Protein poke takeout at Gyodae Station: egg & octopus side, Olla Poke

I ended up getting a whole day's worth of nutrition right here.

What is Olla Poke Seocho Gyodae Branch like?

Olla Poke Seocho Gyodae Branch is a poke and salad restaurant on the B1 floor of a building near Gyodae Station. It opened recently, so the inside is clean and quiet. I'd found a salad place that's very on-trend and also fine for eating alone. As a Gyodae Station lunch spot it lacked nothing, and tucked neatly into that basement floor, it earned a pass from me on many fronts.

Olla Poke Seocho Gyodae Branch hours and days off

Break time at Olla Poke Seocho Gyodae Branch is 3 PM to 5 PM, and it's closed on Sundays, so aim for weekdays or Saturdays. Last order is 8:30 PM, so it works for a solo dinner too.

The pamphlet caught my eye. The slogan decorating the entrance, "delicious, generous, poke your way," wasn't just marketing. When I actually ate, the toppings were plentiful and everything went together and honestly tasted good, so even people watching their weight can have a satisfying meal without stress.

Kiosk menu and custom toppings

You order at a kiosk, where I could see the signature menu at a glance, with smoked duck, chicken breast, avocado and more, starting in the low ₩10,000s. You can add toppings you like on top, so it's customized Gyodae lunch in every sense.

It was 5 PM when I stepped in, and the lighting was soft. The owner greeted customers kindly and neatly, and all the prepared ingredients were so varied and generous that you just pick what you like.

Solo seats and outlets near Gyodae Station

The tables inside Olla Poke Seocho Gyodae Branch had a pretty modern feel. The seats against the wall fit two people, and the middle tables are bar-style for eating alone, which I was glad to see. There were plenty of outlets too, so you can charge your phone or watch Shorts and videos and enjoy your own little mealtime.

Self bar and ingredient origins

There's also a self bar on one side where you can help yourself to wet wipes, water and coffee, a generous, considerate touch from Olla Poke Seocho Gyodae Branch.

The ingredient origins deserve a mention too. The vegetables are organic, and they say they chose only fresh, earth-friendly produce. No wonder every leaf went down so easily, almost sweet. Looking at the origin labels, I was glad to see the brown rice, seaweed, eggs and more are all Korean.

I can't tell you how happy I was that every seat has a phone holder and an outlet for charging. It's a place where you can come alone at lunchtime, eat and also get a little rest. Among the Gyodae Station restaurants in the Gangnam area, I felt it really hit office workers' tastes and cultural sensibility.

How fast does the Super Protein Poke come out?

Because Olla Poke Seocho Gyodae Branch prepares all its ingredients ahead, my Super Protein Poke came out in about 5 minutes, packed neatly in a tidy container so nothing shifted. I ordered the pricier version, loaded with protein toppings from salmon to chicken breast and chickpeas.

You can pick the base: brown rice only, salad only, 7:3, buckwheat noodles and so on, which felt more efficient and welcome. Everyone's tastes differ, after all.

• Super Protein Poke ₩14,900
• Extra boiled egg ₩1,000
• Buldak octopus kkakdugi ₩5,000

Does the takeout poke stay intact?

I shook the Super Protein Poke from Olla Poke Seocho Gyodae Branch all the way home, yet nothing moved and every ingredient sat evenly and prettily, which surprised me. At a glance there were chunks of raw salmon, which made me happy. Plenty of organic vegetables were laid down, along with a scoop of moist, nicely chewy brown rice, so it felt hearty.

Sriracha mayo sauce and toppings

The sauces were varied too. I picked the Sriracha mayo, and it really goes well with the raw salmon. The boiled egg added protein and felt filling. There was a little chicken breast and tuna, and quite a lot of corn and chickpeas. With red onion, fresh green organic vegetables and a ripe half avocado, it was genuinely delicious.

The red onion wasn't sharp, so they seem to soak it in water. With everything trimmed so nothing catches rough in your mouth, it felt like saving the effort and cost of making a salad or poke at home. If you eat at home, you can add more sauce like soy sauce or perilla oil. I added some perilla seed powder to boost the omega-3.

How was the Buldak octopus kkakdugi side?

The side at Olla Poke Seocho Gyodae Branch, Buldak octopus kkakdugi (₩5,000), is lightly blanched octopus in spicy Buldak sauce, cut into bite-size pieces. The portion was surprisingly big, and it was a work of art. Of course it's full of vegetables too, so you get plenty of fiber.

Picking and scooping flying fish roe, salmon, red onion, corn and more was a lot of fun. It was soft, nutty, sweet, crunchy and fresh, so much that I wondered if this really counts as diet food.

It's a 3-minute walk from Gyodae Station Exit 4. Closed on Sundays.