Pan Asian Plaza Southampton Review: Buffet, Korean BBQ and Hotpot

When we heard that Pan Asian Plaza had opened in Southampton, we were curious to see what it was all about. A new buffet opening in the city is always going to get attention, especially one trying to offer a bit more than the usual all-you-can-eat setup. We were invited down on a PR visit, but rather than rushing to post straight away, I deliberately left it a few weeks before going. New openings nearly always have a bit of chaos around them, and I wanted to get a better sense of what the experience would feel like once things had settled down a bit and the launch buzz had worn off.

What makes Pan Asian Plaza a little different from your standard buffet is that there are two ways to dine. You can go for the regular buffet option, or you can upgrade to include Korean BBQ and hotpot at your table. That immediately gives it a bit more interest than the average buffet, because it adds an element of interaction to the meal rather than it just being a case of loading a plate and heading back to your table. It also means it caters quite well to groups where not everyone wants the same thing, which is always a strong point for a place like this.

The price board

One of the biggest positives from the evening was definitely the staff. From the start, they were warm, welcoming and helpful, showing us to our table and explaining how everything worked without making it feel rushed. Worth noting at this point that the Hotpot and Grill section of the restaurant is away from the seating for the Buffet area, the difference is obvious as the buffet section is open with regular tables whereas the Hotpot and Grill are banks of tables with inbuilt hotpot/grills, all set aside in an area with tasteful room dividers.

Seating area for the buffet

In the hotpot/grill section there are chillers at the end with a variety of fresh meats, seafood and vegetables. Pretty much any kind of meat you think of is in these chillers, and it's clear from the machines spewing out cold mist that these are well kept. In between these chillers is the sauce bar, which is one of those things that looks fun in theory but could end up being a bit confusing in practice (believe me, I've been to places with create your own sauce bars before and have made the worst sauce ever thinking it'd be nice). However, the staff were on hand to help and talk us through it, even helping us put our sauces together. That kind of service really does make a difference. Don't worry though, if the staff aren't available, there's a handy diagram showing a selection of sauces you can make yourself.

Meat chillers

In terms of the food itself, I think the most honest way to put it is that the buffet side was fine, but it was not really the part that made the place stand out to me. There is nothing wrong with it as such, but if you are going in expecting the buffet alone to blow you away, I do not think that is really where Pan Asian Plaza is at its strongest. It felt more like a supporting act to the Korean BBQ and hotpot rather than the main reason to visit.

A buffet plate of food

Where things became more interesting was when we got into the grill and hotpot side of the meal. The short ribs were one of the better things I tried on the night, cooking up really nicely on the grill and feeling much more memorable than most of what I had from the buffet selection. For the hotpot, I went for the Sichuan green peppercorn broth with a selection of meats from the chillers. The Sichuan peppercorn broth really giving you that mouth numbing feel without being too spicy.

Various meats on the grill

I don't think I've ever seen a buffet with hotpot and grills available and that is really the thing that gives Pan Asian Plaza its identity. Without that, I think it would struggle a lot more to separate itself from other buffet spots.

That is probably the key thing to understand with this place. If I were judging it purely as a buffet, I do not think I would be rushing back for that alone. But as a place where you can combine buffet dining with Korean BBQ and hotpot, it becomes much more interesting. It gives you a more social, hands-on kind of meal, and that does make it feel better suited to groups, families or anyone who likes a meal that is a bit more interactive.

Overall, I can see the appeal of Pan Asian Plaza more as a group dining option than as somewhere I would recommend for the buffet food alone. If you are heading there with family or friends and nobody can agree on what they want, it makes a lot of sense. There is enough variety to keep everyone happy, and the BBQ and hotpot give it something a bit different from the usual all-you-can-eat format. For me, that is the part worth leaning into, because that is what gives the experience its value.

A plate of buffet food

If you do want to try it for yourself, they have offered 10% off to the first 20 people who mention Southampton Food Ltd, which is a nice extra if you were already thinking of giving it a go. As always, I would rather people make up their own minds than be told what to think, especially with somewhere like this that will naturally appeal more to some people than others.

So, final thoughts. Would I go for the buffet alone? Probably not. Would I go back for the Korean BBQ and hotpot side of things? Much more likely. Pan Asian Plaza is at its best when you treat the buffet as part of the wider experience rather than the main attraction. It may not have been a wow moment across the board, but there were definitely enough positives there, especially in the service and the interactive dining side, to understand who it is for.

This post covers a PR/invite event, but in line with our ethos, all reviews are honest. If a visit doesn’t meet our standards, we either provide constructive feedback to the venue or don’t post at all.