I have been making somewhat of an effort to eat a little healthier recently, I’d like to say it is because of health, but it is mostly vanity. Myself and my Chubby Hubby have the final part of our wedding trilogy coming up and we are both wanting to look our best. Since I can’t just cancel the blog and stay at home eating salads, I have been looking for places that offer vibrant yet healthy foods. On such searches through Instagram I came across Ola Shack in Mangwon. Since Mangwon is one of my favourite neighbourhoods to visit I decided to kill two birds with one stone and have a girls day out.
Like most Mangwon eateries, Ola Shack is located on a complete random residential street. Only its quirky surf themed decor alluded to its presence, so it is definitely a destination spot, as it is not on a street with any other cafes or stores. The place is quite small inside with a smattering of tables, plus an open kitchen with bar style seating on the outside. The menu has a very healthy vibe with a mix of smoothie bowls, salads, and sandwiches, plus a handful of drinks.
It being a lovely sunny day, we were in the mood for something to quench our thirst. We opted for the Coconut Water Citrus Ade (6,000). This was a very light lemonade, the coconut water gave it refreshing and tropical flavour. There was a syrupy bottom that tasted more natural than artificial, my guess is that is made with coconut sugar making it not too syrupy or sweet. As well as the lemonade there are also a selection of smoothies, beers and coffees.
We were really torn on whether to not order a salad or a sandwich, but after checking out a few pictures the Green Wave Avocado Sandwich (12,000) won out for my vegetarian companion. The wholegrain sandwich was stuffed with layers of avocado, cream cheese, and cucumber, along with a side salad. I was shocked at how much avocado this sandwich contained, it was stuffed to the gills, I’d say it was probably an avocado and a half’s worth. It was a little tricky to eat without a knife and fork but it had a very creamy and clean taste to it. We found it very filling too.
For our second choice we opted for the So Berry Special Smoothie Bowl (8,000). This baby was a mix of blueberry, raspberry, blackberry, mango, banana, organic coconut flakes, chia seeds, cocoa nibs and homemade granola. I have taken a real shine to smoothie bowls lately so this was a real treat. There was a sweet yet tasty berry flavour to the smoothie and the topping provided plenty of texture and crunch. It was scrummy and I was ever so sorry when I had finished it.
Overall I had a lovely lunch. The food was healthy and had a fresh naturalness to it. The prices were reasonable and there was lots of variety. I would happily come back again next time I was in the area. They have also just opened a second location in Gangnam, making it even more visitable.
Ola Shack is located at 384-63 Mangwon-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul. To get there take a train to Mangwon station (line 6) and come out of exit 2. Walk down the street that is to your right behind you. Keep walking and take the third street on your left, when the road forks take the left hand road and keep going and then take the street almost opposite after that. You will see Ola Shack just ahead on the right hand side. For more information you can call them on 02-336-2311 or check out their Instagram page. They are open from 11:30am – 09:00pm Tue – Sun.