Poke restaurant near Samseong Station: buldak octopus bowl at Ola Poke

Ever have those days after lunch when you're way too full and sleepy? The blood sugar spike is just brutal!!! But eating only salad means I'll be hungry again in no time in the afternoon. So I went looking for something light that still counts as a proper meal, and ended up at Ola Poke :)

What is Ola Poke Samseong Branch like inside, and is it fine for solo dining?

Ola Poke Samseong Branch is a poke restaurant tucked in an alley near Samseong Station and COEX, and the interior overall has a bright, casual feel. Walking in alone wasn't awkward at all.

The weather was just unreal!!! Even before stepping inside, the orange accents of the store caught my eye against the sky.

The tables aren't cramped either, and it looked like a fine spot to grab a quick solo meal and head out. I get why office workers near Samseong Station or COEX searching for lunch options keep landing on poke.

How much octopus is in the buldak octopus poke bowl?

What I chose at Ola Poke Samseong Branch was the buldak octopus poke. A big bowl packed with plenty of green vegetables and colorful toppings scattered on top — just looking at it felt like a healthy meal! The visuals alone were seriously hearty.

What really caught my eye was the big chunks of octopus on top. Octopus in a salad isn't a super common combo, so I was extra curious, and eating it, the chewy texture made it so much more fun than just eating vegetables. A big forkful gave me crunchy vegetables and chewy octopus together, and the texture was really nice.

On top of that, there was a variety of lentil-like beans, chickpeas, corn, vegetables and grains, so depending on where you dug your fork in, the flavor and texture shifted a little bite to bite. That kept it interesting all the way through.

How generous is the sauce on the Ola Poke bowl?

The buldak octopus poke came with a generous amount of sauce, so mixing everything together made it taste way better. With salad, too little sauce sometimes leaves you with only that 'healthy' flavor(?), but here the toppings and sauce blended well, so it never felt like "I'm just eating grass right now." haha

Is one poke bowl filling enough for lunch?

What I liked most was that it was way more filling than expected! Since it wasn't just a pile of vegetables but grains, beans and toppings together, finishing the whole bowl left me pretty full. I actually cleaned my plate, as you can see in the last photo. Anyone else feel weirdly proud looking at an empty bowl after a tasty meal? :)

It wasn't the kind of poke that skimps on ingredients — claiming 'real octopus' while giving you a tiny bit of octopus and a few lentils. With grains, beans and toppings all together, finishing the bowl left me pretty satisfied.

Does buldak octopus poke work as a diet lunch near COEX?

I'm in a bit of a diet mode myself these days, so I pay a little more attention than before when picking lunch. Rather than just eating less no matter what, my approach is to balance vegetables, protein and grains in one meal, and from that angle, poke fits really well.

I worried that eating just salad would leave me hungry fast, but with octopus, beans and grains together, the fullness lasted longer than expected. It was tasty without feeling too heavy, so it was satisfying as a lunch option while dieting.

On days when you want a hearty lunch but want to avoid something too heavy in the afternoon, poke seems like just the right choice. If you're craving a clean lunch near COEX, or looking for a poke salad spot near Samseong Station, this one's worth a visit.