Basement poke restaurant in Seocho with student discount: Olla Poke

So many people around us are watching what they eat these days, right? Especially with college or office life, sticking to a diet isn't easy, is it?? When there's piles of assignments, overtime or stress, you have to eat something tasty to get through it, don't you,,, haha. It's not just me, right?

Near Gyodae, it turns out there's a place where you can look after both taste and health.

Olla Poke Seocho Gyodae Branch: hours and location

Olla Poke Seocho Gyodae Branch (올라포케 서초교대점) is at 54 Banpo-daero 28-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul, on basement level 1. It's open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., last order is 8:30 p.m., and it's closed on Saturdays and Sundays, so keep that in mind!!

I'd eaten at another branch before and was happy with it, so I came here this time with confidence.

A space this big underground?

Olla Poke Seocho Gyodae Branch is in a basement, so it felt a little curious when I first went looking for it.

The stairs down are steeper than you'd expect, so you need to go down carefully. And when you come back out, you're right next to a road with lots of cars, so be careful there too!

But once I actually went inside, it was much bigger and more pleasant than it looked from outside!

The green plant decorations and minimalist interior made it feel open and airy. The tables are an unusual shape, so photos seem to come out nicely too, and the whole place felt really clean, haha.

I visited well after lunchtime, and there were still a few customers there.

The place is big, so it looked like it could hold plenty of people even at peak time.

Raw salmon poke for ₩13,500: what's in the bowl?

What I ordered was Olla Poke's raw salmon poke for ₩13,500, and I was surprised by how generous it looked as soon as it arrived. It has a full 100g of Norwegian superior-grade raw salmon, and the springy texture was the best part.

The basic toppings all felt fresh too, so it passed on looks alone. At 375kcal, the raw salmon poke is easy on the calories, which makes it perfect for people on a diet.

With 19g of carbs and a whopping 27.4g of protein, the nutrition is really solid! Fat is a moderate 9.3g, so it's a healthy but filling meal.

Sriracha mayo sauce with raw salmon

I picked the recommended sauce, sriracha mayo, and it was a perfect match with the salmon. The slightly spicy, nutty flavor seemed to keep the salmon from getting too rich, haha. Personally, I liked this raw salmon even more than the steak poke I had last time.

The ingredients didn't feel separate from each other and blended well with the sauce, so I enjoyed it to the very last bite.

Honestly, some people worry that health food will leave them hungry again soon. But the portions here are really generous. After finishing it, you're properly full!

Is it good for eating alone near Gyodae Station?

A big plus of Olla Poke Seocho Gyodae Branch is the relaxed atmosphere where you don't feel self-conscious visiting alone. The seating is spaced out comfortably, so I thought there's no better place for a solo salad meal near Gyodae Station.

There's a student ID event going on and unusual menu items like pizza, so there's a decent range of choices. It's served neatly as a one-bowl dish, which makes it easy to eat, so I'd recommend it to busy office workers too.

If you want to keep a healthy diet without giving up on taste, it's worth a stop.

10% student discount and pizza at night

I enjoyed my meal even more at the Olla Poke Gyodae branch thanks to how pleasant the space is. 💡 I also heard there's a 10% discount if you bring your student ID. If that applies to you, be sure to bring it!

I only just found out that they sell pizza at night too, so it seems like a good spot for dinner with friends as well. I'm curious how the pizza tastes, so I might come back again.. heh.