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Pacific Mall
Category: Shopping Shopping Centres Shopping Centres [Edit]
4300 Steeles Avenue EastMarkham, ON L3R 0Y5
(905) 470-8785
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11 am - 8 pm
Fri-Sat 11 am - 9 pm
Sun 9 am - 10:30 pm
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
64 reviews for Pacific Mall
Review Highlights
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"Do not miss out on the bubble tea and juice." In 11 reviews -
"...can bargain and don't forget to check out Market Village." In 3 reviews -
"...place really reminds me of Hong Kong (but the malls in HK..." In 7 reviews
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64 reviews in English
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Review from Edwin A.
2/5/2012 3 Check-ins Here
Pacific Mall is a cool place to walk around and browse. It is a complete departure from your typical North American mall experience.
After going here several times over the years. It does have its place.
Perhaps you may find something unique and imported that's not available at any of the other malls you frequent.
You can get your spicy fish ball fix in the SE corner, imported cell phones along the East side of the mall, latest video games from Japan, computer parts, some HK fashions and of course there is no shortage of cheap bubble tea.
Business operates a little different in this mall. So bring ca$h if you catch my drift. :p
Parking can be a pain on the weekend especially on statutory holidays. It's a popular spot for locals and out of town visitors a like. I hit up pacific mall aka Pac mall/p-mall from time to time and see what's new.
Random fact, this was where the Cullen Country Barn once stood. The comedian Russell Peters likes to mention this mall in his jokes. -
Review from Denise S.
4/14/2012 1 Check-in Here
Gotta love P-Mall in all its randomness. Under one roof, you can find:
- Bubble tea shops
- Chinese herbs
- Themed hair salons
- A music school
- Real estate agents & travel agents
- Trendy fashion from Hong Kong (be warned, many items are 'one size fits all' and happen to be very small!)
- Lots of opticals - my favourite, Optical 88 just closed though:(
- An arcade
- Stores selling phone accessories, kitchen appliances, photography equipment, Hello Kitty stationary, and bootleg DVD's
- Loads of restaurants (main food courts are upstairs)
- The last remaining puri kura (Japanese sticker picture) booths I have seen in the city
- A central court that hosts events like singing competitions or on my last visit, 'Birds of Prey' - live owls from a local conservation group
Pacific Mall is fun to wander around or bargain hunt. There are basically a few types of stores repeated over and over again, so it's easy to get lost (many stores look the same). Just be warned that parking is scarce on weekends and even more scarce on holidays, because this is one of the few malls that stays open on stat holidays. Bring cash, as some businesses will offer a 'discount' (or don't charge tax...) if you pay in cash.Listed in: Shop 'til you drop
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Review from Leah L.
Mississauga, ON
3/24/2012
I like going to this mall. It's something different from the typical malls that I already know around canada. It's a good place to go when you want something new. Plus, it's interesting to walk around and browse through their selection of shops.
The thing I noticed about these stores is that they cater to mostly women in terms of clothes, shoes, beauty, and accessories. Depending on the shop, some of them are pricey.. and when you go to another store.. it's a bit cheaper by a couple of dollars. So my advice would be to browse around first before committing to on a purchase. AND, it's always good to pay in cash, depending on the shop, if you pay in cash they dont really put in the taxes.
For the men, well... there are a few stores that sells clothes and shoes...but it doesn't really compare to the shops for women. So don't expect too much if your looking for something awesome. And oh, they have a car accessories store there.. just saying.
They do have electronic stores though.. so it's a good place to go and shop for a cellphone or a computer if your looking into buying.
The food.. okay, am not lying.. but the food court caters delicious and afforable asian food. The bad part about it is that... well, they dont have much seats. And it's kind of annoying. There are two restaurants there...one korean and one chinese... if you rather skip the whole food court thing.
Overall, this is a nice place to visit.. -
Review from bold c.
Toronto, ON
1/8/2012 1 Check-in Here
Awesome. Awesome. Awesome.
30 Sec Summary
----------------------
1. Hong Kong Central, Kowloon and Shen Zhen all rolled into one
2. Selection
3. Bargain Hunting
4. Cell phone heaven
5. Beard Papa
6. Inexpensive Street Meet (Lamb kaboobs) on the 2nd floor (tucked away near the Xian Terracotta Warriors!
7. Cheap clothes
8. Warm Winter Down jackets on the 2nd floor near Axia
9. Food courts are inexpensive bites (under $5)
10. Parking is horrible
11. Avoid parking indoor as you may get a ticket or fender bender
12. Cheap Electronics
13. Cash is KING
Recommendation: Worth the crowds and hassles -
Review from Wing Man C.
4/12/2012
I get all fobby when I visit TO. Have to always make a pit stop at Pacific Mall to get my fob on! I've been going here since the late 90's and it's entertaining to look at all the pirated music/movies and funky jewelry. This place was fun before Russell Peters made fun of it...
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Review from Nick D.
11/3/2011
When visiting the GTA there are three things I must visit:
-Family
-Tim Horton's
-Pacific Mall!
What can I say, I love PMall. We have nothing even remotely close to it here in the SF Bay Area. The stores are all so tiny and redundant. But, don't let that fool you, as there are some great finds if you walk inside the store. I have yet to walk out of that mall empty handed!
Let's face it, you'll find bootleg items at PMall. I've even encountered a moment when one of the DVD retailers caught wind of the police or some authoritative figure and they pretty much did a fire drill by forcing everyone out, closed the store, opened back up in 5-minutes and the store completely changed. I think now they've tightened up and you have to know to ask.
Other than that, you'll find cool gadgets for your car, cases for your phone, clothing, electronics, makeup, shoes, bags, backpacks, vitamins, knick knacks, etc. They have a food court on the 2nd floor but I didn't try any of them out.
A few tips:
-Majority of the retailers only take cash, some accept debit, but none I encountered accepted credit.
-Since the USD is about equal to the CAD, all of the retailers we went to accepted our USD, which worked in our favor as we would've lost some value exchanging it with the bank!
-Inspect the item you want to buy, because they all have a sign saying "no refunds and no exchanges."
-It gets so packed during the weekends/holidays. Not to mention, their parking garage is a biyatch to maneuver. Regardless of when you come, I'd suggest to come early and park outside.
-Bring anti-bac gel, their bathrooms are disgusting. Thank goodness all I gotta do is stand. :)
Happy shopping! -
Review from Elisa L.
8/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
Shortened name being "Pmall", This place is very popular to people of all ages (and races, too). Very good place to buy unlocked cellphones & cell accessories, clothing, appliances, accessories, stationery, makeup, cheap dvd's, vid games, sticky pics, you name it. Also contains hair salons, karaoke places, a lot of little eateries.
Most of the places are Canto/Mando owned, so it is a large plus if you know one of the 2 languages. Better for bargaining. There are a few places that are Japanese or Korean owned, but not very common. These days, there are quite a few non-asians shopping at Pmall since there's a lot of products that this mall has that most places do not.
Pros:
-open 365 days a year
-large variety of different products sold in all the stores
-largest Asian mall in Canada, possibly in all of North America (?)
-this place can get crowded, but it is never ridiculously crowded
-No tax (most places) when paying cash. Most places do not accept CC/Debit, and even if they do, they usually will put in the tax.
Cons:
-parking. Really sucks on weekends, sometimes we had to park in the mall across the street (decent walking distance).
-clothing & accessories are usually very overpriced. Evaluated over many of the clothing stores.
I have 2 unlocked phones both from this mall. The cellphone places are great, and the people know their stuff. Most cellphone stores do cellphone repair (mainly for smartphones), and have cheap cases and accessories.
There are also a ton of accessories stores across the mall. From cute clips to wigs to necklaces.. Although, usually very overpriced and sometimes bad quality. I have seen many Korean made necklaces go for $5-10 online, and they would be $15-25 in Pmall stores. There are also many stores and stands that sell cute handbags. Be warned, many of the animal print bags are bad quality, and colours get washed out after coming out of the dryer.
Shoes and clothing are usually decent quality. Shoes tend to be cheap at pmall, and theres usually a very large selection of cute/classy choices.
Many stores are also now selling circle lenses, but also extremely overpriced (sometimes almost double the price of buying them online). There are not a lot of places that sell prescription lenses (I have yet to find one).
Cheap DVDs/music - this is the place to get your bootlegged DVDs, all are from Mainland no doubt (Taiwan has banned bootlegging).
There are also a few chinese medicine stores, bakeries, ice cream places, and BBT places. I cannot really comment on the first 2, but all the BBT places I have tried so far at pmall are pretty good.
I can go on and on. Overall, Pacific Mall is just a great place to hang out with friends or be with family because there is a lot to do and shop for.Listed in: Good for Groups
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Review from Janna S.
9/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
For me, once is enough. I came here to attend a wedding reception at the Golden Regency restaurant and I was really excited to see this place after hearing all the hype for the past few years. Parking was definitely the most stressful part of the visit, but I found the "mall" itself to be quite boring because so many of the places sell the exact same things. I guess if I came here looking for something very specific I might have been successful, but the flea-market look doesn't do much to make merchandise appealing, and overall there just seems to be a lot of knick knacks for sale. Fine if that's what your after, but I guess it's not for me.
My big question is how do all these vendors stay in business selling such similar merchandise so close to each other? Is the market for cell phone covers really that big?
The food selection seems okay - there are quite a few priced reasonably but don't look for anything like a North American chain - the only western-style food is Wanda's Belgian waffles, which looks like it does more business than nearly any other vendor selling food there!
I strongly advise you to avoid going here on the weekend if you're just out for a casual visit. -
Review from Hazel P.
9/13/2011
First of all, when we went to enter the mall, the entrance was encrusted with bird poop everywhere. Even on the door & door handles. Yuck! Not a good impression when entering a shopping area.
Anyway, I haven't been here in years. It hasn't really changed except it's not as clean as it used to be when it was new. We went on a weekday so parking wasn't too bad. But we only went to a few stores here, looking for semi-precious crystals.Listed in: Oh hell no! Never again!…
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Review from Martin W.
8/2/2011 1 Check-in Here
I like this mall for reasons that are unknown to me. It's big, but basically there are really only 10 types of stores in here:
Chinese medicine, cell phones, computer parts, clothing, illegal videos/music, buddhist furniture stuff, jewellery like jade or pearls, video games, eye glasses, and food.
It gets hot in the summer and busy on weekends. If you are driving then you better arrive early or you'll have a tough time parking. I noticed that a lot of stores are closing up shop, probably because they have 1320 other competitors in the same mall. Nonetheless, if you are into Chinese culture this is a cool place to check out. Lots of food choices that are quite tasty and reasonably priced upstairs. -
Review from Vic C.
1/26/2012
Came here a few times during my last few trips to Toronto. This place is like a China Town but cleaner and in a mall. I believe this is the largest Asian mall in north America. So with that in mind, know that there are a TON of little shops throughout this mall... and I mean just aisles of little shops here, from clothing to cell phone accessories & companies (to sign up a new plan), to electronics to dried snacks and everything else all in between. So bring cash (like you would when you come to China Town).
Food court is on the 2nd floor. There are also a lot of little eateries here that make freshly baked and warm sweet treats here, which I love to try every time I come here. The smell is just so enticing.
However, the restrooms or washrooms (as the preferred term here in Canada) are all the way down in the basement... hmm, guess whoever built this place didn't logically think this through did they? Why would the washrooms be all the way down there when there is a food court on the 2nd floor? Ok.... :/
Parking here can be a bit of a pain, but the small number of times I've been here, I've always been pretty luck to snag a parking spot.
I always come here whenever I travel to Ontario and will keep doing it the next time I come for another visit. -
Review from neesa r.
1/12/2012
man, how come I haven't reviewed PMall yet?...
so this is the ULTIMATE PLACE for everything you can and can't imagine.
you need to get cup shaped like a camera lens? - find it here
you want to get fit? - go dance few hours at the DDR machine on the 2nd floor's playdium
you want to feast? - the whole second floor is crowded with tiny and big restaurants and cafe and food courts with dirt cheap and yummy food! same goes for dessers and bubble teas of different varieties.
you want to relax and kill some time? - there are dance shows/singing shows/bingo shows... you name it! at different times of the day on the first floor.
you want to get movies that never came our on DVDs? - find them here!=)
and it only takes 20min on a bus from the finch station to get there. or bike there in summer! -
Review from Amira S.
Mississauga, ON
10/22/2011
The mall that most people either love or hate. As a Chinese herb enthusiast, there are a plethora of stores to check out.
The layout of the mall is quite unique from ordinary Western malls. When I first stepped in the mall, I had pondered why there are stores that sell the exact same products across from each other. You may find yourself standing in between two strikingly similar stores. It is as Lewis Black says it "the end of the universe"...
Good place to find imported goods from Japan,cell phones,dvds,etc
You will find that many items are ridiculously overpriced, thus its best to go shopping during a time of sale(but even then it may still be expensive to some folks).It is convenient in that its open every day of the year.
Not the best place to go window shopping however.
Overall, great place to check out if you are into Asian culture. -
Review from Mich L.
4/22/2011 1 photo
I've been here a few times as a child, even though I'm from the states. Last spring, I decided that I needed to revisit this place to relive some nostalgia and see how this place has changed.
From Toronto, take the subway to Finch, then take the 53 Steeles East bus.
USEFUL:
Y'all look alike: Every store looks similar because many stores sell the same thing. Grab a map. better than getting lost.
$CAD: Cash rules everything around me, C.R.E.A.M get the money! dolla dolla bill y'all! (credit wu-tang clan)
Prices: weren't as cheap as I had hoped. However, if you enjoy asian import products, you'll probably end up paying the price. Try haggling at your own despair. It may produce more amusing than beneficial results.
Clothes: They are made to fit the size of ants. Just to let you know.
COOL:
Dim-sum: upstairs place is very good. Noisy, bustling, fast cart turnover; easily more delicious than any dim-sum place in the states (except for those in San Francisco, which are Godly). I'd give it a try. Must get authentic mango pudding dripping with condensed milk.
Sticky pictures: no photobooths around because the upstairs arcade is gone! There's one store that specializes in sticky pictures but they won't be like the trendy japanese ones. Still, a nice place to go with friends and grab a photo memento because you can still customize the designs AND print size.
Weapons: my friend bought a novelty sword here. We told him he was an idiot because we didn't want a problem with Homeland Security when we returned to the states. Thoughtfully, he went back to return his sword, only to come back with two smaller swords. Nothing happened to us at the border luckily.
In conclusion, still the largest North American asian mall with worthwhile things to check out. if it still had the arcade, it'd be awesome. For what it IS, which is an Asian community of vendors in a weird, glassy mall, I'm glad it exists. Here, bubble tea staves off big, bad, Starbucks.
P.S. Funny is a style. SWAG! -
Review from Shari M.
Toronto, ON
2/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
I do love me some Pacific Mall! Where else in the GTA can I get boxes of eyelashes, Hello Kitty car mats, shark fin soup, eye glasses, DVD's, dried persimmons and a jade necklace in one place?!
For all the stalls and vendors, the layout is quite good. If you are going, I recommend to do so during the week when the crowds are at bay, and to park underground so you do not need to schlep your jacket around with you. I have also been told that this mall is fairly easy to access by public transit from downtown.
There are 2 levels of shopping. The top level is mostly food services. Do not miss out on the bubble tea and juice. I had a strawberry banana juice (in February!) that was to die for.
Cash is the preferred method of payment for most vendors. There is only one cash machine on the main shopping level on the far north side. Also, there are washrooms only on the top shopping floor and the top floor of underground parking. -
Review from Jeremiah L.
Toronto, ON
8/27/2011
Pacific Mall really has fallen, even from just a few years ago. Out are some of the more reliable and high end shops, like the Japanese dishware shop on the second floor.. and in are more Tea Shops 168 and stores selling nothing, but iPhone covers.
There are less than a handful of stores that import toys, plushes and trinkets from Japan now; which was one of the primary reasons for my visits. There are a good number of electronic shops, but they're either nothing special.. or they're knock off devices / hardware.
The one positive Pacific Mall does hold on to is the food, which has a wide variety of options on the upper level mostly. There is also one of the last few arcades in the GTA located here, although it's moved on to less traditional games lately.
For someone coming from downtown, it's too far to warrant a visit. You'll find everything you need in either major Chinatowns downtown, plus you'll have options of wandering else where downtown.. instead of being in the middle of nowhere. -
Review from Hideki K.
7/1/2011
Huge Cantonese Mall in the suburbs of Toronto!
Whenever I go here I forget that I'm not in Hong Kong. It's definitely worth a trip if you have a car and like shopping for Chinese goods or enjoy Chinese food. There are lots of cell phone, gadget, cutesy trinket booths too.Listed in: Best of T.O
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Review from Tre D.
Toronto, ON
4/13/2011
wow, this place is crazy.
I'll admit, I can't read most of the signs and I'm a little scared of that parking lot, but this is one huge asian mall with everything you'd ever want in one.
Just behind it is the Mongolian Grill - it rules. take yourself, take a date, it's fun for the whole family....yet I keep ruining my dress shirts there with teriyaki sauce when I'm eating my noodles with those slippery plastic chop stix. -
Review from Diane H.
11/30/2010
I visited Pacific Mall with my parents during my Thanksgiving break. After reading about how there are hundreds of stores in this mall, of course I wanted to go and check it out! I guess I expected too much. I imagined visiting a mall like one from a TVB series but got something completely different. Here's my review as a first-time visitor from NYC.
1) If you're from NYC and have been to Flushing Mall before, this is basically a HUGE Flushing Mall. However, there are hundreds of stores selling the same merchandise...it gets boring.
2) Nothing here that is designer brand is authentic, well except for a few stores (I'd be extra careful buying anything they claim is designer here). For those that appreciate and wear designer, this mall will make you boil with rage. I did not enjoy seeing counterfeit items everywhere like it's Canal Street - it disgusted me. Heck, they even sell fake MAC makeup!
3) Overpriced. Some stores had good deals on clothing but most of the stores had ridiculous prices!! Some woman tried to sell me a plastic Hello Kitty chain for $139, which is currently being sold for $35 on the official Sanrio website...her reason for the price? It's REAL, wow.
Tip: before visiting the mall, visit several Asian clothing/accessories websites for a good idea of what the prices should be, including shipping costs.
4) Come here for good prices on pirated dvds.
5) Food is decent. I ate lunch here, it was alright...
Overall, it was an interesting experience for my parents and I - that was our first and last time at Pacific Mall. -
Review from cat k.
Scarborough, ON
3/20/2011 3 Check-ins Here
I love pacific mall to find a variety of great cat items, and shoes in small sizes and great hair do dads.
We like to shop at ONE and we usually have dim sum at the Golden Regency although we were dissapointed in the choices on the carts the last time we visited.
Parking can be a real challenge if you arrive late during the weekend. -
Review from Kenny L.
9/10/2010
After hearing of this place as the butt of many jokes from Russel Peters, I have finally come to witness Pacific Mall.
Personally I really don't get what the big deal is.
This isn't a "mall" in the North American sense. This is more like a middle to low end shopping center in Hong Kong. No real stores in the shopping mall sense but lots of cubicle like stalls for stores and shops. Looking at those stalls does bring me back to Hong Kong. The stores are a mixture of bootleg DVDs, FOB-tastic clothing, Asian jewelery, dry goods, house goods, boba and even a froyo shop . Basically this a Chinatown (minus groceries/butchers/fish-mongers) contained in one building. In California, this would be one gigantic strip mall, like the one by Pacific Commons in Fremont or that big mall in Milpitas.
But it is one building because walking outside would not be fun in the winter months here in Ontario. -
Review from Philip L.
12/13/2010
This shopping location, impressive!
I usually shop for gadgets, computer peripherals, camera equipment and this place has all those items under one roof for cheap!
There are lots of fakes, but if you are not too keen on telling the differences, may be you need to stay and shop at local malls.
I consider myself an experienced shopper; i know how to tell the differences of fakes that will work and the ones that will break down soon.
Thus, most of the items sold there are real. About DVD's, hello kitty items etc...not referring to those items.
Toronto can get really cold, thus having an indoor area to dwell, shop, experience, is really comforting. -
Review from Ken K.
8/7/2008
Pacific Mall is a Hong Kong FOB's wet dream come true in North America (well Canada really). It is arguably the largest Hong Kong/China style Asian shopping mall I have ever seen on the continent (although I'm sure post 2003 there are fierce competitors in Ontario province vying for the title).
The Chinese name is Tai Koo Guong Cheung, and the name Tai Koo is arguably lifted from Tai Koo Shing in Hong Kong (that also sports one of the first biggest shopping malls in the early to mid 1980s in Hong Kong on the island itself).
The complex or compound rather, is impressively huge, sporting easily space for 500 small businesses. If you have ever been to Japan, Taiwan, or Hong Kong, you may have stepped into these smaller multi story shopping arcades where the average retail store space is much smaller than a 1 bedroom studio. Now imagine 500 of these wall to wall, each selling a product or a service (or snack/food drink) and scattered across a very large building with a gigantic mall sized multi story parking lot, and you pretty much have Pacific Mall.
Most of the vendor offerings come imported from China and/or Hong Kong, and chances are you will find competing vendors offering similar if not identical items, so it will pay to window shop and walk around for the best price. I don't doubt that some items are shall we say counterfeit or bootleg (e.g. DVD movies or software) so if it looks cheaper than an official import, then that is why. I am also willing to bet that the vendor list http://www.pacificmall... is already out of date.
Businesses come and go very quickly in these parts and I'm sure what you saw 6 months ago might not be there anymore (what can I say, HK and Chinese peep$ work in cut throat pace$).
From 2003 this was the kind of variety of warez, products, services offered:
- real estate agency (former gossipy bitchy friend & high school classmate of mom's ran the joint, probably not around anymore)
- shops selling dried sundries (sour plum candies and the ilk)
- chinese herb shops that also sell dried $eafood like $hark'$ fin and dried $callop$ and abalone
- tapioca milk tea type drink stalls
- the latest home console electronic gadgets
- Chinese pop music and movie CD/DVD stores (check for the DVDs priced lower than CDN$10 and shady looking DVD case artwork to ID them as "China" DVD-9 imports/non official pressings). Arguably you will find Chinese subtitled or dubbed animation too.
- clothing stores (some are branded, some are not). Be a true AZN and try to bargain the price down.
- probably some hair salons
- cutesy gadgets, plush toys, decorations any local AZN would need for vanity purposes (including their cars). Need some cutesy kiddie character air freshener or good luck charm dangling from your rear view mirror? Or perhaps some thug ass car mod that makes your car look like Knight Rider's KITT? I don't doubt there are import motors accessories type shops here or nearby.
- stalls or shops selling retro style street food snacks (huge plus)
On the upper level of Pacific Mall, you will find the food court, and based on the last visit in 2003, a coin-op arcade (a must for the local AZN mall rats and thug ass wannabe's with their rice rocket$, but beware some of these kid$ you cannot F around with as they know people)
Also on this upper level is Pacific Heritage Town, which probably deserves its own listing (and probably is already listed), where they recreate (or try to) a market from the old days, but the concept ends up being more interesting than reality. A good effort nonetheless locally.
If you be da shiznit AZN, then you will probably try to spend every waking hour here (even for the AZNs visiting from out of town). For those who have been there, done that, one trip or visit is really all you need and then Pacific Mall or Tai Koo, is no longer a novelty.
Case in point, Pacific Mall's neighbor, Market Village, used to be THE hanging place for the AZNs 13 years ago. But now it is just a shadow of its former self, as the Pacific Mall structure makes MV look like a dwarf. -
Review from Anita L.
8/7/2008
Ahhhhhh yes. Pacific Mall. "Tai Koo Guong Cheung" is actually Pacific Place in HK located in Admiralty, which, is probably still one of the best malls in HK to date.
However, Pacific Mall in Canada is like Ken K said, an "FOB's wet dream come true". Feeling homesick? No problem. Just go for a stroll at Pacific Mall.
The sellers here are tough though. They want to make a sale, yet, they want to make money off you, so out comes the bargaining skills -- you're Chinese after all right?
Ken already gave a perfect run-down to what the mall is all about so I'll refrain from repeating. However, the bootleg DVDs are pretty awesome but again, don't buy from the first vendor you see.... walk around a bit, get a feel and then start bargaining.
If you haven't seen Russell Peters' routine about his experience at Pacific Mall you gotta check it out. It basically epitomizes what an experience at Pacific Mall will probably be like for a non-Chinese speaker. -
Review from Kathleen W.
8/23/2010
My brief 4 days in Toronto included 8 Chinese restaurants and 4 malls. If you do the math, that means every meal involved a Chinese restaurant and a mall. On one of the days, we came here ... impressive considering it's an Asian (Chinese / Hong Kong style) mall located in Toronto. The aisles are a lot wider, a lot less people and no shop owners sweeping or spitting in the street.
I looked at prices and wanted to divide everything by 6 to convert to USD ... but that didn't fly here. I also can't haggle by pretending to speak broken Chinese. Close ... but not the real thing. -
Review from susan c.
Updated - 2/7/2010
I was walking in Leslieville with sarah l., having just uttered the words, "I'm so glad I got to revisit Pacific Mall when it wasn't crowded," when a woman smoking a cigarette outside Comrade's busted out with, "When is Pacific Mall NOT crowded?"
So I'm going to write basically what I told that lady last night:
"Have dinner nearby like at Chung King Garden Restaurant http://www.yelp.ca/biz... then head over to Pacific Mall around 8:00. Most of the stores will be closed but you can hit up Ding Dong Grocery http://www.yelp.ca/biz... and go to the arcade, and even get a watermelon juice from the bubble tea shop on the second floor.
No, the bootleg DVD stores will not be open at that hour but the mall will be empty and you won't be tossed around like a blow-up doll in a frat-boy circle jerk, either."
I will only go to Pacific Mall at night, and preferably with sarah l.Listed in: Epic Suburb Crawl of October…, My Series of Non-Sexual Dates…
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/2/2009
I don't like crowds.
I don't like noise.
I don't like malls.
This is a noisy, crowded mall.
I was taken… Read more »
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Review from Lynn H.
Toronto, ON
10/22/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Meh, just come here if you need a cell phone case, an unlocked cell phone, sunglasses, cheap chinese DVD's or whatever a Chinese mall would have to offer. Definitely don't come here for the clothes. Sorry, but it's just not my cup of 'CBC' tea if you know what I mean.
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Review from Adrenalyn O.
York, ON
2/17/2012
I love this place!! I really have nothing bad to say about P-Mall...You can find anything at P-Mall and it's on big building so you don't have to be freezing your ass in the winter!!
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Review from Mark M.
Toronto, ON
9/14/2009
I have been going to Pacific Mall for a few years now and I have to admit it's a very unique place. The set-up of the mall is weird in a good way and there are all this amazing Asian products to buy. If you are new going there, you will feel very overwhelmed at the sheer site of this place. The first floor is like a maze and it is always crowded.
With all that said, there are many things that grind my gears about this place.
First of all is the fact that the more I come here the more it looses its magic touch. At first I was so happy and amazed with the amount of stores they had but then you realize that so many of the stores are selling the same thing. Pretend there are 50 store, 25 of those stores will be bubbly tea shops 10 will be computer shops and the rest boutique shops selling the same clothing brands (I see Ed Hardy and Juicy Couture must be really popular with the kids these days).
Secondly is the fact that there are so many bootlegged items in this store, you sometimes feel put off purchasing things. Pirated DVDs and CDs are in so many places while a few shoe stores here will sell you fake shoes that are the same price as the real thing if you bought them in Foot Locker.
My last complaint does not apply to all the stores but to a few stores and that is the fact that customer service is piss poor. After a certain incident this one car parts store had the nerve to laugh at my mom and talk about her in their native tongue. I wish that was an isolated incident but it happens a lot to me and many of my friends that go there. If they know you are not from the same country, they will start talking about you and treat you very cold. A friend of mine that was looking at clothes was followed around by the store owner and told not to touch things. It was like she thought my friend was carrying some sort of disease. Sometimes you go into a store and they don't even speak English. Yes, I know it is an Asian mall but we are still in North America. When this happens they look at you and ignore you.
Well even though I probably sounded like I was ranting the past 10 or so sentences I do advise one to experience this place. It truly is unique and they also have some great food joints. -
Review from Bijan V.
8/13/2008 ROTD 4/7/2009
This place is really cool and I don't think I can add much more than what other yelpers have said but I like the uniqueness of this mall. Each "lane" you walk down on has a street name so you can remember where your favourite store (or shack) is at and although I've never been to HK, I'm sure it resembles the street markets!
Gwai-loh's and non-asians need to beware, I've heard of many times the store owners jacking up prices when they see non-asians enter their store. Make sure you go with a chinese friend and it'll be all good!
Also I don't think any story about Pacific Mall is complete without this: http://www.youtube.com... (starts at about 25 seconds in) -
Review from Kwoky L.
8/21/2009
I dread going to Pacific Mall and it's really not that great if you ask me. There is definitely a tonne of Chinese shops selling a variety of stuff but there are also like 20 shops selling the same things. OK, maybe not twenty but there's a lot.
As far as window shopping is concern, there's really nothing much to see there. The fashion stores are very Asian oriented, not your regular Canadian mall kinda clothing. Personally, it's not my cup of tea. There are shops selling pots and pans, Asian gifts, Asian herbs, cell phones, etc. They call this little Hong Kong but if this is HK, I wouldn't want to go, to be honest (I've been there myself and it's way better of course).
The food court is pretty decent. They have a variety to choose from although not all of them are good. The parking lot is pretty big but there's never enough space especially during the weekend and holidays. I have no idea what's so great about this place. Parking are so scarce that people actually wait in the parking lot, ready to pounce at the first available spot. Seriously? Also, beware, the drivers are extremely RUDE. If there's anything that stops me from going, it's the parking.
Avoid at all cost. You can buy the same stuff from Chinatown or the surrounding areas in Markham. It's a Chinatown in itself anyways. Plus, you get better deals minus all the parking hassle. -
Review from Thompson L.
6/5/2011
Save yourself the HK airfare and just stop by Pacific Mall. With a few of the chains making it here (HLS dessert, DTF shanghai), an amazing curry stand, food court, Boba tea, shopping... who really needs to go to HK? You even have the cheap DVD stores. I can literally spend hours in here. Highly recommended if you're into the HK scene, one stop shop for everything you need.
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Review from John F.
North York, ON
11/2/2009
Not being Asian myself, I visit more as a tourist. It is very large and quite fun, though as other reviewers pointed out, the stores tend to be a bit repetitive. 70% fall into three categories: cheap electronics, bootleg dvd's and herbal stores. There are also lots of bubble tea places, some jewelers offering very attractive looking wares (have no idea about the quality though) and two small food courts with some very good and very reasonable lunch food.
The upstairs "heritage" area features some decor of the glorified Chinese restaurant variety. There is one Japanese store offering a nice selection of porcelain, lacquerware and the like.
I visited the other two Asian malls nearby and found them much less interesting except for the nice supermarket in the one next door.
If you have friends visiting from out of town, this is a good place to take them if they are non-Asian and want a different style shopping experience. As for Asian people, I'll take the word of those posting here as to how this place reflects a cultural experience (or does not). -
Review from Robin D.
9/13/2010
It is not like Pacific Mall is amazing, but it is nice and different. It is often busy and can be difficult to find parking. Inside you will find good eats, interesting decor, clothing, herbs, electronics, hair salon, karaoke, bubble team, and an arcade.
You should probably know you can bargain and don't forget to check out Market Village. You can often find the same goods for cheaper there or even in a different shop in P-mall.Listed in: Touristy Things in Toronto…
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Review from Wai W.
8/13/2008
Yea... FOB's wet dream.
I really hate shopping... but this is probably by far the largest Chinese mall in North America... really... why can't California have something like this??? All the Asian malls in California are sh*t compare to this. After driving 9+ hours from Ohio to visit our relatives in Toronto, this is the first place we hit.
This place really reminds me of Hong Kong (but the malls in HK still the best). It's 2 story high. If all the parking spaces are fill, no worry, there's a underground garage. There's a lot of shops on the first floor and some on the second floor. First floor is laid out as a uniform grid of glass cubicles. I would say there are several hundred shops here. Food court and restaurants on the second floor.
Pretty much has everything you want here. Their glasses and sunglasses are much better than what I can buy in the US... much CHEAPER TOO!!! -
Review from sarah l.
5/6/2009 1 Check-in Here
This review is specifically about the arcade on the 2nd floor of Pacific Mall.
I was meeting a colleague for lunch at Pacific Mall today and she was over an hour late. After checking out all the Hello Kitty trinkets I could handle for one day, I headed up to the arcade, hoping to catch some kids rocking DDR like I occasionally see. It was pretty desolate today (maybe because it was noon on a Wednesday) so I got some tokens and perused the available options. There are a lot of Street Fighter machines, and lots of NBA machines.
Then... something glorious happened. I happened upon Bust-A-Move, my favorite arcade game of all time. Bust-A-Move, also known as Puzzle Bobble, was a game that I played religiously at HavaJava coffee shop and eatery in St. Catharines Ontario when I was in grades 10 and 11.
I was just SO thrilled to see this arcade classic, that I might go back tomorrow.
I also really like Ding Dong foods here; their shredded pork jerky is to die for, and I also like the beef satay although it is spicy. There are some jerky varieties without English labels that I never buy, but if they had labels in English I would - note to Ding Dong Foods. I echo the previous reviewers sentiments about the parking here. It's a death zone and very frustrating.
BUST A MOVE.Listed in: My Favorite of My Reviews…
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Review from M T.
11/17/2010 5 photos
This place is an indoor flea market. Well, a very nice and neat indoor flea market. The big difference is majority of the goods are brand new. If you are looking for the Gap or Starbucks, this is not it.
This is one of our stops in our Canadian weekend. The mister's brother told us to visit here. At the time, I was like okay and he said the word "mall", as this shopaholic loves a mall. Once I was stepped inside, I was like, Am I still in Canada? How come I don't hear "Eh", and everyone here is Asian?! Little did I know that Pacific Mall means is the mall to buy anything that's asian, sold by asians, cooked by asians, etc. I felt that I have been transplanted to Hong Kong.
Don't get me wrong, me loves anything asian but I guess I was expecting a Gap or Starbucks mall. I did not have those happy shopaholic moments. I did shop my heart out and went browsing in the clothing shops. The clothing sold here were okay quality. I could not find anything I liked, if you are a size 0 or a skeleton this is the place for you. I was in one stall, deciding for the longest time to get a new phone case and they were really cheap, but in the end, I concluded that I don't need a new phone case.
There are places that are like Pacific Mall back home, but I have to say Pacific Mall beats them all. For my friends back in Queens, this place blows Flushing Mall out of the water in terms of atmosphere and variety of goods sold. I feel the ones who would appreciate this place would be non-asians. If you don't want Starbucks, there is bubble teas everywhere! -
Review from Patty L.
North York, ON
8/30/2010 7 Check-ins Here
I've been coming up to this site for many, many years - back when Pacific Mall was still Cullen Barns. How many of you remember that? Over the years P-Mall has essentially stayed the same. It's a booth-style mall specializing in all things "Asian." Although most shops take credit cards now, it is wise to bring cash. Most times you can bargain a bit and pay the "sticker price" (i.e. no tax) if you pay cash.
DO NOT come early as none of the independently owned shops open before noon, and most close up around 8pm. If you come on a weekend be prepared to fight with some feisty Asian woman driving a Honda Civic with stuffed animals lined up in her rear windshield for a parking spot! It gets really crowded really fast.
Walk along the west side for electronics, games & consoles and DVD's, lots of clothing and accessories stores in the middle - and if the items start to look similar after a while it's because most of them own each other. I found this out by trying to pay with a credit card at one store, and they sent me down a couple of booths to their sister store to use their credit card machine! There are lots of places for good take-out bubble tea and there are lots of food options upstairs.
Canada Computers is a good place to check out if you are looking for computer parts, cables, etc. My favourite thing in this mall is Mosaic jewelery store, since I can't fit into Asian sized clothes or shoes (*sigh*), I don't buy bootleg bags, DVD's or toys (yes, there are bootleg toys...Kello Hitty anyone?).
i've recently learned that there is a Beard Papa location in this mall, so I may just have to pop buy sometime soon! -
Review from Jennifer L.
Toronto, ON
4/21/2009
WOAH!!!
This place is soooo awesome!!
WOW!!!!
Why spend thousands of dollars and 15 hours of travel time on a trip to Asia to shop and eat when you can spend $2.75 in bus fare and about 1.5 hours on a subway/bus (Finch Station and then take the 53 Steeles Avenue East bus to Kennedy) and spend an entire day marveling over all the wondrous products Asia has to offer? The layout of Pacific Mall mirrors those underground malls that I had experienced in Korea, so it brought back some nice memories.
Also, DVD bootlegs can be found here, but you must be discreet about it.... they don't advertise and won't just give it to you. Don't look and act like a law-abiding citizen. -
Review from Melissa J.
Toronto, ON
11/19/2008
I love you, Pacific Mall.
I love you because you assure me that it's OK to love Hello Kitty and spend all your money at machines trying to get dangly bell charms for your cell phone. It's normal to want bubble tea more than any soft drink, and it's fine if you want to eat dim sum for every meal of the day.
I do not love you because all your storefronts look identical, and I have no sense of direction. I do not love that all the clothing stores look the same inside so I can't remember which ones I've been in.
But even the parts I don't love, I still love. I love that I can find knock-offs of EVERYTHING here for incredibly cheap. Not as cheap as China obviously, but this place reigns as one of the best places to buy a really good LeSportSac knock-off for under $30 (Who can justify $200 for a nylon bag??! I can't.). Plus they have $15 basic cardigans that I have in every colour because they're THAT good.
If you're coming to visit Pacific Mall, plan a whole day for it -- they're open every day of the year (including Christmas) and they have everything contained within the mall to entertain you. Hell, they even have a tattoo parlour, an arcade, some restaurants and a couple hair salons if you want to get more done than just shopping. As for getting there, they have a huge parking lot which fills up quickly but moves around a lot. After a few circles, you'll find a spot. And if you're taking transit, go to Kennedy Station and take the 43 bus all the way North. Get off at the last stop and enter Canada's answer to the Asian mall.
This was THE place for pirated DVDs, but word on the street is that recently an undercover cop has been stationed to scour the mall at all times, scaring all the stores out of business. I am deeply saddened. Nowhere else could you get 10 seasons of television in DVD quality for $40.
We'll see what Pacific Mall is like without DVD heaven. My bet is that it'll still be awesome, because it's basically China transported on the border of Toronto, and who doesn't like to go to another country for a day?
