Mala smoked duck tofu noodle protein box near Gongdeok Station

It was such a heatwave this summer that,, (?) my diet ultimately failed,,,😂 Diet starts from fall,,,🍁🍂

I had plans with friends that evening for a famous grilled skewer place in Mapo, so I told myself 'eat well today, and out of conscience, eat salad tomorrow,,,' and went looking for a salad place,,,,

Wait, what's this? There's the famous salad diet restaurant Why Starve Diet Gongdeok Main Branch! 🤩

Actually, I'd seen Why Starve Diet on social media before and thought 'how can salad look this pretty,,,?' — it was the brand that first made me want to try eating salad🧡 I'd always wanted to visit but was sad there was no branch in my neighborhood🥹

But to run into it right at Gongdeok Station!! This must be fate haha,, I finally got to visit Why Starve Diet, the place I'd been curious about 💚

Location of Why Starve Diet Gongdeok Main Branch near Gongdeok Station

Why Starve Diet Gongdeok Main Branch / 109 Mapo-daero, Mapo-gu, Seoul, Lotte Castle President B1, B131

Why Starve Diet Gongdeok Main Branch is located on the basement level of Lotte Castle President, connected to Exit 2 of Gongdeok Station haha. Just go through the passage between the optician and Subway and you'll find it easily :)

Isn't the bright orange storefront so pretty :)🧡

Why Starve? Why go hungry? I came here to eat you!!!!

What's the vibe inside? Solo dining is fine too

The orange-and-white color combo caught my eye the moment I stepped in! 🧡🤍 Clean but playful, and with retro posters and clear chairs added on top, it really had that kitschy, of-the-moment diet meal restaurant vibe going on!🫧

It also looked great for eating alone :)

You order via kiosk! ✅ Don't forget there's a Naver receipt review event and a prepayment event too, so make sure to grab the perks!!

How to order a protein box and menu breakdown

Scanning the menu, there were way more options than I expected! The signature protein boxes stood out right away — made with chicken, smoked duck, beef, salmon, or mala. You just pick your own combo in order: protein ➡️ base ➡️ sauce ➡️ extra toppings!

⭐ How to order at Why Starve Diet Gongdeok Main Branch

So that's why the salads look so pretty,,,🥗❣️ Why Starve Diet is amazing for picking exactly the combo you like! Great price range too, and the sides go all the way from soup to Greek yogurt to protein cookies — way more choices than I expected :)👍🏻

I got the classic Chicken Light and one Mala Smoked Duck Tofu Noodle Protein Box, both packed to go!! Salad plus mala combo,, unbelievable,,,,❤️🔥

How do you pick the sauce and toppings?

You have to choose one basic dipping sauce per protein box, and you can also add or remove toppings as you like :) ⭐Totally customizable salad!⭐ I asked for wasabi mayo plus the staff's recommendation, and they gave me honey mustard, which pairs best with the duck!

150g or more of protein meat — this really is a protein bomb💪🏻💣 Checking the nutrition label, most meals really do pack in a solid 20 to 50 grams of protein!

There's also a range of bases so you can pick according to the calories or diet you're going for that day👍🏻 If you ate hard (?) the day before like me and want something light out of conscience the next day, go for the light menu! And if you still want a hearty meal, the pasta or oat options should work well haha🤤

Does it stay fresh if you pack it and eat it the next day?

My beautifully packed salads,, why do they look so delicious,,,????

I enjoyed Mapo grilled skewers that night,,, put the boxes in the fridge, and opened them up the next day! Still very fresh >,,<🤍

Chicken Light Protein Box: 281 kcal, 43g protein

First up is the Chicken Light Protein Box!

The classic Chicken Light,, 🍗💛 Low calories (281 kcal) but high protein (43g), which felt like a great one-meal option while dieting!!!

Wait,, why is the chicken breast this soft,,? I actually really don't like dry chicken breast,, but there was something different about Why Starve Diet's chicken, so I checked — it's cooked with steam and sous vide, and it was truly moist and tender ㅠㅠ 🤤 Dipped in wasabi mayo, I was like, is this really diet food??? haha

Inside there were so many different vegetables — green beans, chickpeas, olives, broccoli, and more,, I got really full off it,,🤫

How does the mala smoked duck tofu noodle protein box taste?

And the next day, the Mala Smoked Duck Tofu Noodle Protein Box! I'm a total mala fanatic haha,, I thought 'no way I can have mala while dieting' but wait, what,, mala in a salad,,😳❤️🔥

Under the moist smoked duck, there's a really thick pile of tofu noodles,,!! And they're coated in mala sauce too,, isn't this basically mala xiangguo?? hahahaha

The distinctive numbing-spicy mala flavor paired so well with the savory, salty richness of the moist smoked duck! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 The mala flavor wasn't overpowering, just subtle enough — guilt-free and just right❣️

But seriously, the duck,, so delicious,, how is it this moist? The tofu noodle portion was really generous too, and the sauce coated it so well that eating it together with the smoked duck cut through the richness and made it even more!! delicious!🤤

Who would I recommend this to

If you love mala!! If you're sick of boring diet food! You have to try the mala protein box at Why Starve Diet❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥

Dieting isn't just about starving yourself or eating less, right? With Why Starve Diet's protein boxes, you get good nutrition and food that's fun to look at and delicious to eat!

If you're like me and find it hard to give up a delicious meal while dieting, I totally recommend managing your diet the easy way with Why Starve Diet!!🥗🥗🥗🧡🤍