Pot and Grill aiming to make its name known in Bournemouth

Our home has grown to be a multicultural town with residents from many nations and backgrounds.

Embracing all of this, former Bournemouth University student Manqiu Du opened Pot and Grill - Asian Hotpot & Korean Grill.

The restaurant, located in Old Christchurch Road, offers traditional, authentic Chinese and Korean cuisine.

Manqiu finished her studies in 2009 and earned her master's degree in hospitality. For her, Bournemouth has become a second home.

Speaking about the reason behind the establishment of the restaurant, Manqiu stated that it was intended to provide Bournemouth with “a wider range of international cuisine options as the market is growing".

Pot and Grill - Asian Hotpot & Korean Grill (Image: NQ) She added: “The thing is people love the food. And when you are abroad in somewhere, I'm sure you'll be more appreciated. Somewhere you can get your own food, which is very traditional, very authentic. So that's what we based it on, very authentic food.

“And not only for Asians, I have to say there's a lot of clients, they are western people. Because it's new things for them. So, they love to see and try.”

Given that the establishment is an Asian Pot Grill, Manqiu discusses the traditional cuisine they offer.

Hot pot is a popular Chinese cooking method, where a simmering pot of broth is placed in the centre of the dining table, and various raw ingredients like thinly sliced meat, seafood, vegetables, tofu, and noodles are cooked in the broth by diners themselves.

Pot and Grill - Asian Hotpot & Korean Grill (Image: NQ) "The most important and classic food is soup, which you cook yourself and then blended into other sauces to enhance the flavour. Essentially, there is a grill in the centre where you can place dish orders and prepare them while talking with the public", she said.

“Let's say the steak also, you can cook it rare, medium rare, all adjusted by yourself. I think the idea is to combine those two because they are quite Asian things. We simply want to present them to the new items so they can try them out. I believe people enjoy trying new things.”

It is relatively new in the market, having opened in February 2024, and Manqiu says it is on a a long journey that has only just begun.