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Crystal Mall
Category: Shopping Shopping Centres Shopping Centres [Edit]
4500 KingswayBurnaby, BC V5H 2A9
Neighbourhood: Metrotown
(604) 438-6263
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Garage
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
28 reviews for Crystal Mall
Review Highlights
"...not only a great food court but many restaurants attached."
(in 19 reviews)
"And bubble tea galore."
(in 6 reviews)
"If you haven't tried Wang's you must."
(in 7 reviews)
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28 reviews in English
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Review from Annie W.
10/1/2011
Elbows out + Cash on Hand = Crystal Mall Ready. It's a jungle in there!
As far as Chinese shopping malls go, this place is as real as it gets. It's not pretty, it's not fancy, it's not even all that clean; but you'll find fresh, good quality fruits & veggies, eggs, meat, spices, and asian treats at a fraction of western super market prices.
Upstairs from the marketplace is the food court, and what really makes a trip to Crystal Mall worth it. My advice to first-timers is to find the place with the longest line and join it. On the off chance it's a slow day and no lines are to be found, some of the more famous places & their offerings are:
- Wang's Shanghai Cuisine's (XLB's)
- Favor Eat World's (Taiwanese Beef Noodles)
- Huaxi Noodles Specialist (House Beef Noodle)
- Want Want Hot & Spicy House (Lamb "Burgers")
Crystal Mall isn't for everybody - it doesn't need to be. If you can't look past getting nudged by strangers, being budged in front of, poultry with their heads still attached, or service without a smile...then this is not the place for you. -
Review from Larry L.
Updated - 1/23/2012
Parking is Terrible especially if you have a bigger SUV. I feel sorry for those SUV's that try to park into tight spots. The parking lot is under construction right now and that just makes it worse.
If you want to shop for affordable Chinese food the market here is pretty cool.
It's like bringing Chinatown into a mall.
One of the more unique shopping centers in the lower mainland because of it's round shape.
Is it a Feng Shui thing?
You could just go round and round and round.
Unlike Amy T's review, if you happen to be Chinese and love the services that many of these stores have to offer, then this can be the jewel of Chinese malls in Burnaby. Waitaminit. it's the only one!
Food court is spectacularly ethnic and yeah, the other shopping stores are unique to it's culture.
So probably not for everyone.
I still like coming here from time to time though.
My son loves this place.Listed in: Bubble Tea Economy - happiness…, ASIAN SHOPPING CENTRES
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/1/2010
Crystal Mall, Another one of those cool Asian malls that are in the lower mainland.
I used to bring… Read more »
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Review from Ellen L.
12/10/2011
The parking - A roundabout of confusement.
The food court - Some places are disgusting. Some are meh. Some are alright. Bring a filled water bottle though - to relieve symptoms of hypersaltMSGitis. For the prices, I don't think it's worthy Chinese food; at least none that would entice me to brave the parking lot.
The groceries - My mommy says their prices aren't actually that cheap. But if you like your fruits and veggies, the selection seems good.
The rest of the mall - more or less dead. -
Review from Amy T.
12/6/2011
This mall itself doesn't much much to offer except the food court or the HSBC branch. Oh right, there's a Chinese grocery store downstairs too. Annnnd that's about it.
Now the food court has some delicious menu items. This is where I get my Asian food or drink fix (ex - BBT). Other than that, I treat this place like a hotel. In and out! And the parking lot is a GD nightmare as well. There are times where I would park at Station Square Metrotown and walk across instead. A further walk is worth a stressfree, non-popping vein day. -
Review from Michael C.
Vancouver, BC
10/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
Typical Asian mall = fake eye lashes, jail break your phone, cellphone accessories, and electronic stores (mainly computers and peripheral).
If you're looking for these fine items then it's the place to be! I mean it just seems to be on repeat as you walk round and round, alternating between each other.
The only thing I come here for... THE FOOD! mmmmmm There's some pretty great food courts inside this complex and also a few full on restaurants connected to the mall. There are a few more outside that you need to exit the main mall and walk a short distance over to get into.
The mall itself is really not that interested and I wonder how these stores stay afloat, but food is something you gotta come here for.
PS, parking sucks.... do I need to explain?Listed in: 30-Day Yelp Challenge.
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Review from Aaron S.
9/16/2011
This place was designed by a demented architect on acid. I want a circular building where shoppers on the top half wont know which way is up or down or left or right. The shoppers on the bottom must exit into the rain should they want to see the rest of the circle. Mwaaaah ha ha ha haaaaaaaaa....................
Confusing building design aside there is merit to this crazy place at the corner of Wilingdon and Kingsway. This temple of all things asian is ten times more Chinese than Chinatown and makes Richmond look whiter than Northern Idaho. In fact (and those who have been here will agree) if you were to knock a person out and then drop them in the middle of this place near the food court they would actually think they had been taken to another country. They would seriously wake up and their eyes would shift from side to side and go "my god......where the hell am I?"...........
There is a section in the bottom level that is all produce and meat and is a big fuck you to the health inspectors. It's loud cramped and dirty and everyone thats been to asia tells me it's about as close to the real deal as you'll get without spending a fortune on a plane ticket. It's like one of those back alley places you see in the movies. I'm pretty sure I saw a guy selling a Mogwai.
The crazy market aside there are also a number of shops that don't cater to me but should I be in the need of a rice cooker this will be my first stop. No retail chains inside this place. It's all mom and pop and the stores are cramped from their small size so every inch is filled with stuff.
If T&T Supermarket is too overwhelming for you then stay away from here...................... -
Review from Melody P.
2/28/2011 2 photos
I don't live in Canada. I was there for Dim Sum. But, I think Crystal Mall is cool. A building 3-4 floors with banks, bakeries, clothing, retails, and somewhat traditional market. This can be my kind of one-stop shop place.
The security guards are very friendly. They notice that we are visitors. They gave a lot of help. -
Review from tee a.
1/5/2011
Dear Crystal Mall Architect,
Why the circular parking lot?? And the confusing design of the mall? Fail!
Despite the parking, I usually just part across the street (at save on) and walk to Crystal Mall. I usually come here for two things... cheap eats (usually anything sweet, it. bbt, bakery, candyland etc.. and electronics ie. memory cards, R4 cards, headsets etc.. I hear the grocery is quite good as well.
I try to limit my trips here, as my blood pressure rises each time I enter this mall. I hope you have better luck than me. :( -
Review from Cyndi H.
Vancouver, BC
1/3/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Crystal Mall... oh how I love thee..!
Note: I'm writing this based on the food court alone...because once I saw the food court, I was too smitten to look anywhere else!
If you've ever been to Asia, you'll appreciate the nostalgia of being in the Crystal mall food court. Plentiful cuisines to choose from, no typical Canadian chains (I think one may have been from an Asian chain, but I could be wrong), multiple bubble tea options, XLB, peanut spiced noodles, etc., etc., I was overjoyed to come here and for a moment let myself believe that I was overseas again. Don't I wish!
The food isn't crazy cheap, but it is reasonable and the variety is fantastic. In many cases is made right before your eyes... and I, being a food freak, like that.
One drawback: all the plastic waste. Please be green and pack some kind of container with you to avoid throwing out a table full of plastic food containers. At the very least, it would be nice to know that the plastic goes into some sort of recycling bin, but there's only a garbage bin available (correct if I'm wrong).
Great place if you want to put some spice back into your dining life!Listed in: Asian Wonders, Random Adventures, BBT!, Oodles of yummy noodles, Malls
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Review from Dru C.
10/11/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Crystal Mall is the only Asian mall within the Burnaby area. Like literally, they all like to come here and shop. The surprising thing here is that this place has everything for the Asian culture, from fashion to food court food, to grocery shopping....
The fashion here is out of date, sorry to say. Most of them are shipped in from China (not surprised) and mass produced to be sold at a really high price. I will never shop here for fashion. There is a little area that is designated to pirating stuff, which I shall not talk about more than that. If you find it, you will be happy.
The food court has great food. I don't mind most of the typical Asian food they offer here, and also there is a great dumpling place all the way to the end of the food court. I really recommend there a lot. Only thing is that the food court is disgusting, ditry, and messy. Where are the cleaners to clean up the place? Also, like usual there is not enough seating for the place. Where did all the chairs and tables you had long time ago go? Awkward..... Need to fix that up Crystal Mall.
Something that really surprised me is that the grocery area looks like a place picked up from Hong Kong/China and then shipped directly there. Literally, it looks like a "gai see", within a mall. That was really surprising when I went there when I was a kid. IN A MALL, IN DOORS. REALLY?
Don't get me started on the parking... Who ever designed the parking lot in the mall is terrible.
I don't come here as much, because this place really gives me the jitters. I know a lot of people like this place, but personally I do not. -
Review from Reena M.
11/9/2010 5 Check-ins Here
I had never been to an Asian mall until I came here last week! Wow!! That's all I can say. I love that you can get some awesome Chinese food for really cheap in the food court! And bubble tea galore!
I shall be back. Probably just for the food. Maybe some produce grocery shopping. -
Review from duke c.
1/25/2011
If you are from LA or ever been to LA and have visited San Gabriel Valley, you would think that there is a huge amount of Chinese people... but Crystal Mall is like... any plaza in San Gabriel... x10.
The place is huge and just packed full of Asians, mostly Chinese. I seriously felt like I was in HK/Taiwan shopping. Shops are the ones you would typically find in HK and even in Taiwan. One of the shops that caught my attention was the "Cube" shop where people rent out cubes to sell their own things. They do it extremely well and many of the items sold are mostly imports from Far East.
The food court is huge and all the food looks legit. Mostly Cantonese fare. There's also a market and a bakery from HK, St. Germaine.
Parking lot is huge. Huge.Listed in: a rainy weekend in vancouver
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Review from Bill X.
Burnaby, BC
1/6/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Perhaps it has something to do with being Asian, but I used to always stop by Crystal to pick up a bubble tea whenever I was in the neighbourhood. I love the food court, it's probably the only place you can go for decent Chinese "fast food" in the entire Burnaby area. (though I must mention that T&T's stepped up as heavy competition) You'll probably get lost once or twice inside the mall, but the building is a perfect circle. When in doubt, just keep walking in one direction and eventually you'll find what you're looking for.
Long story short, Crystal mall is the Asian Shopper's dream. You can find everything from Asian imports to Produce to DVD's, all at decent prices. -
Review from Simon K.
In my little review world, Crystal almost gets my 5 full stars, but it gets pretty close, like 4.5. Why you ask, well here's the review of my experiences with this mall.
The food court, one of the best places to eat on the cheap. If you want Asian variety, here it is, from stalls that serve the XLB, Tawainese beef noodle, bubble tea, hong kong cafe type food, etc. Too much to name, but from the ones I have tried here, very tasty, and very affordable, and if your going during the lunch primetime, very packed. Even if your not hungry, it's hard to dodge this.
Let's say your not looking to sit with everyone at the foodcourt, well then, go to a restaurant, there's tons in this mall, from a tofu hot pot place, northern Chinese delicacy, and even donair! You might actually run into the problem of "what should I eat, and where should I eat it, which drives you to eat nothing!"
This is an Asian tailored mall, that has all things Asian, from the clothing, to the sweet treats, the toys, the cds and dvds, the electronics, the pots and pans, cellular stores, hair dressers, etc. And they are all at pretty good prices as well.
For me, this mall is all about the food, even a Beard Papa's is nicely located, and hidden upstairs. There is a food market downstairs that is always busy, and it feels like how Chinatown should feel. From your meats to veggies, there are people everywhere, and did I mention this was a mall.
The mall is oddly shaped, as it is circular, which means, you can walk the shop, and keep going in one direction, and eventually, you will be back at square one. The size of the mall is not too big, but just the right size. The only real trouble of this mall is the parking lot, as most often, log jams happen trying to get in this place. This is usually from people who think that they can do the "Chinatown wait" and hold up everyone while they sit there waiting for someone getting into their car on the first floor. If you can actually make it to the second floor of parking below, you shouldn't have a problem finding parking, and just like Metro, it's free!Listed in: The Gems of Crystal Mall!
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Review from Louise G.
4/7/2010 1 Check-in Here
Love this place. Love that it is a perfect 5 kilometer walk from my house. Because you see, Crystal Mall has one of the BEST food courts I've ever been to and it's good exercise getting there. Call it MMMMmotivation !!!
Sorry, no traditional North American chains here though.
This past weekend we went on one of my 'training walks' (I'm doing The Weekend to End Women's Cancers again this year) and ended up in the Food Court for a 'training meal', also known as lunch. :)
Malaysian curried brisket and curried chicken, each served with a very generous portion of rice for under $20. Enough for more than two; we were stuffed and had a sizable portion of leftovers.
The bubble tea place across from the Malaysian restaurant made lovely shakes - chocolate and a red bean shake. MMMMM Then we walked back; a 10 km day.
There are many delicious restaurants here. Sometimes it is hard to choose. And for a lovely snack, why not try a Japanese waffle? MMMMmarvelous
Often, during weekends, holidays and festivals there is live entertainment or music. Just a lovely place to be.Listed in: OUT OF TOWN
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Review from Jonas T.
4/24/2009
Crystal Mall is awesome for quick and cheap dining, and as everyone else already mentioned, Wang's XLB. A lot of cool boutiques here, but mainly for women's clothing.
JONASAPPROVED! -
Review from Miss M.
Vancouver, BC
12/6/2008
I only go to Crystal Mall for Wang's juicy dumplings! In fact, I used to go there so often when I lived near the mall, that the owners would get really excited to see me and start making my dumplings right away. They also had a garlicky cucumber salad that was DELICIOUS but that was summer 2007 and it might not be on the menu anymore (it was just written on a card at that time).
Seriously, though. SERIOUSLY! These are the best dumplings anywhere. They pretty much melt and explode in your mouth, and the juice is perfect. I would write this review on their yelp page (linked in another review here) but then I'd be afraid people wouldn't notice it.
If you haven't tried Wang's you must.
Other reasons to go to the mall: Lots of neat stuff to look at (but most are a little pricey in the boutiques), manga is often cheaper there than Metro if you can find a sale, and if you wear colour contacts but don't need a prescription, many optometry stores will sell you samples without an Rx. Hehehe. -
Review from samuel a.
Vancouver, BC
3/16/2010 1 Check-in Here
What an interesting place. I was at the Hilton for a seminar, and came strolling into the Crystal Mall food court through a hall connecting the hotel and mall together.
Lots of choices of things to eat, and really busy, but there is lots of seating. And it's cheap. Especially drinks!
I've heard of the nightmarish parking situation, but I was in the hotel and came over so no problems there.
I'll be BACK. -
Review from Tina H.
Vancouver, BC
12/1/2010
Want to have a fun excursion with friends And have some fantastic food?This was a really fun outing! My friends and I came solely for the food court, but found that the Crystal Mall has so much more to offer! I am spying this place out for cool Christmas gifts and grocery chomping!
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Review from BB H.
Burnaby, BC
5/27/2010
The smell is what hits you when you enter this Chinese mall. It's spice-a-rama. The layout is bizarre in that it goes in concentric half rings. You can get seriously lost and the place is the size of a postage stamp.
All of this makes it wonderful as it's so anti-mall that it works.
Shopping-wise there are some bargains to be had but you're best off dragging your Chinese-speaking friends along to explain it all. -
Review from Edward B.
Vancouver, BC
10/7/2009
Cheap food? Cheap good? Cheap electronics? cheap cheap CHpeac Chppea AND CHEAPP!!?!?!?
Where do you go or cheap stuff? You go where there are lots of Chinese people. Not to be racist, but often that's true! Things here are relatively cheap, I'm telling you. I usually come here to look for cheap kitchenware, and definitely CHEAP FOOD. The place itself is not that aesthetically pleasing, but its clean and decent. Tends to get crowded in the weekends though.
If you want to look for cheap, good and fast chinese food, come here! The food court offers an array of cheap asian food varying from japanese to malaysian cuisine. One of my personal favorite is the roasted pork sold in the food court. I forgot the outlet's name, but its on the far end of the food court, and they sell a HUGE portion of roasted pork and rice for about 7$. It tastes damnnn gooooddd.
As for the mall itself they have a variety of stores. I tried a bread from one of the bakery there, and it tastes pretty good! (Once again i forgot the name... sorry peeps)
There's a store called 'FORUM' that sells cheap kitchenware there. I remember they sell kettles as low as 12$ and Black and Decker blenders as low as 30$.
All in all its a good shopping experience. You should definitely go there if you have spare time and spare cash to spend on random and cheap stuff! -
Review from Alice A.
1/17/2011
Guess what I got from Crystal Mall tonight?! Well, well, well. Soy bean curd and milk at very affordable prices, just like you would in South East Asia! The food court is kinda like the ones in Richmond, nothing too extraordinary, average prices, a good variety. Bubble tea for $3.50? I still can't swallow it.
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Review from Vincci L.
4/8/2010
On a shopping trip at Metrotown, we decided to take a short walk to Crystal Mall. There's a large food court at this mall, in which there's a BBT stall that also serves crepes-and their crepes are absolutely delicous! Haven't tried the other food stalls, but there's a lot of choices and it always smells good.
This mall is never too busy, and is equipped with many shops of all sorts. Glasses, teapots, rice cookers, clothing, shoes, massage chairs, you will find everything you need here. They also have a grocery section for fresh meats, veggies and fruits.
On our trip this day, we went into some of the clothing shops. Many of them are very Taiwanese, with a large Japanese influence. Price tags on some of these are ridiculous. $698 for a top??? Really??? Maybe they're prepared for some serious lowballing. Some of them are more reasonable though, and there's some cute clothing and accessories
There's even a 'Computer Lane' filled with all computer shops. You can buy many computer accessories here too. Seriously, there's everything in this small mall. A 5 minute walk to Metrotown, it's as convenient as it gets! -
Review from Cameron M.
Toronto, ON
12/8/2008
Crystal Mall is another place that I'd definitely suggest for a tourist. We Vancouverites tend to take the Asian influence on our city for granted and places like the Crystal Mall, featuring Asian shops, food and attractions seem like old hat but tend to impress any friends I have visiting town.
The thing that tends to stand out is the food. There's not only a great food court but many restaurants attached. As the previous yelpers have said, everyone loves Wang's dumplings and that's one awesome thing to check out.
For women there are a lot of interesting fashion options too. From the usual knockoffs to indie designers, there are at least a lot of things to look at. Add to that cheap electronics, weird anime stuff and other shops featuring just about everything you could think of and it's a fun place to hit.
Its location conveniently beside Metrotown is great too. I've had many people demand to head to Metrotown after hearing it was worthwhile only to be disappointed. I'll just scoop them up and bring them to Crystal Mall and at the very least they'll leave with a full stomach and an interesting experience. -
Review from Marc D.
Vancouver, BC
Updated - 11/18/2008
One additional update to my favourite places in the food court: Wang's Shanghai Cuisine (http://www.yelp.ca/biz...) for their xiao long bao (Shanghai soup dumplings). Tied for my favourite in the Vancouver area.
Listed in: Vancouver Chinese Food, Best Vancouver food sources, Crystal Mall
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/6/2008 First to Review
The circular design of this mall can drive you crazy. You feel like you are walking in circles -… Read more »
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Review from Joyce D.
Burnaby, BC
9/6/2009 1 Check-in Here
When you enter Crystal Mall you enter a whole different world, crazed, at times confusing but strangely entertaining.
The first time I walked in I questioned myself what the hell was I doing here but after looking around for about 40 minutes I soon realized. People brave the crowds and shoving here for the variety and prices. You can get anything here and I mean anything.
On the lower level you have lots of trend setting asian women's wares, cell phone shops galore, bbq meat shops, lots and lots of noodle shops and a few large produce shops. All really fresh and pretty cheap.
Quite honestly I haven't eaten upstairs at the food courts although I have snuck a peak it is a little too traditional for me. You can usually catch me in line at the well-known favourite haunts in Metrotown instead.
Like I mentioned in a previous review of Papa Beard, they have these beauties here so it kinda makes everything all worthwhile.
Crystal Mall is packed and especially on wknds don't expect to make any time walking through the packed isles. They have some awesome shops where you can get fresh wonton dough and eggroll wrappers and good deals on huge, huge bags of rice.
Overall, prices can't be beat, loads of variety, they have a Papa Beard...what more could a girl ask for. Nothing. -
Review from James W.
Burnaby, BC
Updated - 11/14/2009
You have to try Delicious BBQ at Crystal Mall. Good sauce, lots of BBQ pork for $6. 2 stalls away from Wang's dumplings.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/24/2009
I have recently started going here again, after living farther away for some time. I gotta say,… Read more »
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Review from David L.
1/1/2010
If you want to buy fruits and vegetables at affordable prices, this is the place to be. If you want to eat very good Asian cuisine at a food court, this is the place to be. This food court serves much much better food than the food court next door at Metropolis at Metrotown. I can also say that health supplements are much cheaper at Crystal Mall than any other mall. I believe the rent is lower at Crystal Mall than at Metrotown so they pass the savings to you. This place rocks.
