Gongdeok diet restaurant, 58g-protein egg bomb poke bowl: Why Starve

A salad restaurant near Gongdeok Station: Why Starve Diet

If you're looking for a salad restaurant near Gongdeok Station, it's Why Starve Diet Gongdeok Main Branch. Today's post is a review of the mala smoked duck pasta and the protein rice bowl.

When you're dieting, food is probably the biggest headache. Eating nothing but salad every time isn't easy, but regular restaurant food makes you worry about calories.

That's when a menu that packs in protein and vegetables without sacrificing taste makes managing your diet so much easier.

This time I went back to Why Starve Diet Gongdeok Main Branch, known as a salad restaurant near Gongdeok Station. Last time I enjoyed the chicken tofu noodle protein box, so this time I picked something different.

Where is Why Starve Diet Gongdeok Main Branch, and what are its hours?

Why Starve Diet Gongdeok Main Branch is in the Lotte Castle building connected to Gongdeok Station. It's on the basement level, so it's convenient — you can walk straight in from Exit 2 without going up to street level. If you're heading up to the street, just go down one floor from this entrance.

• Naver Map address: B1F (B131), Lotte Castle President, 109 Mapo-daero, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Hours: Mon–Sat 10:00–22:00, last order 21:30
• Takeout and delivery available — delivery orders were quite frequent
• Parking: free with the commercial building's own parking lot. Do not park in the Lotte Castle apartment or hotel parking — only the commercial lot qualifies for the discount

What is the restaurant like inside?

The Why Starve Diet Gongdeok Main Branch space has a modern, clean feel — a grab-and-go concept that's easy to drop into for a quick meal.

Overall it's nicely arranged and good for solo dining. Takeout and delivery orders seemed to make up a fairly large share.

Ordering is done through the kiosk.

Today's order: one protein box and one protein rice bowl

This time at Why Starve Diet Gongdeok Main Branch I ordered the mala smoked duck pasta protein box for 11,900 won and the egg bomb poke protein rice bowl for 9,900 won.

Both menus pack in plenty of protein, so they seem like great choices for lunch or dinner after work.

Mala smoked duck pasta protein box, 11,900 won

First up: the mala smoked duck pasta protein box with honey mustard sauce. It's priced at 11,900 won, with 688kcal and 32g of protein.

Above all, the distinctive mala aroma and flavor really come through. Eating the vegetables and smoked duck together gives a variety of textures, and the crispy onion flakes add a nice crunchy accent.

It comes with 150g of smoked duck along with chickpeas, lettuce, green beans, broccoli, bell pepper, olives, and crispy onion flakes.

Thanks to that distinctive tingly, fragrant mala flavor, this was a great choice for when a typical diet meal starts feeling boring. This one is delicious! I'd sort of assumed diet food wasn't going to taste great — turns out I was completely wrong. The smoked duck and mala pasta combo is great, and it's just spicy enough. Recommended.

Egg bomb poke protein rice bowl, 9,900 won with 58.8g protein

Next up is the egg bomb poke protein rice bowl — a high-protein rice bowl with soft egg omelet and a generous helping of meat piled on oat rice. Choosing chicken gives you 703kcal and a whopping 58.8g of protein.

Eating it, the nuttiness of the oat rice blended with the soft egg and meat for a much more filling meal than expected. It felt less like a light salad and more like a proper full meal. This is actually a huge portion — finishing the whole bowl isn't easy.

You need to choose your meat when ordering. At 9,900 won, chicken comes with no extra charge, smoked duck adds 1,000 won, and beef adds 4,000 won. This should suit anyone who especially wants to load up on protein.

Is the meal worth it? Overall impressions

This time at Why Starve Diet Gongdeok Main Branch I tried the egg bomb poke protein rice bowl and the mala smoked duck pasta protein box. What I liked about both is that they're not just low-calorie — they also consider taste and fullness.

Especially if you're looking for diet meals or protein-focused food near Gongdeok Station, it's a plus that there are so many menu options. If eating salad every day feels like a chore, trying something different like the protein rice bowl or the mala smoked duck pasta is a great idea.

Why Starve Diet Gongdeok menu and prices at a glance

Here's a summary table of the main menu items and prices (there are a lot of menu items, so drinks are excluded and only meals are listed). Please refer to this before visiting.