Time Out Market Vancouver

Avis

• SG

  SK G

  1 day ago
  1.0
  I'd read plenty of mixed reviews and heard the gossip about Oakridge Mall's new food court, Times Out. I'd already visited once during the soft opening a couple of weeks back, but my companion was eager to check it out, so I went along again. My experience at Times Out mirrors my general experience driving on the road. Imagine you're happily driving in your lane, fighting with no one, minding your own business. Out of nowhere, a Tesla cuts you off for no apparent reason. There's no one behind you, only about 1.5 car lengths in front. Their showboating maneuver forces you to slam on your brakes to avoid rear-ending them. You swear out of frustration — but you accept the situation, chalking it up to the bad driving Tesla owners are known for, given they have some of the highest average insurance rates. That's a typical encounter with a Tesla driver's need for speed and apparent desire to prove they can cut others off. But that's not it. Now imagine a traffic cop jumps out of the bushes afterward and gives you a ticket — for swearing. Insanity, right? Well, that's essentially what happened to me at Times Out today. My companion was ahead in line at Mello, nearing her turn, while I stood about 1.5 metres from the display case, relaying to her what was still available. Out of nowhere, a bearded young white male — over 6'6", wearing a baseball cap — shoved me aside to clear his path, while simultaneously telling me to "watch where you're going." For the record, I was standing still. Astonished, I reacted: "Don't shove me." I asked him why he'd shoved me. He claimed I'd been walking backwards. This back-and-forth went on for about a minute. He clearly wasn't going to admit his aggression was unnecessary and unprovoked, or that he was in the wrong. I finally ended the argument by swearing. As this obnoxious, oversized young man walked off, I heard a tiny, squeaky voice — a "mall cop" who had suddenly appeared from behind his shadow. She had Caucasian features with a notably grey complexion, possibly Middle Eastern or mixed. She said, "I'm going to have to ask you to leave the facility for swearing." I said, "What is going on? Who are you?" She identified herself as the food court manager, and claimed she knew the man because he worked there, adding, "I saw the whole thing." Bewildered, I asked how that was possible — she hadn't emerged from his shadow until a moment ago. She then proceeded to request a refund from Mello's on my behalf — despite the fact that I hadn't ordered from Mello's at all. She never even asked me; she simply assumed the buzzer I was holding belonged to that stall and went straight to the cashier. Stunned, I said, "What the hell — you don't even know what's going on here." At some point she radioed her manager. When the General Assistant Manager arrived and re-heard the entire story — now with my companion's witness account — he apologized profusely, while the "mall cop" slipped away unnoticed and unapologetically. Some questions for Times Out Oakridge: * At what point is it acceptable for staff to shove a customer out of their way — or shove a customer at all? (I tried to demonstrate to the mall cop exactly how he'd shoved me, but she refused to let me touch her.) * At what point can a mall cop wantonly kick someone out without hearing — or understanding — the full story? Oakridge and Times Out feel like a microcosm of what's wrong with Vancouver. The mall caters to the whims of the wealthy few, while ignoring the struggles of everyone else. Vast amounts of retail space and resources are dedicated to a handful of whimsical rich customers — who may not even care for the brands the mall carries anymore, since they're no longer fashionable — while the food court is packed with the average lower- and middle-class crowd, "the poor," fighting just to get a taste of the luxury they can't afford downstairs. Overseeing it all is an inadequate layer of management — drunk on its own power, blinded by its own bias.
• SH

  SC H

  Jun 14, 2026
  1.0
  I came PEACOCK because of Vij's reputation, but this was one of the worst dining experiences I have ever had. At 7:02 PM, I ordered a Lamb Popsicles and a Ginger & Garlic Naan. What followed was an unbelievable 78-minute wait. During that entire time, there appeared to be only one person working in the kitchen and one employee taking orders. On a Saturday dinner rush, the operation was clearly understaffed and completely unprepared to handle customers. At 8:00 PM, after waiting nearly an hour, I politely asked about my order. Instead of an apology or an update, I was told to keep waiting. The response was impatient, dismissive, and showed no concern for customers who had already been waiting an unreasonable amount of time. By 8:20 PM, I had finally had enough and requested a refund. That was when a kitchen staff member suddenly claimed my naan only needed to be reheated and would be ready in two minutes. If that was true, why had I been waiting for almost 80 minutes? What happened next was even more disturbing. The employee who had been handling payments and touching various surfaces immediately started handling my naan with bare hands. There was no hand washing, no sanitizing, and no utensils used. She picked it up, pressed it onto the pan with her hands, and flipped it by hand. Watching someone go directly from customer service duties to handling food without any visible hygiene practices was frankly disgusting. To make matters worse, the lamb itself was overcooked, dry, and tough. After nearly 80 minutes of waiting, the food was nowhere near worth it. Long waits can happen. Being short-staffed can happen. But poor communication, rude service, questionable food-handling practices, and mediocre food all at the same time are unacceptable. This experience did not reflect the standards I would expect from a business associated with the Vij's name. I will not be returning, and I will be warning friends and family to avoid this location.
• ZZ

  ZenMaster212

  Jun 10, 2026
  3.0
  Flew in from NYC to visit friends and discovered Time Out Vancouver had just opened. I’m sure the overall experience will improve, but after a week in business it’s still working through teething issues. Call it whatever fancy name you want, but at the end of the day, it’s a self service food court. Sure there are some big name restaurants there, but the food comes out slow (we waited 20 minutes for most dishes) and you’re going to spend at least $30-$50 per person for one dish and a drink. At that pricing, I would rather visit a full service restaurant instead of running around in a fancy cafeteria with several buzzers in my hands. I downloaded their app. Whoever created it should be fired. There’s no autofill for any of the registration fields and the app is fairly unresponsive. If you are willing to spend 5-7 minutes registering, you will get to an empty order ahead page. Thanks for nothing! I immediately deleted the app. One of our buzzers didn’t even work, so by the time I went back to check on my order, the food was cold. Once again, for the price paid, you would think the technology should work seamlessly. For the price paid, my food should not be allowed to sit there and get cold. The experience left a lot to be desired. I sincerely hope they work everything out and improve. If Chick-fil-A can handle mobile app ordering and deliver to your table, why can’t Time Out Vancouver do the same? Standing in line to order and then returning to the line for pickup seems a little low brow in 2026. Make the dining experience a little more fun, with less order friction and people will leave smiling instead of looking harassed.
• TY

  Timothy Yue

  Jun 6, 2026
  2.0
  We were in Vancouver for a few days and were excited to hear that Oakridge had officially opened on May 29. One of the attractions we were most looking forward to was Time Out Market, the internationally recognized food hall concept. As it turned out, we were among the first members of the public to experience it on opening day. There were four of us, and we split up to try food from different vendors. Unfortunately, our experience was mixed. Given the premium pricing, several of the dishes fell short of our expectations. Between us, we ordered a pasta dish ($30), a ramen ($30), pork belly rice with pork belly buns (about $30), a gourmet ice cream sandwich ($15), and a few bubble teas for the kids. The biggest disappointment was the ramen. For a $30 bowl, I expected much more depth and complexity of flavor. The restaurant's selling point was its wagyu beef broth, but I honestly could not taste a noticeable difference. The broth lacked the rich umami that I associate with great ramen, and there wasn't even a slice of meat included. Having eaten ramen in Japan, throughout Asia, and across Canada, this was one of the more underwhelming bowls I've had. In fact, I ended up getting another bowl of ramen elsewhere later that same day—at a restaurant that charged only $21—simply because I still wanted a satisfying ramen experience. I've attached a photo for comparison. The pasta was also disappointing. It was noticeably under-seasoned and would have benefited from a little more salt. Unfortunately, no additional seasoning was available at the table. While the ingredients seemed fine, the final dish lacked the balance and flavor I would expect at that price point. The pork belly rice dish was probably the strongest item we tried. The flavors were good and the portion was respectable. If I were being picky, the pork belly could have been more tender, as it lacked the spoon-tender texture that elevates a dish from good to memorable. As for the $15 ice cream sandwich, it looked more impressive than it tasted. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't something I would order again. To be fair, Time Out Market hosts a wide variety of vendors, and I'm sure there are excellent options that we simply didn't get a chance to try. Our experience represents only a small sample of what is available. However, based on our opening-day visit, we didn't have much luck. The four of us spent roughly $120 on food, and unfortunately we didn't feel the quality justified the premium pricing. Despite the criticism, I genuinely want Time Out Market to succeed. Concepts like this bring diversity, innovation, and excitement to the local food scene, and I would love to see more world-class food hall experiences come to Vancouver and other Canadian cities. My hope is that as the vendors settle in and operations mature, the food will rise to the same level as the ambitious vision behind the project. For now, my first impression is that the concept, atmosphere, and potential outshined the food itself.
• CC

  Caroline Cheung

  Jun 4, 2026
  5.0
  DELF Exam Lunch Break — Oakridge Mall Edition Driving into Oakridge Mall might be your first question when you visit—because the easy entrance isn’t the obvious one. Instead of the two main entrances at 41st & Cambie North, Cambie South is the smoother choice. Once we arrived, the crews were wonderfully friendly. Most shops start rolling at 10:00am, while Time Out Market (TOM) opens at 11:00am. So if you’re early, you can either grab a coffee right by the main entrance of TOM, take some photos or do a bit of shopping while you wait. Around 10:30am, the lineup begins. And if you’re coming with a baby stroller, they’ve actually have a special line —such a thoughtful, personal touch. For free Wifi: you’ll need to share your email and DOB to get in TOM. No water comes with the meal! You get what you pay for. Most counters offer bottled or sparkling water for about $4 &$4.50. You can grab and pay for your food and drinks first, then head out to pick up your to‑go items before you find your seat. Just remember: good food takes time. There are high chairs, low chairs, and different chair setups throughout. Baby chairs are available at the LHS of the entrance. For bigger groups, the main table setup can seat around 12 people comfortably, but getting in and out can feel like a little maze. The central table design matches the outside TOM seating layout. Translation: take your time, enjoy the walk… and yes, you’ll have your buzzer buzzing in your hand, while you try to figure out which way to go. For starters, we went with PiDGiN Pork Belly Bao - tasty, but slightly on the dry side (still worth a bite). Duck Bao - this one surprised us. Seriously good. For mains, we ordered in Heritage Soy Chicken and Roast Duck with Rice - The soy chicken was hands-down one of the best we’ve ever had in Vancouver—deep flavor, so soft, beautifully done. The roast duck leans more Beijing-style, and the rice is like a fry rice style. 粒粒分明！It’s an adventure. After MELLO closed in Arbutus, we hadn’t had a chance to get their doughnuts—so it was exciting to see them outside of the zombie zone for us! Just a heads-up: it’s limited to 4 pieces per person. Finally, a huge YEAH 👍🏻 : we don’t have to clean our trays in the food court anymore - it genuinely feels normal again. If you feel like it, I believe the cleaning staff would be happy to receive some cash tips. And the ladies’ washroom? Beautiful and spotless. Honestly, amazing job. At 12:00, lineup starts to wait outside of TOM, and after a bit of window shopping, we were back to exam mode. Delicious fuel, smooth logistics, and just the right amount of little adventure.