Cultures Restaurants

Cultures Restaurants
346-4820 Kingsway
Metropolis at Metrotown
Burnaby, BC

Before I started this blog, I had my share of rants about food courts. However, due to other reasons, I kept going to one and, eventually, found out not all of the stands are that bad. Sure, you will have your Timmy’s and fast food chains; however, in some other food courts, you could end up in stands with food that can rival that of sit-down restaurants. Stands like Wang’s Shanghai in Crystal Mall in Burnaby or Matoi Sushi in Downtown Vancouver. But, the common part of these food courts is that they are part of oriental malls! (Mostly Chinese in the case of Crystal Mall, mostly Korean in the case of the food court where Matoi is located). Would the biggest mall in Metro Vancouver, Metropolis at Metrotown, even offer something that could remote match that of the Oriental malls? That is the topic of today’s post: Cultures Restaurants (or simply “Cultures”).

Of course, the first question is why I would end up in this place to begin with? Sure, I do groceries here once in a while (parking is convenient, you have two major supermarkets, etc.) but this time it was because I was going to the movies and wanted to eat something first. And, while I arrived “early enough”, the problem is that, as you all know, unless I am inside 20 or so minutes the start of the movie, it is unlikely I will get a good seat. (sigh). Going to Crystal Mall was in my head; however, I was not sure if I would be able to do it under 40 or so minutes and that left me with the only option: Metrotown’s food court, with its over a dozen of options from fast food (BK, A&W, KFC) to independent ones.

But why Cultures? The truth was that in the days prior to my visit to Metrotown, I had been eating a bit too much fried food and wanted something easier to the stomach. Sure, I could have gone to one of the soup stands but I wanted solid food. And, after browsing around, Cultures ended up being best option (not necessarily a good thing).

This is what I ended up ordering: a sandwich and two salads (beets and Greek/country) for $7; on a visit on a different day, I ordered a wrap with tabouleh and seaweed. While the sandwich/wrap was not the best I ever had, at least the chicken in the sandwich was a real piece rather than deli-like slices. The bread could have been better but I might be complaining a bit too much. As for the salads, it sort of mixed. Some were more decent (tabouleh – not pictured, and beets probably because I like beets) and others could have been better (seaweed, as it lacked a hint of sesame). The Greek/country was, well, average. However, at, again, $7, given the amount of food that our grandmothers could recognize, it is a good deal.

Would I come back? Well, that is tricky. It was better than what I thought; however, you must keep in mind I had low expectations. Even then, there is a “major” problem: with Crystal Mall so close and better offerings, I have few reasons to go to Metrotown’s food court. However, at least, if I have to go, I now know of a good option.

Tagged under: Burnaby • Food Court