I taste tested Publi Oriental BBQ, a new Chinese and Korean restaurant in Preston, and this is what I thought

Publi Oriental BBQ opened on Friargate in December 2023 and offers a menu full of Chinese and Korean favourites, including some self BBQ options as well.

When I visited the restaurant, I was impressed with the extensiveness of their menu and struggled to pick my dishes as they all sounded so good!

In the end I went for four starters and two main courses- which is of course far too much for one person but meant I could offer readers a more substantial review of the food Publi offfer.

So take a look below at what I ordered, how much it was and what I thought of it.

Hot & Sour Soup £4.95

Hot and sour soup is my usual go-to soup order at a Chinese restaurant so I of course had to order it at Publi to see how their version stacks up against the dozens I’ve had before.

On its arrival, I was pleased with the portion size and the hot and sour smell was as inviting as ever. Then when I dug my spoon in, I was surprised to find it contained a special filling - so pork, chicken and prawn - this made the soup more premium and interesting to eat. It also had just the right amount of hot and sour flavourings so I would say this was one of the best hot and sour soups I’ve ever had.

Traditional Korean fermented cabbage (Kimchi) £2.95

I must admit I’ve only ever had Kimchi out of a jar so I can’t say I was expecting much, I mainly ordered this as I knew it was such a staple Korean dish. However I was glad I tried it because Publi’s Kimchi was far better than any shop bought version I’ve had.

The dish had the perfect amount of sourness to it - without bordering on the pungent side - and the cabbage wasn’t just mush. Overall it was a refreshing starter to begin with and I would encourage those who are usually put off by the words ‘fermented cabbage’ to give it a go!

6pcs pan-fried dumplings served with soy sauce (chicken/vegetarian) £6.95

Chicken dumplings (or Gyozas as they are often known) are a staple on any Asian menu and they usually go down a treat so I was expecting big things from Publi’s version based off the success of the other two appetizers.

The dumplings were really tasty, they were generously stuffed with well-seasoned chicken and were nice and light but still had the perfect level of crispiness on the outside. Six was a good portion size for a starter - more than you often get in other asian restaurants - although I still found myself wanting more as they were just that good!

Salt & Pepper Ribs £8.95

Publi’s salt and pepper ribs were exactly how I always hope salt and pepper ribs will be but usually I’m disappointed. Each pork rib was perfectly seasoned with a moreish salt and pepper flavour and there were lots of lovely onions, peppers and chillies on top too. 

I was surprised at the small size of the ribs but I really liked it in the end as it meant they were less messy to eat and they would be easier to share in a group. Overall I would probably say these were the best salt and pepper ribs I’ve ever had!

Steamed rice topped with vegetables in a hot stone bowl served with spicy Korean chilli paste and with raw egg yolk (beef) £10.95

On arrival, the presentation of this dish was nothing short of stunning: each component was layered in a rainbow-esque circle on top of a bed of rice, surrounding the centre piece, a perfect runny egg yolk.

The first thing I tried had to be the beef as it smelt so good, and the flavour was even better. I would honestly say the meat was to die for; the texture was melt in your mouth smooth and the distinctive beef flavour was paired with a rich, peppery sauce. 

The rice was as nice as can be expected but the stone bowl was also so hot that the rice continued to cook at the bottom, creating one layer that was smoky flavoured and crispy which made a surprisingly delightful change! 

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I was very impressed with the raw egg yolk melted in the middle, and it mixed in well with the rice to create an egg fried rice flavour.

On the side was also a selection of vegetables: pickled cucumber, carrots, beansprouts and then courgette- which provided an interesting and refreshing contrast to the rich beef.

Then on top of the dish was the chilli paste which had a great kick to it but wasn't too spicy, allowing customers of all spice level tolerances to either enjoy the portion of paste provided or the extra heaps you can add on youself.

Fried Udon Noodle -seafood option £11.95 

This was the dish I was most excited to try and it certainly lived up to my expectations. I was pleasantly surprised by how many big king prawns there were, I think I counted 8 and each one was bursting with flavour and fully de-shelled which was a bonus. 

I would note that I expected more seafood, other than prawn, to feature given the dish’s title but I wasn’t disappointed as there was at least a generous amount of prawn - which are my favourite seafood item anyway.

The udon noodles were thick as expected and  nicely favoured with a soft salt and pepper like sauce which also contained carrots, onions and beansprouts. Ultimately it was a well balanced dish and not like anything I’ve ordered before- in a good way! 

Both this course and the beef dish were big enough to fill you up on their own but the appetisers were so good it would be a shame not to have at least one.

Final verdict

Overall I would definitely recommend Publi for fans of Asian food and strangers to the cuisine. There were so many options to choose from that everyone in your party would find something to their taste and based on the quality of the six dishes I tried, I would assume the rest of the menu are all just as good!

The above meal came to £46.70- and considering that it was more than enough food for two people, I thought it was an extremely fair price. I would go as far as to say that some of the dishes were a steal for the price charged, namely the dumplings and beef stone bowl. Now I cannot wait to go back again to try a whole new set of dishes, including trying the unique self grill section of the menu!