Gyodae Station salad lunch alone: raw salmon poke at Olla Poke Seocho

Maybe it's the hot weather lately, but even at lunch I keep craving something that's not too heavy. And on days when I'm eating alone, I especially want something simple but filling. This time I'd just signed up at a PT gym near Gyodae Station, so while looking for a poke place good for solo dining, I ended up at the newly opened Olla Poke Seocho Gyodae Branch. This is already my second visit!

📍 Olla Poke Seocho Gyodae Branch / 54 Bampodae-ro 28-gil B1, Seocho-gu, Seoul. I went alone and had the raw salmon poke — both the vibe and the food were more satisfying than I expected, so I wanted to share it. 💙

How to get to Olla Poke Seocho Gyodae Branch from Gyodae Station Exit 14

Olla Poke Seocho Gyodae Branch is just a short walk down the alley from Gyodae Station Exit 14. It's close enough to Seocho and Gyodae Station that office workers in the area could easily stop by for lunch.

The restaurant is on the basement level, and there are actually two entrances — one with a steep slope, one gentler! There's a signboard, so you can just take whichever path feels easier, haha.

Since it's a newly opened place, everything felt tidy overall, and the tables and floors were kept clean. The dining hall was bigger than I expected, so even dining solo I could settle into a spot with room to spare.

Solo dining near Gyodae Station: a phone stand at every seat

This time I came alone, and honestly the thing I worry about most when eating solo is that awkward feeling of sitting alone at a table meant for a crowd, lol. But Olla Poke had shared table seating set up so that solo diners could eat comfortably, which I liked.

What I really appreciated was that every seat had a phone stand. A lot of people watch YouTube or videos while eating alone, and instead of propping your phone against something on the table, you could just set it on the stand — pretty convenient. I ended up putting on a video and eating comfortably too, haha.

There's no need to feel self-conscious about eating alone here — the atmosphere is relaxed, and it seemed like a great fit for anyone looking for a solo dining spot near Gyodae Station.

Free coffee after your meal at the Olla Poke self-serve bar

Inside, there's a self-bar area, and the fact that you can get coffee for free there was another plus. ☕️ These days, even a coffee after a meal isn't exactly cheap.

But at Olla Poke, you can have free coffee after your meal, so there's no need to stop by a separate café afterward. Ice was available too, so you could enjoy it iced or hot. For office workers with short lunch breaks, this kind of service seemed genuinely useful.

Meal and coffee, all sorted in one place! I'm the type who loves this kind of thing. 🙋🏻‍♀️ lol

How to order at Olla Poke on your first visit

There was a separate ordering guide set up for first-time visitors. If you eat poke often, this might all be familiar, but if it's your first time, deciding what to choose can be a little overwhelming. Luckily, the ordering process was clearly laid out, so I could take my time and pick out what I wanted.

There was a wide range of topping and sauce options, and calorie counts were listed too, which seemed convenient for anyone watching their diet. After some deliberation, I went with the most basic option — the raw salmon poke.

🥗 Raw salmon poke: how thick was the salmon?

What I ate alone that day was the raw salmon poke. Once it was in front of me, the first thing that caught my eye — of course — was the salmon. It was thicker than I expected. Sometimes with poke the salmon comes sliced thin or feels a bit skimpy, but Olla Poke's raw salmon poke clearly had a generous amount of salmon, which I liked at first glance.

The first bite had that distinct soft texture of salmon, and the savory flavor was solid too. Best of all, since it wasn't sliced too thin, you could really feel the salmon's texture as you chewed. If you love salmon, I think you'd love this thickness. 💙

Eating it together with the vegetables made the whole thing feel clean and light, and having rice, salmon, and vegetables together made it more filling than I expected. You know those days when a salad alone leaves you hungry again soon, but a heavier meal feels like too much? Poke felt like the perfect in-between meal for that. It let me eat light while still getting protein and vegetables in, which made it a solid lunch option.

This time I paired it with the truffle mayo sauce, and next time I'm thinking of trying the sriracha mayo, haha.

🍋 Sesame soy and yuzu soy sauce, mixed to your taste

The restaurant also had self-serve sesame soy sauce and yuzu soy sauce available. Being able to scoop out as much as you want and pair it with the poke yourself was a nice touch. The flavor of poke changes quite a bit depending on the sauce, so it's nice to be able to adjust the amount to your own taste.

🧹 How clean is Olla Poke Seocho Gyodae Branch?

While eating, I looked around the restaurant and everything seemed well organized overall. The trash bins were kept clean, and the self-serve area was tidy too, so there was nothing inconvenient about using it. Being a newly opened place, the facilities overall felt clean, which made it a comfortable spot to eat alone.

There was a business card event running too ♡

💙 Worth it if you want to eat alone near Gyodae Station?

This time I visited alone and tried the raw salmon poke, and what I liked most overall was the atmosphere — it just felt easy to eat solo here. Not only were there seats well suited for solo dining, but the phone stands too made it feel like they'd genuinely thought about people eating by themselves. The restaurant was also clean and spacious enough that stopping in alone during lunch hour felt totally comfortable.

On top of that, having free coffee available after the meal meant I could take care of both food and coffee in one stop. And most of all, the raw salmon poke I had that day stood out for its thick salmon and great texture — eating it with the vegetables made for a meal that felt both clean and satisfying. 🥗

If you're near Gyodae Station looking for a salad, poke, or a good place to eat alone, Olla Poke Seocho Gyodae Branch is worth a visit. On days when you just want a quiet solo meal, it's an easy, no-pressure place to stop by. Another satisfying meal today. :)