Posh Japanese Sukiyaki Restaurant (map, website, blog, 101 – 1788 West Broadway, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604-737-7674)

I think that every successful restaurant needs a “concept”, a unique identity, something that differentiates itself in such an incredibly fierce competitive market that supports the dining industry in Vancouver.

It’s an industry which demands continuous hard work from employees and owners with little respite, where margins are typically low and consumer opinion (or a lack thereof) can make or break a business.

But the rewards from running a restaurant are high: an idea, creative vision, a passion for food and culture – all these can be transformed into a physical space that is temporarily occupied by visitors who seek to experience new tastes, sensations, socialize, be merry, and above all, satisfy their appetites with delicious, healthy food.

I tend to think about restaurants as “experience engines”. As a software developer I like to look at things in terms of the input, output, and transformations that occur during a process. For a restaurant, there are the physical ingredients and energy needed to prepare food – these are the obvious inputs. But there are also the less tangible things, like the moods and attitudes of the serving staff, the restaurant decor, the background music, and then of course the restaurant guests themselves.

But I digress, I really should be talking about the food at Posh.

Posh is an example of an expanding, successful home-grown restaurant chain with an excellent concept: Japanese Sukiyaki (wikipedia).

So what is Sukiyaki you may ask? Well, it’s a form of Hot Pot, where you have a gas burner at your table with a large cast-iron pot filled with a bubbling broth. The broth is made with a combination of Sukiyaki Sauce (soya sauce, sugar, and mirin) and cabbage. You add thinly sliced raw beef into the pot along with assorted vegetables, tofu, noodles and seafood, and everything cooks right in front of you.

The nice thing is that you decide exactly what you want to eat, and if you particularly like a certain item, such as the fish cakes (yum!), just order more of it! Or if you’re vegetarian, there are plenty of options such as tofu, spinach, and several types of mushrooms to make a soup that fits your diet.

Amazingly, Posh provides an “all you can eat” experience for $11.88 per person for lunch, or $15.88 per person for dinner. The restaurant always seems packed at peak times, so it’s a good idea to try making a reservation and coming early to put your name in the queue just in case.

Posh’s other locations include Richmond (map, 1123 – 3779 Sexsmith Road, Richmond, BC, Canada, phone: 604-303-7674), Burnaby (map, 105 – 6462 Kingsway, Burnaby, BC, Canada, phone: 604-434-7674), and Victoria (map, 102 – 1063 Fort Street, Victoria, BC, Canada, phone: 250-382-7674).

Below are some photos from our dinner at Posh on West Broadway. Hope you enjoy!

Everything cooking away at Posh Japanese Hot Pot restaurant in Vancouver.

Guava yogurt mixed drink - nice and refreshing! From Posh restaurant in Vancouver.

More hotpot cooking at Posh in Vancouver.

Vegetarian hot pot ingredients from Posh in Vancouver. Mushrooms, spinach, tofu.

Posh on Broadway Photo Gallery by Geoff Peters.

Restaurant review of Posh by Angela Murrills from the Georgia Straight.

Blog from owner of the Posh restaurant chain.

Posh restaurant on Twitter.

View from the back of a BC Ferry

BC Ferries take passengers around beautiful British Columbia (BC) Canada by sea. Start off in bustling and cosmopolitan Vancouver, and ride the ferry over to Vancouver Island. On the island you’ll find Victoria, the capital city of BC and a popular tourist destination.

Looking for a longer trip further off the beaten path? Visit the smaller towns on the Island such as Tofino, Ucluelet, Naniamo, Qualicum Beach, Courtenay, and more. The ferries will also take you to the serene and scenic Gulf Islands.

This summer I left the mainland quite a few times, and fortunately for me, there is food service available on board the ferries and in the terminal cafeterias.

Pictured below is some sushi and a ham sandwich (around $10) purchased from the Bread Garden cafeteria at the Swartz Bay Terminal. I bought it while I was waiting in line to go back to Vancouver (incidentally after playing a piano gig in Victoria with vocalist Peggy Hogan’s group – live recording here).

I am a little hesitant to admit that after my 4th ferry trip this summer I started developing a taste for – or rather, an addiction to – the Bread Garden sushi. It is now one of my favorite items offered by the BC Ferries food service – but sushi aficionados will tell you that is a far cry from what you can find in most land-based sushi restaurants in Vancouver or Victoria. One upside about the Bread Garden sushi is that a generous amount of wasabi and pickled ginger is provided, as well as chopsticks.

I put together a short travel video (accessible in the player below, or on Youtube) from a trip I took last year on BC Ferries from Vancouver to Victoria. The video shows some of the food and shopping available at the Tsawassen Terminal and sunset views of the Gulf Islands taken from the ferry itself.

The music in the video is my jazz band, the Geoff Peters Trio, performing live at Cactus Club in West Vancouver on New Years Eve 2007. I (Geoff Peters) was playing piano and joining me was Mark White (bass) and Brennan Saul (drums).

For more ferry food, check out my photo of the salmon entree from the on-board BC Ferries White Spot cafeteria, or the smoked salmon bagel I had at the BC Ferries Tsawassen Terminal (on the Vancouver side). Happy sailing!

BC Ferries Bread Garden Sushi (California roll, around $5)

Ham and swiss sandwich from the BC Ferries Cafeteria (around $5.00)

White Spot (web site, map, 2518 West Broadway, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604-731-2434) is a successful Canadian restaurant chain that is famous for their burgers with “Triple-O sauce” and their milkshakes.

The restaurant has several locations around the Vancouver area, including the Kitsilano location (which I visited), Surrey and Delta, Richmond, Burnaby, Langley, Aldergrove, Coquitlam, and more (even Victoria and Naniamo too). View their web site for a list of their other locations.

White Spot is a great place to go for a relaxing breakfast or brunch, or a casual dinner or lunch too. I had a gift certificate coupon that I had won in a 5k race, so was able to get one of their Legendary Burger Platters for free, which normally costs $8.99 (and comes with fries and coleslaw). My friend ate the burger platter with fries and I ordered another Legendary Burger platter with a Caesar Salad, which was $9.98 (pictured below). Yum! Be sure to ask for lettuce and tomato on your burger if you like it, as the toppings are no extra charge.

For more photos from White Spot please view my previous reviews: Part 3 – BC Ferries, Part 2 – Salmon Burger, Part 1 – Chicken Gai Yang.

Legendary Burger Platter (with Caesar salad, $9.98) from White Spot restaurant in Kitsilano, Vancouver, BC, Canada.

The Noodle Box (web site, map, 1-1867 4th Avenue West, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604-734-1310) is a South East Asian noodle bar (near Burrard and 4th) that is popular with the young, hip student crowd for casual dining and drinks. The restaurant is cafeteria style in that there is no table service: you order and pay first, and then find a table yourself. When your food is ready one of the chefs will call out your name. The atmosphere is high-energy and lively, making this a great place for hanging out with friends and people watching. Prices for entrees are in the $10 to $14 range, such as the Thai Green Curry (pictured below, around $12), which I ordered with a chicken and prawns combination. Thai spices were simmered in coconut milk and lime juice, served with rice noodles, Asian greens, mushrooms, sprouts, and herbs. Yum!

The Noodle Box also has two locations in Victoria: Chinatown (626 Fisgard, Victoria, BC, Canada, phone: 250-360-1312) and downtown (818 Douglas, Victoria, BC, Canada, phone: 250-384-1314).

Thai Green Curry from the Noodle Box restaurant in Vancouver

Market Square (map, 560 Johnson Street, Victoria, BC, Canada) is “one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world”, according to their website. Much like Pike Place Market in Seattle, Market Square is a place you don’t want to miss. Over 35 unique shops and restaurants surround a large courtyard that has frequent live music and events.

Below is a photo essay from my visit to Market Square today. The sushi pictured below was from Asahi Bubble Tea (#69 Market Square, phone 250-382-2305) and was delicious!

Bill Johnson, blues guitarist, performing at Market Square in Victoria

Popcorn Machine at Market Square in Victoria

Popcorn Machine Detail

Sushi from Asahi Bubble Tea and Japanese Food ($9.95)

No smoking sign in Market Square

Garden in Market Square courtyard

Seagull and Market Square sign

Musicians from the Victoria Conservatory of Music Summer Jazz Workshop Student Ensemble, getting ready to perform.

East Garden Restaurant (map, 2888 Belmont Avenue, Victoria, BC, Canada, phone: 250-598-1232) is a Chinese restaurant hidden away in a residential neighborhood in Victoria, near the Hillside shopping centre.

The restaurant is very popular for take out and is a local favorite. The restaurant has a large, bright and well-kept dining area that would be suitable for large groups, families, or friends looking for casual dining. We ordered the Dinner Combination for Two, which was around $15 each and also included rice and soup (items pictured below).

The waitress kindly allowed us to substitute some dishes in the combination at a small extra price. I thought the food was really tasty, as well as generously portioned. Our total bill before tip (but including tax) was $33.99, which is quite reasonable considering how many dishes were included. We had lots of food left over, almost enough for another whole meal!

(For a photo of the exterior of the restaurant please visit Tourism Mall.)

(above) Won ton soup at East Garden restaurant

(above) Chinese Beef and Broccoli from East Garden restaurant in Victoria.

(above) Chow Mein noodles from East Garden restaurant

(above) Deep fried prawns and pork from East Garden Chinese restaurant

(above) Breaded chicken with peanuts

Da Tandoor (1010 Fort St, Victoria, BC, Canada, phone: 250-384-6333) is a cozy, authentic Indian restaurant near downtown Victoria. I enjoyed the Chef’s Special Platter ($20, pictured below) which came with Tandoori chicken, chicken Tikka, prawn skewer, two vegetarian side dishes, rice, naan, and an appetizer. It was really delicious, but the chef could have easily used a bigger plate which would have given him/her more room to present all the tasty food.

(above) Chef’s special platter at Da Tandoor restaurant in Victoria

(above) Naan bread from Da Tandoor restaurant in Victoria

Taking the ferry over to Victoria is a popular day trip for tourists to Vancouver. And for some people, a ride on BC Ferries is inevitable, whether it is to attend school at UVic, visit family, or simply return home. In my case I was going over for a vacation, which also involved performing in a piano concert (click here for free recording of my performance in the concert).

Naturally, during the 1.5 hour ferry trip, I got hungry. There are several food options available on BC Ferries, one of which is the Pacific Buffet, which BC Ferries describes as offering “elegant ocean-view dining on sailings from Vancouver to Victoria and features a wide selection of hot and cold items”. The buffet costs $16 to $21 depending on the time of day.

The line up for the buffet seemed long, so I headed over to the main cafeteria, which is branded as “White Spot”, a popular chain restaurant with several locations in Vancouver. The ocean-going version of White Spot has a simpler menu, but still has some attractive choices, such as the Roast Chicken with fries or Caesar salad, various burgers, salads, or their signature entree, the baked maple-glazed salmon ($11.99, pictured below).

The salmon was surprisingly good, and unlike some restaurants where the actual product looks a lot different from the picture in the menu, my salmon looked very similar to the enticing poster-sized photograph at the cafeteria entrance. My only problem was that I was really hungry, and I could have easily eaten two orders of scrumptious salmon. Maybe next time I’ll try the Pacific Buffet!

(above) BC Ferries Salmon Entree ($11.99)

Fujiya Japanese Foods (web site, 912 Clark Drive, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604.251.3711) is a Japanese grocery store at Clark and Venables in Vancouver that has a wide selection of fresh, already-prepared sushi and bento boxes at reasonable prices. Items such as those pictured below are in the $3 to 6 range, and if you go 1 hour before closing the items start going on discount. There are a few small tables at the store, but most people go for take-out.

Fujiya also has locations in Richmond (#113-3086 St. Edwards Drive, Richmond, BC, Canada, phone: 604.270.3715), downtown Vancouver (112-1050 W. Pender Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604.608.1050), and Victoria (624 Shelbourne Street, Victoria, BC, Canada, phone: 250-598-3711).

Assorted Nigiri Sushi (deluxe) – around $6

Maki sushi (around $4)

Spicy sushi roll (around $4)

Christie’s Carriage House Pub (1739 Fort Street, Victoria, BC, Canada, phone 250-598-5333) is a popular pub in the Victoria area which is located in an authentic heritage house. Christie’s web site describes:

Christie’s Carriage House Pub recreates turn-of-the-century Victoria with flair, charm and comfort. The proprietor welcomes you to meet and share a pint in a comfortable atmosphere with fireplaces in cozy rooms, antique lighting and decor of the Queen Anne period.) At night the Pub is alive with more than the sound of music as friends gather to share the events of the day, team players slip off for a pint, or neighbours gather for a night cap waited on by the friendliest staff in town.

I was in the mood for something lighter so I ordered the Yellowfin Tuna Salad which was a large yellowfin tuna steak grilled medium rare, served with fresh greens, tropical salsa and avocado (pictured below, $12). I also tried the spicy beef lettuce wrap which was also yummy ($3, appetizer special). Click here for more info on Christie’s Carriage House including their menu.

Taking the ferries over to Victoria is a popular day-trip for visitors to the Vancouver area. The ferry terminal at Tsawassen (on the Vancouver side) has a marketplace with a variety of vendors serving delicious food, such as Taste of BC (web site) which serves fresh and smoked BC salmon. I ordered the Smoked Salmon bagel (pictured below, $6.95) which was served with fresh smoked BC Salmon, onions, capers, and cream cheese. This was a special treat while waiting in line for the ferry.

Smoked salmon bagel with cream cheese, capers, and onions ($6.95)

The Penny Farthing Pub (web site, 2228 Oak Bay Ave, Victoria BC, phone 250-370-9008) is an olde-English style pub located in the Oak Bay area of Victoria. The word from my compatriots is that the beer and wine and other drinks at this pub are mighty fine. However I felt like indulging in some culinary fare, and went for a dish of their steamed mussels (pictured below, $12.00). They have mussels with a Strongbow cider sauce, or some with a mango curry sauce. I tried the curry ones, and boy were they delicious. I asked my fine server what locale the mussels hail’d from, and she replied that they are fresh from Quadra Island. Now that is why they are so good! They were big, juicy, and really just melted in my mouth. And that curry sauce was so tasty that I just slurped some of it up after all the mussels had gone. If you’re in Victoria be sure to stop by this venerable watering hole!