Mapo salad restaurant with yuzu protein boxes: Why Starve Diet

Lately, the Gongdeok salad spot I find myself reaching for most often is Why Starve Diet Gongdeok Main Branch! Salads can leave you hungry again the moment you turn around, but settling for just anything feels a little sad... This is exactly the place that fills that awkward gap, so I leave satisfied every time. A Gongdeok Station favorite where you can have a filling meal close to the station—Why Starve Diet~!

• Getting there: It is directly connected to Exit 2 of Gongdeok Station! Go through the passage between the optician and Subway, and you will spot it right away.
• Driving: Search for Lotte Premium Food Market Gongdeok Branch! Use the retail parking lot, rather than the apartment or hotel parking, to receive the discount.
• Hours: Weekdays 10:00–22:00 (last order 21:30), weekends 10:00–20:30 (last order 20:00).

Why Starve Diet, connected to Gongdeok Station Exit 2

You simply duck into the Lotte Castle retail arcade from Gongdeok Station Exit 2, so the access is genuinely excellent. Being able to get there without stepping outside on a rainy day is a bigger perk than you might think, haha. The entrance's orange accent color really catches your eye, so there is no chance of getting lost. The name “WHY STARVE?” is fun too. It means we should not go hungry, haha.

A cozy interior that's great for solo dining

The shop is on the cozy side, but its white palette and clear acrylic chairs create a clean atmosphere that feels more like a little café than a salad shop.

There are dedicated single seats facing the wall, so eating alone does not feel awkward at all. There were actually lots of people quietly having a meal by themselves! People were also steadily coming and going for takeout or delivery pickups, which made me think nearby office workers visit often for lunch too. The retro posters on the wall are quietly cute as well, haha.

How should you choose a protein box?

The signature here is the protein box! It is said to come with more than 150 g of meat, healthy carbohydrates, and fresh vegetables.

You order at a kiosk, and the combination system is quite organized. First, choose your main protein from chicken, beef, smoked duck, or salmon, then select a base: pasta, tofu noodles, oat rice, cauliflower rice, or Light (vegetables)! You can then customize the sauce and toppings to your taste. There is such a wide range of sauces—teriyaki, wasabi mayo, honey mustard, sriracha mayo, yuzu dressing, and more—that choosing is fun. You can also select requests such as leaving out or adding vegetables when ordering!

There is also a separate mala menu for spice lovers, while sides include tomato soup, sweet pumpkin soup, baked eggs, Greek yogurt, and protein cookies!

We ordered one drink set, which comes with a protein box, side, and drink, plus one protein box on its own! For the drink set, we upgraded the main to beef (+₩4,000), chose pasta as the base, yuzu dressing as the sauce, and a large can of Narangd Cider as the drink. The other was a salmon oat protein box, also with yuzu dressing, and we asked for no olives!

Salmon oat and beef pasta protein boxes

They were ready in no time! First, the salmon oat protein box~ The salmon was soft with a gentle smoky aroma, while the oat rice had a pleasant little bite that made it fun to eat. I also liked that the sauce came separately rather than already poured over everything. You can dip as much as you want and adjust it to your preference!

Next, the beef pasta protein box! It looks so colorful and pretty from the start~ The vegetable selection is impressively full, with lettuce, broccoli, bell pepper, green beans, chickpeas, and even onion flakes.

Maybe because it is cooked sous vide, the beef was not dry at all—it was moist and tender! Upgrading to beef for +₩4,000 was honestly such a good choice, haha.

The yuzu dressing we chose was tangy and refreshing, and it went beautifully with both the salmon and the beef. It was not heavy, so I could eat it to the end without getting tired of it~~

The pasta base was well tossed in sauce, so even the noodles alone were delicious. It was not the bland flavor people associate with salads; everything was seasoned just right, so I forgot I was eating a diet meal! It paired wonderfully with the cold large can of Narangd Cider, haha.

After finishing, I was surprised by how much more filling it was than expected. It felt like I had eaten lightly, but my stomach was comfortably full! Whenever you want a healthy meal near Gongdeok Station, or something simple after a workout, I highly, highly recommend it~