DAIU Cardiff Bay — Restaurant in Great Britain

For someone who has lots of food intolerances and food allergies looking for a place out to eat can be extremely difficult and unfortunately this didn’t exactly make the cut. I have been to this place twice, the first time when it opened originally as it’s “Chinese Buffet” and wasn’t too impressed by the food. Such as their fish selection such as sushi seemed to have a rather ‘store’ quality rather than fresh professional cut and their salmon they had available- No care was taken to remove the tiny bones within the fish. But new chain, new hopes. DAIU as it’s branded now: Korean BBQ & Hotpot, Already bad taste left form original experience but willing to give a try. Today I tried their approach to Korean BBQ & Hotpot, at first approach the staff are impeccable with their friendly approach and welcoming, asking for any allergies. Mine being Lactose & Sesame, now being handed a stack of papers full of all the allergens and ingredients I thought to myself ‘Perfect- I can see what’s in them’ oh how wrong I was. Majority of the ingredients where not labelled on the dishes at the buffet area, and example of this was a BBQ seasoning that had no list of ingredients but the keen eye can spot tiny sesame seeds within, this here was the one stop to many red flags I noticed within my time here. Majority of the meats here where based in a marination which unfortunately included sesame oil. So what about utensils? Well many breaches of cross contamination here since there wasn’t designated tongs to pick up specific types of protein such as for pork, chicken, fish/shellfish- this obviously is a danger to those that have allergies to such things. What about seating and ambience? Well~ for a start if you come with more then 2 people be prepared to be sitting in a line and shouting across each other to converse since their isn’t seating arrangements for larger parties, this can of course create already loud environment to become much more louder. The music played within this restaurant is unbearably loud and for those with disabilities such as autism like my husband and I- it very quickly became extremely overstimulating from the intense noise. What about price? Well.. with the cost of inflation things obviously have to increase in price but £33.30 per person is extremely expensive which doesn’t even included drinks (those of which have to be ordered separately via QR code + service charge).From my visit and personal advice here if anyone has sensory issues, dietary issues or sensitive stomachs to cross contamination- This is not the place and I personally would not be returning. For the price you pay for two people being £69 and quality of food, I’d recommend highly Yakitori1 next door- Great high quality food, Great quiet ambience and very welcoming to...

Great variety and all staple hot pot and Korean BBQ ingredients were available. The hot pot sauce station was stocked to the brim with all sorts of sauces and pastes including satay and sesame and dry salt rub mixes were available for the Korean BBQ. With some boiled rice and lettuce you could even make ssam! The banchan section was also well stocked with the necessary kimchi, danmuji and seaweed salad, and several other options were available.

Galbi marinated beef was available, as well as 3 other cuts of beef, as well as lamb and pork belly. The seafood stand was just as big as the meat one.

Additionally a sushi stand, a smaller hot food stand for stir fry noodles and a dessert station were also available, which were very well stocked. In a few standalone cases, some of the food was not labelled, as we have no allergies we didn’t struggle to try bits of everything, however I am sure the staff would be happy to explain what the dish is. (Although having it appropriately labelled will probably save them time 😅)

The staff was extremely attentive and regularly checking on customers to ensure any unused plates are disposed, the grill parchment is changed, the hot pot broth is topped up and ensuring any hobs are turned off while customers inevitably strayed away from their tables for more top ups.

Alcohol and soft drinks are what you might expect when sitting out to dine with a beer costing about £6. This restaurant is extremely good value compared to other hot pot/KBBQ offers within Cardiff, and while the hot pot selection is immaculate it could still improve the Korean BBQ selection to be more authentic/wider range. The communal aspect of Korean BBQ is also somewhat lost with each diner having an individual BBQ grill, while sat on a bar-like arrangement. For us as a couple that was okay but if you’re used to having Korean BBQ as a larger group, you may find it a more singular experience compared to the usual large table with a single larger BBQ arrangements Korean restaurants have.

Hygiene was at a visibly high level around the food stations and thongs were available in the meat station on every tray to prevent cross contamination.

Overall, highly recommend and can’t wait to...

Overall I enjoyed this experience and would go again but…..

First Impressions - My first impression of the restaurant (and hopefully this is a unique experience) was passing by a worker smoking in the main door way…..

Cleanliness - Overall it was well kept, especially the food area, arguably the most important part. However, I possibly got unlucky as my seat next to the wall highlighted some questionable textures on the wall of what could only be described as ‘a growth’. The floor under the seats were incredibly slippy, covered in grease which meant every-time I pushed my chair back to get up I almost went flying. I personally feel toilets tell all in the cleanliness and experience of a restaurant and besides the questionable lighting, the lack of soap and hand dryers gave a lack lustre experience.

Atmosphere - I loved the culture aspect of the restaurant. Different to the typical white cuisine experience, it felt more friend and family based and was especially fun getting to make exactly what you wanted with the large choice of food. I imagine coming here with a group of mates for some food and beers is the perfect situation! I also love how they adapted the traditional hotpot, usually one shared by many, and made it so you had a small section to yourself. The only thing I question is the ventilation? You’d usually have a large vent above you and while you did each have a small one, where I was sat and where most people where in the restaurant, it began to get really smoky and overwhelming.

Food - Overall not bad. There was a large selection of what you would expect to find in a traditional hotpot restaurant. After you pay the £33, it’s all yours for the taking, naturally, there’s only so much you can eat and there’s always a part of you saying ‘make the most of your money’, which for me can ruin the experience. I do think it’s a little overpriced but would also pay that again in the future should I crave the unique atmosphere.

Overall I would go again, but not in the near future. It’s decent...