Posh

This is a follow up post on a current visit on October 16, 2009. Rich Guy has been only back a week in town and now heard overseas once again. We decided to meet for lunch prior to his red eye flight tonight. For the first time in a long time, the weather was quite awful. Of course being Vancouverites, we are used to wet, miserable weather; however, we seem to forget about it during the summer and early fall. We decided it would be a great day for some hot pot or in this case Japanese Sukiyaki at Posh. With a name like Posh, you'd expect it to be nice inside, which it is indeed. It's clean, modern and inviting.

Sukiyaki is somewhat similar to Chinese hot pot, except for a few differences. The pot itself is quite a bit shallower and the broth is mostly soy-based, being quite salty. At Posh, you can adjust the saltiness of the broth by adding more water. You have a pot of water and a pot of sauce, so you can customize the taste of the broth. Posh is an all-u-can eat restaurant, $11.88 for lunch and $15.88 for dinner. For the price, it includes unlimited selection of Grade A Alberta beef, pork, fish and a wide variety of veggies. In addition, there are several types of tofu and noodles. Normally, sukiyaki is a dish and is not served in an AYCE format. However, the sukiyaki here is not exactly authentic since it serves up meat other than beef. The original sukiyaki only had beef. I ain't complaining here because the more choice of meat, the better. Traditionally, raw eggs are provided for you to dip your cooked food into as a finishing touch. It may sound strange, but trust me, it adds a buttery consistency to the food. Rich Guy wanted no part in this, despite me "egging" him on (sorry for the terrible pun). The beef and pork are sliced thin and served on stacking plates. There meat is well-marbled and are tender once cooked. I wasn't a big fan of the fish though. It was too "fishy" tasting and a bit tough. The veggies are fresh and there is a good selection.

Despite comments to the contrary, for the times I've been to Posh, service has been attentive and today, our server was doing her best to meet our needs. Food that we ordered came really expeditiously and exactly as ordered. For me, I personally like the AYCE sukiyaki here at Posh. I know there are some who think there is not enough choices in terms of meat; but they must remember that sukiyaki should only be beef. The fact that you get pork, fish, fish cake and a wide variety of fresh veggies is plenty in my opinion. Furthermore, at the prices they charge, I think it's a decent value, especially at lunch. Of course some might point out it's not authentic. I do agree with that statement; however, if you accept it for what it is, it's not bad.

The Good:
- Nice decor
- Attentive service (at least that's what I get all the time)
- Non-offensive, pleasant meal

The Bad:
- For this location at least, it's so hidden, you'd drive right by it if you didn't know about it (Burnaby)
- Portable burners should really be built-in units
- Beverages are a bit high in price

Posh Restaurant
101-1788 W. Broadway
Vancouver, B.C.
604-737-7674

1123-3779 Sexsmith Rd.
Richmond, B.C.
604-303-7674

105-6462 Kingsway
Burnaby, B.C.
604-434-7674
www.303-posh.com