Vancouver Voyage | DAY 18: McArthur Glen Outlets + Gyu King Teppanyaki

​Since the day of my arrival, I've been hearing constant mentions of the outlet mall near the YVR Airport.

Personally, warehouse-style shopping isn't exactly my thing. However, factory stores are usually a great spot to find discontinued merchandise or re-discover limited edition items.

The commute was fairly quick, but the transfer period at Bridgeport station comprised of approximately half the travel time each way - not nearly as efficient as I would have liked. My destination of interest resided within an eight minute walking range from Templeton station, the first stop along the YVR Airport route.

​To be honest, I wasn't certain of the exact coordinates of the outlet mall, and had planned to employ Google Maps should I having any troubles. Luckily, there were signs posted just outside the station, and even a designated walkway for commuters (and their pets)!

​McArthur Glen Outlets is about one quarter the size of Toronto Premium Outlets in Milton. Along with the standard factory stores (ie. Nike, GUESS, Ralph Lauren, Coach, etc.), they also housed several retailers (such as Folli Follie, mavi, Thread + Copper, and Ted Baker) that weren't available back home. It differentiated from other outlets in that it was easily accessible by public transit, supplied sustenance from West Coast-specific franchises, featured a kids' play area, and constantly provided closeup viewing access of passing airplanes. 

Given its proximity to the airport, McArthur Glen Outlets would be a good way to pass time should you happen to have a few hours to spare until your next connecting flight. For locals, it makes for a leisurely afternoon stroll; but for intense shoppers, you'd be better off heading to Pacific Centre or Metrotown. Personally, I prefer the much larger Toronto Premium Outlets for the sake of variety (and since the availability of designated play areas isn't of primary concern to me).

​While the day was breezy, the combination of glowering UV rays and a somewhat stuffy return trip had me hankering for an icy cold beverage. It was the ideal occasion to test out Empire Centre's most recent bubble tea opening: Shake Shake Tea.

The name itself is straightforward and self-explanatory: bubble tea is normally distinguished from other varieties of tea because of its shaken nature. On the other hand, the Chinese name is a more creative play on words: "棒棒糖" is the general term for "lollipop"; by utilizing similar sounding characters, "拌拌堂" was born. The homonym essentially refers to an establishment where things are mixed or blended.

​Based off of information derived from other reviewers, the spot is particularly known for crafting their beverages with dairy as opposed to milk powder. I intended to verify this statement.
Upon making my entry, I was attended to promptly and provided courteous service from the duo operating the cashier and bar area. Removing one element of customization, all drinks were only available in one size, though some could be served hot. Venturing forward on the side of caution, I ordered an Original Milk Tea with coconut jelly and one of their summer specials, a small Mango Slush.

Naturally assuming a large size, the Original Milk Tea was decently priced at $4.50 (with an additional fifty cent charge for toppings). True to the words of Yelpers, the tea was indeed void of the tacky aftertaste commonly associated with the heavy dependence of milk powder/synthetic creamer. Ice and sugar levels were adjusted to my desired preferences (50% sugar and less ice) to great accuracy as well.
However, given that the tea itself wasn't as fragrant as I would have liked, it's highly probably that I could re-create the beverage at home at a much lower expense.

Prior to purchasing the fruit-based slushie, I inquired whether the summer specials were crafted from real fruit. The reply was in the affirmative, so I opted to add the 12 oz. beverage despite its hefty $4.99 price tag. The yellow-orange-hued drink was actually not for myself, though I did take a sip later on. The result of blending "real fruit" tasted no better than a hybrid of crushed ice, mango syrup from concentrate, and a heavy dose of simple syrup. It was far from justifying its associated cost.

​On a more positive note, the environment is spacious and inviting. Group tables of various sizes are available for those looking to make use of the complimentary card and board games, while bar seats provide privacy to those looking to spend a few minutes catching up on their various social media feeds (ie. me). The open Wi-Fi connection is stable and relatively fast, though I would have preferred a password-secured alternative for steady re-connection.

Just before my departure, I took to the single stall bathroom to rid my hands of excess grime. The scene was a drastic contrast to the seating setting: the sink was lined with a thin layer of dust particles, while chipping paint was observed at various corners. The location exhibited signs of aging that even renovations could not remediate.

On the return trip, I picked up a Mango Swiss Roll from Breadlicious at Aberdeen Square. Mind you - it was neither a proper Swill roll nor did it contain any mango. Absolutely revolting, I tossed the overpriced baked good after a solid two bites. This isn't the first time I've given the sloth-like bakery a chance, but it surely will be the last.

​​I later returned home to gorge on my new Lindt purchases and freshen up before heading downtown for dinner. We were scheduled for 7:30 pm at Gyu King Teppanyaki, a restaurant that hadn't exactly earned stellar reviews from Groupon customers.
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I should confess: these customers, while sometimes failing to make accurate claims, still remained correct in some aspects of the dining experience. Gyu King is not authentic Japanese teppanyaki; it's operated by Chinese-speaking management. This is not to rule out the quality of the items served, but rather to shed light on the presentation and customer interaction aspects of the meal as a whole.

Against my better judgement, I chose to order a cocktail while patiently waiting on other members of our party to arrive. Even if I were to dismiss the fact that the bartender was sloppily dressed, I couldn't accept the fact that the result was a depressing-looking cocktail that had been prepared without the slightest smidge of elegance. The ingredients were merely poured into a foggy water glass and mixed together using a wide, plastic straw. What aggravated me the most was that juices of the citrus fruit were released from the stabbing of said straw as opposed to a proper lime or lemon juicer, though I suppose the most outrageous part was that customers were intended to drink from the same straw that the grime-covered hands of the bartender had used as a stirring stick. And they had the decency to charge Menami-level prices for such a subpar concoction. Only one word popped up in my mind as he whisked the drink from the bar to my seat: cheap​.

​Stepping aside to visit the bathroom before the chef arrived, I observed that the details were also reminiscent of a casual Chinese diner. The doors of the stalls weren't crafted from sturdy wood, but instead the glare-prone plastic usually seen at All-You-Can-Eat sushi joints or greasy comfort food spots. The addition of dim overhead lighting and  substitution of thick napkins for paper towels was a poor camouflage.

​Returning to the table, it was discovered that all members of our party were finally seated. This indicated the arrival of small starter salads à la economic sushi combo-style and two slices of hastily plated salmon sashimi that were severely lacking in freshness. For someone bordering on the edge of starvation, it tasted alright. Neither item was vaguely of the quality that I had anticipated though.
Disposable chopsticks and paper napkins were used in place of proper cutlery and dark-toned cloth napkins. I should also add that the dipping sauces had been laid out prior instead of being poured after guests were seated, which can only mean that they were sitting out for an extensive period of time before we had the opportunity of consumption.

View the full album HERE !

​Soon we were graced with the presence of the executive chef, who would be serving us for the evening. It was at this point that events took a turn for the better.
Throughout the meal, he was constantly filling our plates with the most scrumptious bites shellfish, superbly grilled seafood, and succulent flanks of meat. Each individual item was charred to perfection and seasoned well with a mixture of lemon, butter, and soy sauce.

The cod, in particular, was extremely flavourful. Enveloped within its charred, crunchy exterior were flaky white bits of flesh that were melt-in-your-mouth smooth.

​Another item worth mentioning would be the seared chicken breast. It had been placed onto the grill at the same time as the steak and leaved to cook uniformly until after the medium-rare and medium rounds of beef were sliced and served. The result was a tender fillet of chicken breast that managed to retain juiciness with a firm, slice-able outer. Never before had I witnessed such skillfully-prepared chicken breast! (Western diners tend to err on the side of overcooking, yielding impossibly tough pieces of meat.)

The most fragrant dish of the night was undoubtedly the beef roll. A mixture of green onions and shallots was spooned onto the middle section of each strip of striking red beef, and then gently flipped and formed into rolls of approximately 1-inch diameter. The fact that such different dishes could be produced from the same animal was mindblowing: the degree of variance in flavour and texture was thoroughly enjoyed.

​Our chef had performed an amazing job - his presence and impressive cooking show was the sole merit of the meal! With this, I can firmly pronounce that I consumed about thrice as much protein during this single meal than I usually would over the course of three days.

But the true issue lay with the management staff at Gyu King. Similar to the thoughts of many other reviewers, I too found the Chinese diner vibes too strong to bear. Authentic Japanese restaurants tend to emphasize operations in a customer-focused manner, yet not a single aspect of the restaurant was reminiscent of this theory. Sheer capitalism was all it seemed to revolve around.

​Additional notes would be the fact that dishes were carried to and from the kitchen in large, grey plastic bins, identical to the method by which food court stalls at First Markham Place cleaned their kitchen equipment. With the exception of the chefs, who all donned their white uniforms and chef's hat with pride, the entirety of the waitstaff took to wearing off-white button-down shirts, a tacky patterned vest, and low-quality black rubber shoes - all elements hailed from an economical Chinese restaurant, not an upper middle-class teppanyaki restaurant in downtown Vancouver.

​Temporarily placing appearance aside, I still found the attitude of the waitresses infuriating. We happened to be celebrating a birthday, yet only one member of the crew had the decency to bring out the cake while muttering "Happy Birthday". But of course, this wasn't the only lacking aspect of the celebration. Several of us wanted to film the arrival of the cake, as well as participate in this celebratory singing.
None of us were even granted the opportunity to do so. Despite the camera-equipped individuals imperatively calling out "Hold on, hold on!", she marched forward with the cake and proceeded to set it down rapidly, completely dismissing our requests as customers.

We were customers, deserving of the same amount of respect as any other paying guest. We had purposely chosen the venue to celebrate a special occasion, yet the service we were provided was levels beneath unattentive, rude, and depreciative.

​Quite frankly, our chef was wasted on such a poorly-managed establishment. Gyu King isn't a teppanyaki restaurant - it's a low-end Japanese restaurant wannabe with too many flaws to count. Proper management is key to producing a successful eatery that utilizes (and maximizes) its resources to their full extent. If my ghastly recollection of the evening's events isn't enough to convince you otherwise, then please turn to Yelp for some laughter-inducing horror stories.

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