Steak poke with salmon topping and wasabi sauce in Seoul: Hola Poke

I had lunch plans near Seolleung Station for the first time in a while, and I ate so well!! I've been chasing salads lately because of my diet, and I finally made it to Hola Poke, one of the well-known poke spots near Seolleung haha. I'd seen a ton of reviews while searching and got curious, and once I actually went, I got why it's so popular — great for eating alone, but also great for eating with a group.

Where is Hola Poke Seolleung Branch, and what are the hours?

Hola Poke Seolleung Branch is within walking distance of Seolleung Station, so accessibility was really good! Since it's a neighborhood full of office workers at lunchtime, it seemed like it could get crowded on weekday afternoons..;;ㅠㅠ

Hours are 10:30 AM to 8:30 PM, so avoiding the lunch rush might be a good tip haha. I went at a slightly off time, so I could order right away with no wait!

Inside Hola Poke: solo seats and the room

The interior at Hola Poke Seolleung Branch is clean, and the orange accents give it a really trendy feel.

There are tables for eating alone and tables for eating with others, so it works well for solo dining near Seolleung but also as a group spot.

You order at the kiosk.

The menu at Hola Poke and why I chose the steak poke

Hola Poke really has such a wide variety! Salmon poke, Super Protein poke, smoked duck poke, chicken breast poke, seafood poke — genuinely a lot of options, so I feel like a first-timer would have a hard time choosing... but honestly, as a carnivore dinosaur, it was straight to steak lol. That day I really wanted to load up on protein, so I went with the steak poke and added salmon as a topping on top of that. I figured the steak alone would already be filling, so I was curious just how hearty it'd get with salmon piled on too haha.

It's an open kitchen, so it felt more hygienic and clean, and I could trust what I was eating — really nice.

There was also guidance for first-time customers, and a takeout tip posted up! The tip says ordering through Naver is the cheapest way to get takeout, so if you're planning to take out, order through Naver!

The self-bar and sauces at Hola Poke

Spoons and forks are set out at the self-bar,

and besides the basic sauce, there's also sesame sauce, which seemed like it'd taste great mixed in too haha. Overall the store was very clean and tidy, so it was pleasant to use!

Steak poke with salmon topping: portion size and taste

I didn't wait long after ordering before it came out — great! Busy busy modern life. When eating alone, having the food come out fast really puts my mind at ease, and Hola Poke seemed to have a pretty fast turnover. The moment I got it, my first thought was, 'wow, this is seriously a lot.' You can choose the salad-to-brown-rice ratio when ordering, so I went with 3 salad / 7 brown rice — over the base veggies and brown rice sat thickly sliced steak, and with salmon piled on top of that, even though it's one bowl, it was seriously filling..

The steak was really tender and mildly seasoned without being over the top, so I could keep eating without getting tired of it, and mixing it with the sauce made it even better ㅠㅠ

I actually went back and forth a lot on whether to add the salmon, but I'm so glad I did — the texture became much more varied compared to steak alone, and it was fresh enough that I didn't have to worry about any fishy smell!

The veggies were pretty fresh too, with a crisp texture that really cut through the richness, and having lentils and furikake in there was such a nice touch.

The salad and rice went together so well that I ate it all up happily ㅠㅠ

I went with the recommended wasabi sauce, and it went great with both the steak and the salmon!

For anyone who wants a hearty meal while still keeping an eye on calories, this seems like a solid choice ㅠㅠ

Who should eat at Hola Poke Seolleung Branch?

• Anyone looking for a diet-friendly lunch near Seolleung Station
• Anyone who finds salads boring but is curious about poke for the first time
• Anyone who wants a solid protein-packed meal
• Anyone looking for a casual spot to eat with coworkers

Final thoughts on Hola Poke Seolleung Branch

There are so many restaurants around Seolleung that I always struggle to decide where to go, but Hola Poke Seolleung Branch is great for eating alone, and also really, really good for eating in a group with everyone getting their own clean, individual bowl — highly recommend! The steak poke... was seriously so good!