd been eating heavy food nonstop lately and my stomach felt bloated, so I headed out near Hongdae to a poke place I genuinely love — Slow Cali Hongdae Entrance Station Branch.

Where is Slow Cali in Hongdae? Location, hours and parking

Slow Cali Hongdae Entrance Station Branch Address: 9 Sinchon-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, South Korea (1st floor) Hours: Daily (10:00 - 23:00) Parking: Dedicated parking behind the store (free)

Can you eat alone at Slow Cali? Bar seats for one and kiosk ordering

Inside, Slow Cali Hongdae Entrance Station Branch has both 4-person tables and single-seat bar tables set up nicely, so I'd seriously recommend it to anyone looking for a solo dining spot in Hongdae! It felt like a comfortable place to enjoy a nice meal alone without any awkwardness.

There's a kiosk near the entrance where you can take your time browsing photos of the menu along with base and sauce options on screen — really convenient 👍🏻👍🏻

What's on the self-serve bar: sriracha, jalapeños and more

On one side there's this cute, neatly arranged self-serve bar! Sriracha sauce, mayonnaise, jalapeños, spoons, forks, and water cups are all there for you to grab as much as you need.

What we ordered at Slow Cali and what it cost

Ta-da! Here's what we ordered 🤗 True to a good Hongdae salad restaurant, the portions were surprisingly generous and looked pretty filling!

• Salmon poke (₩12,900) / base: brown rice & salad / sauce: classic sauce (signature)
• Flank steak bowl (₩14,500) / base: brown rice & salad / sauce: soy sauce (basic sauce)

The biggest perk of Slow Cali is that you can mix and match toppings and sauces to your taste!! We went ahead and confidently ordered Slow Cali's signature salmon poke and the flank steak bowl!

Flank steak bowl (₩14,500)

If you like meat, this is the one you have to get, no question. The flank steak comes out moist and tender, and the combo of soy sauce, vegetables, and brown rice was genuinely delicious.

There was broccoli and bell pepper mixed in too, so the texture was great, and adding jalapeños from the self-serve bar made it satisfying enough to make you wonder, "is this really diet food?"

Salmon poke (₩12,900)

The salmon poke was loaded generously with salmon chunks, and mixed with flying fish roe, red cabbage, and onion chips — one bite and the umami just bursts, truly amazing!! With brown rice mixed in, it was surprisingly filling and satisfying even as a diet salad.

There wasn't a hint of fishy taste, and it went perfectly with the classic sauce — I couldn't stop eating 😳😳 Your stomach ends up completely full! The nutritional content is decent too, so I'd recommend this to anyone dieting or working out as a great salad restaurant in Hongdae.

How to make your Slow Cali bowl spicier

Add a little sriracha sauce from the self-serve bar and it gets spicy enough that you never get bored — way more delicious! If you like spicy food, definitely add the self-serve bar sauces!

Is Slow Cali worth it for a Hongdae lunch or solo meal?

Slow Cali Hongdae Entrance Station Branch nailed the taste, portion, and nutrition all at once! ✨ It's surprisingly filling, making it a perfect Hongdae lunch spot, and the relaxed atmosphere makes it a solid choice for solo dining in Hongdae too! If you're looking for a healthy diet meal or a diet salad restaurant you can actually enjoy eating, definitely pay a visit!