Gyodae Station poke and mushroom soup set, 70% salad: Olla Poke

I was looking for somewhere to grab a light solo meal between Gyodae Station and Seocho Station, and that's how I ended up at Olla Poke Seocho Gyodae Branch. You can customize your poke or salad however you want, so it's a solid option during a diet, and best of all there were plenty of seats made for eating alone.

Where Olla Poke Seocho Gyodae Branch is and when it opens

Olla Poke Seocho Gyodae Branch is on the basement floor at 54 Banpo-daero 28-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul, right between Gyodae Station and Seocho Station. It's open daily from 10:30 to 21:00, with parking, separate men's/women's restrooms, and takeout and delivery available.

It's a convenient spot for nearby office workers on their lunch break or anyone wanting a light meal. Beyond poke and salad, they also serve pizza and other menu items in the evening, which is a nice touch.

Does Olla Poke take group orders and Naver reservations?

It's great for a quick solo meal, but group orders are also possible, and you can make a Naver reservation, which seems convenient for ordering ahead.

Finding the basement entrance and what the restaurant looks like

Olla Poke is located in the basement of the Mala Gongbang building, and the left entrance leads straight down into the restaurant.

The stairs at the left entrance are a bit steep, so if that's uncomfortable for you, feel free to use the right entrance instead. There's a banner near the right entrance that reads 'poke by day, pizza by night.'

Olla Poke Seocho Gyodae Branch sits almost exactly halfway between Seocho Station and Gyodae Station, so it's easy to reach by public transit. If you're looking for a solo salad spot near Seocho or Gyodae Station, I'd give this one a perfect score on location.

Solo seats with power outlets and phone stands

Inside, there's a good mix of seating — solo seats as well as tables for two and four. I liked that there were seats specifically set up for solo dining, so you don't have to feel awkward sitting alone at a four-person table.

The solo seats especially come with outlets and phone stands, which would make it easy to check your phone or get a bit of work done while eating.

There was also a corner with things like hair ties and mouthwash — small conveniences that come in surprisingly handy during a meal. That level of thoughtfulness felt more considerate than I expected. There's also a restroom inside the restaurant, which is convenient.

Olla Poke's menu and choosing your salad-to-rice ratio

Olla Poke's base is poke or salad, and you can choose from a variety of toppings and sauces. There's a wide range of options like raw salmon poke, steak poke, smoked duck poke, and avocado poke, and you can add extra toppings to suit your taste.

One thing that stands out about Olla Poke is that you can choose the ratio of salad to oat brown rice. On days when you want to eat light, it's great to order with a higher vegetable ratio.

There's also a calorie chart posted, which made it easy to choose a menu item while keeping an eye on my diet.

Outside food delivery after 5 p.m. and in-store events

There was one unusual service I noticed at Olla Poke: after 5pm, if each person orders one alcoholic drink, you can have outside food delivered. They were also running a business card event, where entering gives you a chance to win various perks through a drawing.

They also run other events like receipt reviews, so it's worth checking those out when you visit.

Detailed usage instructions are posted on the wall, so if it's your first visit, it's worth giving them a read before you order.

How the poke & mushroom soup set tasted with 70% salad, 30% rice

That day, I ordered the poke & mushroom soup set. I added avocado and raw salmon, and chose a salad-to-rice ratio of 7:3.

Rather than skipping the rice entirely, I added a little to keep myself full while still raising the vegetable ratio.

I chose sriracha mayo for the sauce. The crunchy vegetables, savory avocado, and raw salmon came together with the spicy, slightly savory sriracha mayo better than I expected.

Every ingredient felt fresh, and the portion looked generous. Even though I chose more salad than rice, it didn't feel lacking as a full meal.

Eating the mushroom soup alongside it added a warm element that made the meal feel more substantial than just having salad alone.

As I ate, I noticed seaweed mixed in too, which I love, so that made the meal even more enjoyable.

I'd recommend not just eating salad alone even if you're dieting — putting together vegetables, protein, and a moderate amount of carbs like this is worth trying too.

Free self-serve coffee machine at Olla Poke

Olla Poke also has a self-serve coffee machine you can use. Since the coffee is free, I grabbed myself an iced Americano too. Not having to separately order coffee after a salad meal made it feel even better suited as an office lunch.

Who this Gyodae Station salad lunch suits

If you're looking for a light meal between Gyodae Station and Seocho Station, how about Olla Poke Seocho Gyodae Branch? With seating ranging from solo seats to four-person tables, and outlets and phone stands at the solo seats, the atmosphere felt easy to visit alone.

If you're looking for a place for a Gyodae Station salad solo meal, you can eat comfortably by yourself and enjoy free coffee too — a good stop for lunch.