Protein bowl shop at Jonggak Station: half-steak bowl to go, Wystab

What is Wystab Gwanghwamun like?

Wystab Diet Gwanghwamun (와이스타브 다이어트 광화문점), near Jonggak Station, calls itself Korea's first protein box specialist, serving healthy meals with a good mix of carbs, protein and fat. Wystab (Why starve) is famous among dieters, and the name literally says "why starve?" The shop is clean and the menu is well thought out, so anyone watching their diet can eat their fill here.

These days big meals are hard to digest, and I end up eating a lot of salads and poke bowls. It feels like dieting has moved beyond simply starving to filling up on protein.

The shop was bright and clean overall, with a tidy kitchen like a salad bar and friendly staff, so even on my first visit it felt easy to go alone!

How do you choose a Wystab menu?

At Wystab you pick a protein, a base and a sauce to build the box you want. There are also sides: Greek yogurt, protein cookies and tomato soup.

• Protein: chicken / smoked duck / salmon / beef
• Base: pasta / tofu noodles / oats / cauliflower rice / none
• Sauce: teriyaki / spicy teriyaki / wasabi mayo / sriracha mayo / honey mustard

I liked being able to put it together in all sorts of ways. There were set menus too!! With a drink included, isn't the price almost too kind?

How do ordering, prices and seating work?

There is a kiosk outside the entrance for ordering, and you can also order from the machine inside. Prices run from 7.9 to 13.9 (thousand won), about the same as other salad shops.

The menu board was big and sorted by carb type: Light (no carbs) / pasta / oats / tofu noodles / cauliflower rice. Since it's split by what goes in, it was quite easy to read.

The interior isn't big but it's neatly designed, with appetizing posters on the walls. There are two 4-person tables and about four solo table chairs, so eating alone at lunch or dinner feels easy. The counter, where you pick up food, is at the back, and the open kitchen makes it a place you can trust.

Most customers seemed to be people who work out or watch their diet, so it had a real healthy-restaurant feel. Wystab's strength is a perfectly balanced mix of protein, carbs and fat! There's also a receipt review event: post a review and show it, and you get a drink.

Is Wystab good for eating alone near Jonggak Station?

Lots of people were eating alone at their own tables, so it never felt awkward, and there were many young women in particular. For anyone who doesn't want to give up flavor while dieting, Wystab is a really good restaurant.

The menu is varied and calorie counts are clearly shown, so dieters will cheer. Above all it seems to prove that you can eat tasty food on a diet. Don't starve, just eat, haha

How did the oat and duck bowl taste?

Wystab's oat-base bowl is high in protein and full of vegetables, so it keeps you full for a long time, and the dressing is light and fresh so you don't get tired of it. The oats supply slow-absorbing carbs, and the salty flavor balances the meal.

Vegetables, oats and duck came together for something healthy yet rich in flavor! The portion was quite big and I felt full, and the value was decent too! You can choose many ways and eat in the shop, but takeout is possible too, so I took it away!

Is the steak portion really big?

The steak bowl at Wystab Gwanghwamun had steak taking up almost half the bowl! The vegetables were satisfying too: salad greens, asparagus, chickpeas, bell pepper and olives. The portion never left me wanting more.

One of Wystab Diet Gwanghwamun's strengths is the oats. You have to chew them well, so they really filled me up. You get plenty of protein plus good carbs like oats and chickpeas, so it doesn't feel like a plain chicken-breast diet but a tasty meal.

The steak was cooked just right, and picking through the vegetables was fun! Many other places have more vegetables than meat, but here half the bowl was meat, which I was happy with. I recommend it to anyone looking for a salad near Jonggak Station or Gwanghwamun!!