Truffle mushroom poke takeout dinner at Slow Cali, a Hongdae poke shop

Poke takeout for dinner at Slow Cali near Hongik University Station

I was trying to figure out what to eat for dinner in Hongdae, and that day I wanted something clean and light rather than heavy, so I got takeout poke from Slow Cali Hongdae Entrance Station Branch.

It's close to Hongdae Station and the shop sits right along the street, so it was easy to spot! I was craving a salad, but I figured vegetables alone would leave me hungry again soon, so I went with poke, which comes with rice included.

Lots of people were eating in! I thought about eating there too, but that day I wanted to eat comfortably at home, so I ordered it to go.

Salmon poke and truffle mushroom poke, both with the basic sauce

What I ordered that day was a salmon poke and a truffle mushroom poke. I picked one of each, and for both I chose the most basic sauce option. When in doubt, always go basic! Am I the only one who overthinks the sauce choice? Haha.

When I opened up the takeout containers, both bowls were packed with a good variety of ingredients — they looked hearty and the colors were really pretty too. Full of ingredients that are good for you. Just looking at it made me feel healthier, haha.

How does the salmon poke taste? Soft salmon, crunchy vegetables

I started with the salmon poke. Salmon sat in the center, surrounded by vegetables and various toppings.

Rice was mixed in too, so I stirred everything together well before eating.

Scooping up salmon, rice, and vegetables together worked much better than eating them separately. The salmon was soft, the vegetables were crunchy — the textures played off each other nicely. Different toppings kept showing up in each bite too, so every mouthful felt a little different. The basic sauce I picked also worked well mixed in with everything. It wasn't overly strong, so I could still taste the salmon and vegetables clearly — really nice.

The salmon poke looked like a light dish at first glance, but once I started eating, it was more filling than I expected. With rice and salmon both in the mix, one bowl left me pretty full. And since vegetables were in there too, it didn't feel too heavy afterward for dinner — which I liked, haha.

What goes into Slow Cali's truffle mushroom poke?

Unlike the salmon poke, the truffle mushroom poke had mushrooms as the main ingredient. Vegetables and seaweed were mixed in too, plus rice, so overall it felt like a well-rounded bowl. Placing the two side by side, since the main ingredients were so different, they'd be great to alternate between.

The mushrooms went really well with the rice. They had a distinct texture with a satisfying chew, and the flavor was clearly different from the salmon poke. The seaweed mixed in kept popping up as a nice accent throughout!

Eating the two poke bowls side by side

Switching back and forth between the salmon poke and the truffle mushroom poke, I noticed that even though they're both poke, the eating experience felt quite different depending on the main ingredient. The salmon poke was about the soft salmon and crunchy vegetables together, while the truffle mushroom poke centered on the mushroom's flavor and texture. Glad I ordered both, haha.

Is one poke bowl enough for dinner?

Above all, I was happy that it kept me fuller than I expected for dinner. You might think a salad wouldn't quite cut it as a full dinner, but poke comes with rice and main ingredients together, so one bowl was plenty on its own. And it wasn't overly heavy afterward either, so it worked well as a dinner option.

I got it as takeout this time, but it's the kind of place that comes to mind when looking for salad or poke in Hongdae. If you want something light but vegetables alone won't satisfy you, I'd recommend poke. Both the salmon poke and the truffle mushroom poke worked well as a dinner, and I was satisfied — more filling than I expected!