Sichuan Chinese Hot Pot And Skewers: Unique Dining Experience

Darryl Gordon

UPDATE: This restaurant closed in February 2026
As the weather gets colder in San Diego, now is a great time to enjoy Chinese hot pot for dinner. Nice 2 Meet U is a Chuan Chuan hot pot restaurant on Convoy Street. They specialize in the skewers that are cooked in the hot broth at your table. Never had it before? Here are some tips for enjoying your meal.

where did IT originate?

Hot pot originated in Mongolia over a thousand years ago, spreading throughout East Asia. Mongolian nomads cooked meat in a communal pot filled with broth over a central fire. This tradition evolved, influencing Chinese, Japanese, and Korean cuisines.

HOT POT TIPS

Choose your base wisely. All of the soup bases can be made so that they are Very Mild, Mild, Medium or Extra Spicy. Luckily, I was warned that their broths tend to be spicy, so we decided against a medium or spicy level. There are lots of soup base options: House Spicy Beef Tallow Soup, Mushroom, Tomato, Bone Broth and Chine Herbal soup. You can choose to get a pot with two flavors letting you enjoy two different broths.

Look first. While you may be tempted to immediately order items off the menu, I’d suggest that you first head over to the fridges and have a look at the assortment of proteins, vegetables, and noodles they have available. Since this is a Chinese hot pot, they have a wonderful selection of skewers. Everything from beef and chicken to vegetables and seafood. The pricing is as simple as one skewer is $0.50, and two skewers is $1. Items in the colored bowls are normally priced differently (they range from $4.95 to $21.95). Additional items are available on the menu, including their waygu, lamb and chicken breast.

Items in the fridge will include:

Mushroom Combo
Napa Cabbage
Bean Curd Wraps
Lucky Money Bag Dumplings
Beef skewers
Chicken skewers
Seafood skewers

Items off the menu will include:

Crispy Fried Pork
NZ lamb shoulder
Sliced wagyu
Rice
Appetizers

Items on the bar counter will include:

Duck head
Chinese-style snow fungus dessert
Sesame tong yuan
Cold tofu
Shredded beef jerky
Smashed cucumbers

Don’t overcook your food. I’m so pleased I asked the server for recommendations, as I would have left all my food in the pot for too long. There is nothing wrong with asking your server for advice -they also showed me how to swish the thinner meats in the pot so that they are not overcooked.

Keep the temperature consistent. You will find the servers really helpful and attentive – when they see the pot too hot they will lower the heat – and they will add additional broth when it’s required

Try something new. On my first visit, I got way too many dishes that I was comfortable with – I’m sorry that I didn’t try some of the more unusual ingredients. That’s what visit number two for chinese hot pot is for.