Gongdeok salad shop with sriracha mayo chicken pasta box: Why Starve

My office is in Gongdeok, so after the gym I always end up paying out of my own pocket at least once a week at my favorite Gongdeok salad spot — Why Starve Diet Gongdeok Main Branch. I've been going since the early days, before it became a chain, and it's still my go-to salad place. I usually eat there in the dining area, but this time I tried takeout for the first time!

Why Starve Diet Gongdeok — a genuine diet food favorite, visited more than 20 times

Where is Why Starve Diet Gongdeok Main Branch? Hours and parking

Why Starve Diet Gongdeok Main Branch is located at B1 B131, Lotte Castle President, 109 Mapo-daero, Mapo-gu, Seoul. Hours are Monday–Friday 10:00–22:00 and Saturday 10:00–21:00, closed Sundays.

• Parking: 2 hours free in the building's underground parking
• Don't drive into the apartment or hotel parking lot — search 'Lotte Premium Food Market Gongdeok' to find the right parking entrance easily.

This Gongdeok favorite sits right across from the Subway Gongdeok Station Lotte Castle branch!

It's connected underground to Exit 2 of Gongdeok Station, so it's super easy to find!

Solo dining at the bar table and how kiosk ordering works

The inside of Why Starve Diet Gongdeok is bright and refreshing! There are 2–4 person tables, plus a bar table facing the wall that's great for eating alone. I always sit at that bar table haha — it's so comfortable!

You order at the kiosk, so there's no need to talk to anyone — super convenient!

You can return your finished tray here! And if you join the review event, you get a free cold drink — choose from Naranghd, Welch's, zero-sugar cola, or coffee.

The two protein boxes worth ordering after 20+ visits, and prices

This is the Why Starve menu board! I've tried a bunch of things here, but the menu I always come back to is the chicken pasta protein box (₩9,900) and the mala smoked duck tofu noodle protein box (₩12,900)!

They also post the country of origin. The chicken I eat most often is domestic (Korean)!

On days I'm craving something heavy, I go for the mala smoked duck tofu noodle protein box — it's pretty intense and filling, and it totally calms my appetite down haha 🐷 Such is the life of a weight-maintainer...

But normally I go for the chicken pasta protein box. I've got my own little rules about it haha.

On weekends when I feel like I've eaten a bit too much, I go for the smoked duck light protein box or chicken light protein box, which don't include pasta noodles.

Dine-in chicken pasta protein box with sriracha mayo sauce

This is a photo from the last time I ate at Why Starve Diet Gongdeok's dining area haha. What I ordered that day was the chicken pasta protein box (₩8,900).

There's a generous amount of sous vide chicken, which I love.

It comes with broccoli, chickpeas, olives, flakes, paprika, lettuce, and more — I always ask them to leave out the green beans as an option, haha. The variety of textures makes it enjoyable to eat!

For sauce, I almost always pick wasabi mayo or sriracha mayo. That day's sauce was sriracha mayo!

Once you lift the chicken breast off, there's a delicious pasta noodle underneath. The portion is generous and it's genuinely delicious! Toss the noodles well with the sauce — for the rest of the vegetables and meat, just dip them in the sauce without mixing!

I don't usually like salad because the chicken tends to be dry and cold — but this Gongdeok salad spot cooks it sous vide, so the chicken breast comes out really moist and warm.

Takeout for the first time: beef pasta and chicken pasta protein boxes

This time I tried takeout from Why Starve for the first time haha. It was packed neatly and cleanly, so it was easy to bring home and eat.

That day I got two boxes to go — the beef pasta protein box and the chicken pasta protein box! Getting carbs and protein together in one meal after a workout is very good.

The chicken pasta protein box — well, what can I say, it's delicious every single time haha. The sous vide chicken keeps it super moist.

The beef pasta protein box was also tasty since it had been a while, but honestly my personal favorites are still the smoked duck and the sous vide chicken haha. The beef portion is generous too, so it's really filling.

The meat wasn't tough either, so it went really well with the pasta.

I don't usually like broccoli, but I actually eat it here haha. Those flakes are the real kicker — such an addictive flavor.

Make sure to mix the pasta with the sauce underneath! Since you're not tossing everything together all at once, you end up savoring each ingredient slowly, which I like.

Why Why Starve works even if you dislike salad

Why Starve Diet Gongdeok Main Branch is my go-to salad spot in Gongdeok! Beyond salads, they have filling diet meals like the beef and chicken pasta protein boxes, perfect for a post-workout meal. I think even people who dislike salad, like me, can really enjoy this place. I'll keep visiting and paying out of my own pocket going forward!