Last summer, one of my friends told me about a new chopped salad place in the back street of Itaewon. Her discovery left me intrigued and sceptical. My past experiences with chopped salads hadn’t been quite . . . chopped. Nevertheless, one of my other friends and I had both of heard of What A Salad, and we checked the place out way back in September. Since my first visit there, I’ve fallen in love with What A Salad, and I’ve been a regular ever since.
The interior was nicely decorated, with booths and bar-style tables in the front area. There’s a back room with a big table, perfect for a larger gathering. The plants here and there fit well with the concept of a salad restaurant, and it meshes well with the wooden furniture. There’s also a toilet here, and it’s clean. I love the ambience of the place. My one complaint, though? The chairs are not very comfortable.
Then you have the salad assembly line. Starting with the menu, you pick out one of their signature salads or request your very own custom salad. If you choose one of their signature salads, you can tell the worker to take out or replace ingredients of your choice. Next, the worker gathers your ingredient into a huge a bowl, and they take it to the chopping station. There, the worker pours the ingredients onto the chopping mat, grabs the mezzaluna, and chops away! The chopped salad is then mixed with the dressing and is transferred into a wooden bowl, accompanied with some pita bread. Then you dig in!
Their signature salads all have romaine lettuce and rose kale as their base. From there each of their salads differ in ingredients. They are quite diverse, so the salads appeal to those with different preferences. I’ve tried their Hola Spicy, Drunken Shrimp, and Red Oats, and they are all great! I am more partial towards the first two, but I do want to try the others on the menu. I also recommend their homemade hibiscus iced tea, which pairs well with the salad. It’s fruity and light with a slight hint of sweetness. They also have a homemade Darjeeling iced tea, bottled water, sparkling water, bottled beers, and wines. They also sell soup of the day.
All in all, I recommend What A Salad. It’s healthy and customisable, the workers are always friendly and accommodating, and the place has a good vibe. You can also do takeaway with the salad. They put the dressing on the side, so you don’t have to worry about mushy salads and leaky containers. Next time you’re in Itaewon, check this place out!
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Business Info
02-794-9353
Itaewon-dong 74-33, Yongsan-Gu, Seoul, Korea
서울특별시 용산구 이태원동 74-33
From Itaewon Station, come out exit 4, and do a U-turn to your left. At the crosswalk, walk down the street on your right, and then turn right to go down the hill and walk about 150 metres straight. What A Salad will be on the left, just before the CU Mart.
4,000 ~ 13,000+ won budget per person