Weekend dinner at a Gongdeok salad shop: salmon steak box, Why Starve

A Gongdeok Station favorite, a Gongdeok salad restaurant for diet meals — Why Starve Diet Gongdeok Main Branch.

Words, photos @dalhae

Where is Why Starve Diet Gongdeok Main Branch, and what are its hours?

• 📍B131, B1F Lotte Castle President, 109 Mapo-daero, Mapo-gu, Seoul
• ⏰Mon–Fri 10:00–22:00 (last order 21:30) / Sat 10:00–21:00 (last order 20:30)
• Closed Sundays
• ✔️Delivery, takeout, parking available

Today I want to introduce a diet-food favorite near Gongdeok Station, Why Starve Diet Gongdeok Main Branch! I'd recommend it as an eating-out option for anyone on a diet.

It's a chain, with locations in Konkuk University, Gwanghwamun, and Sillim too! Since the menu is simple and great for eating alone, it seems to cluster around office districts.

The location closest to my workplace is Gongdeok, so that's the branch I visited~ Why Starve Diet Gongdeok Main Branch is in the building connected to Gongdeok Station Exit 2! Just look for the orange salad shop between the eyewear shop and Subway inside the building~

Seats at Why Starve Diet Gongdeok and the weekend evening mood

The interior of Why Starve Diet Gongdeok Main Branch isn't large — just two 4-person tables and two bar seats, in a cozy little salad shop. I visited late on a weekend evening, and there were plenty of customers in the store plus a ton of delivery orders going out~

With such a varied, convenient, tasty, and healthy diet-meal lineup, no wonder it's this popular! Haha, seems like everyone but me is on a diet here ^^,,

Anyway, the vibe felt totally fine for eating alone, haha.

How to order: kiosk or Naver pickup?

You can order at the kiosk near the front of the store. Naver pickup ordering is also available,,! If you want to get your food faster, I'd recommend ordering through Naver before you arrive. Especially during peak hours, there are a lot of orders, and since everything is prepared fresh right after ordering, it does take a little bit of time.

What's on the menu at Why Starve Diet Gongdeok

Above all, the menu is so varied ㅠㅠ picking something was actually hard! Overall the options were

• Light Protein Box
• Pasta Protein Box
• Oat Protein Box
• Tofu Noodle Protein Box
• Cauliflower Protein Box
• Mala Protein Box
• Sides (yogurt, cookies)

and more!

Check here for the detailed menu〰️ Everything from calories to protein content is listed. It looked like new menu items keep getting added too!!

For anyone who finds it hard to choose, there's also a filling set option — "1 protein box + 1 side + 1 drink" — which made for an even more satisfying meal!

The event running during the visit

+ True to its reputation as a dieters' favorite, Why Starve Diet Gongdeok Main Branch had several events running to help customers keep up a healthy diet. Ordering through Naver came with a 10% discount coupon, and there was a prepayment event for nearby office workers. There was also a Naver receipt review event offering a drink that pairs well with the salad.

Salmon Steak Light Protein Box with added cabbage salad

That day I wanted to eat (fairly) heartily, so I ordered the Salmon Steak Light Protein Box (salad) plus an added cabbage salad.

It wasn't just plain vegetables — there were chickpeas, broccoli, and other veggies that make you (a little) picky, and I loved that so much!! Haha. You could also choose a separate sauce, but I just went with the basic one! Haha.

The combination of soft salmon steak in the protein box and the fresh vegetables was so good it made me wonder — is this really a diet meal?! It was my first time trying salmon steak here, and it was completely tender with a generous portion, haha.

Highly recommended for Gongdeok office workers — a diet-friendly eating-out favorite, a salad restaurant where you can actually enjoy your diet meal: Why Starve Diet Gongdeok Main Branch. With a menu lineup that sets it apart from typical salad shops and solid value for money, give it a try~〰️