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Chinatown Centre
Category: Shopping Shopping Centres Shopping Centres [Edit]
222 Spadina AveToronto, ON M5T 2C2
Neighbourhoods: Alexandra Park, Chinatown, Downtown Core
(416) 599-8877
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
5 reviews for Chinatown Centre
5 reviews in English
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Review from Olivia O.
Toronto, ON
5/9/2012
This is the closest thing to a proper Chinese mall you can get in downtown Toronto... There's a purikura (Japanese sticker photo) booth on the 2nd floor...
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Review from Ro N.
9/5/2008
When C and I were trying to explore Toronto on our own, we saw this place was still open.
We decided to drop on in and check this place out.
It was pretty late at night so a lot of the stores were already closed.
We managed to find this place called L&M - another imported clothing shop but CHEAP!!!!
The sales lady name Rain helped us and got C to buy loads of things. I didn't see too many things that were my style since I don't like to wear stuff that makes me look like a pansy.
There's a little cafe in here that sells TEA EGGS for .80 cents! I love Tea Eggs!!! I know I know...what the hell are Tea Eggs? They are eggs that are infused with Tea and has a marbled appearance!
They were so addictive!!!! But beware the lady there is more into gossiping on the phone than attending to her customers!
It's cools if you don't want to make rent! -
Review from Melissa J.
Toronto, ON
1/8/2009
If you've ever been to Pacific Mall, or any Hong Kong style mall in the world, imagine a crappier version and you've got the Chinatown Centre. I mean, it's basically all we've got in the downtown core, so it does its job.
They've got their share of cheap imported knock-off clothes, display cases full of fake Chanel and Burberry bags, a couple travel agencies where you can get cheap casino bus tours, and a bunch of stands with TONS of jewelry and a lifetime supply of cell phone charms (I'm a sucker for those things).
Bring a bunch of cash, because most places don't take debit or credit, grab a bubble tea and go wandering around looking for trinkets. The cheap clothes are great but don't usually go beyond a size 8 so beware.
The food court downstairs offers stands where you can get a bunch of noodles in a styrofoam container for like $5, but you can do that almost anywhere in Chinatown so don't feel obligated to eat here. -
Review from Connie T.
Toronto, ON
1/15/2009 1 photo
When this place first opened, there were signs on the women's washroom stalls: "Do not stand on toilet."
I instantly thought, "Ho-oh, cool! This place is authentique! Only new immigrants with minimal toilet etiquette are here! Woooowowowow!"
Then I got off my immature high horse, waited a few months, and realized that this mall was really nothing special and probably wasn't going to attract the bustling crowds they'd hoped to achieve for a downtown centre.
This mall tries to be quintessentially Hong Kong, full of but it kinda falls flat on its face. When people come to Chinatown downtown, they want that old-school experience, with the ramshackle shops and chaos. This mall seems better fit for the outer suburbs where people want to get in their car, drive somewhere, and get everything done in one place.
And it's not like you can get EVERYTHING done here, unless your life just consists of pirated DVDs, tacky jewelery, and ugly clothing with weird Hong Kong embellishments.
However, it's definitely a good place to spy on old Chinese men, who come by just to sit on random benches, stare at a television screen for 10 minutes, then go to another bench and do the same thing over again. -
Review from Walter P.
8/19/2008
This is where Auntie Fe and all the hardcore Filipinos in Toronto shop for ingredients for Pinakbet (Filipino Meat Vegetable Stew with Shrimp Paste) and other Filipino dishes as well. As always major cities must have their Chinatown - unique shops, vegetable stands, butcher shops, cash only restaurants, phone card stands, bootleg DVD's, knock-offs, and gifts / specialty stores. And this was a great adventure with my Auntie Fe....to see her best kept secrets and hook-ups. The sellers knew her well and always gave her the "discount". I found myself as the "carrying" boy as we ventured from vegetable stand to vegetable stand. After each purchase I was the one holding all the bags. I didn't mind because this activity because it reminded so much of my grandmother. There were times I actually had déjà vu and almost called Auntie Fe by my grandmother's name. The only thing I dreaded was her smiling at me and asking, "I'm going to buy a 50 pound bag of rice, you can carry it - right?"
Walter P Trip Advisory:
- Bring cash. It helps when bargaining.
- Backpacks are the way to go. I learned the hard way the first time. Those cheap plastic bags break easily - especially when carrying tons of vegetables.
- Parking: Forget it. Take the subway train and get off at the nearest stop. Walking isn't far (about half a block away).
- Venture here during the late morning into afternoon. At night, it gets pretty ghetto.
!Listed in: Toronto - Canada's Hollywood
