T & T Supermarket Woodbine

I grew up in Toronto but now live in the US Midwest, so this place impresses the hell out of me. The freshness and selection is absolutely unimaginable anywhere in the Midwest except maybe Chicago, but even there I have never seen anything like T&T.
The variety of prepared food, fresh/​live seafood, etc. is completely mind-​boggling. I’m used to going to the Chinese store where I live and buying frozen dumplings. I’m usually pleased if I can buy the frozen dumpling bags that don’t have dumplings stuck together — if they are stuck together that usually means the bag thawed during transport because the Chinese store was too cheap to turn on the freezer in the truck (I’m not making this up).
So why 4 stars instead of 5 stars? Because there is a fascist inside this store that does not let anyone take photos inside the store. Why? I don’t know. Maybe because I might post the photos on social media or something and do something heinous like advertise for them. Someone should go in and ask them for me. Just for the petty jackbooted fascist, I posted some photos here. Maybe someone will see the photos and go to the store — or do something damaging like that.

This T & T is so much more expensive that the other t & t ‘s in Markham. I came here a few times, the layout is similar to other locations. Parking is easy to find, but driving here is horrific because people just push their shopping carts out on the mini crossing area without looking and I swear it takes forever for a car to drive through. There’s also poles covering the pedestrians so it’s harder for cars to see.
Why I rated it one star? The specials as shown in the flyers are the same, but EVERYTHING ELSE, literally everything is more expenisve. I had to go to another t&t in the same day because it was so overpriced. Fruits an be 1.5 times to 3 times the prices of other stores. Also, when you check out, you have to purchase a bag, thought from what I know, other locations just give you a bag.

Good place to shop for groceries. They have really good deals on some items here cheaper than the states. There is food you can get while you shop and eat. I came here to buy snacks on the road before a long drive home.
Good environment and people are friendly here.

T&T is always the cleanest market. The service and cashier are trained well with manners. The only downside the price are much higher then other Chinese market.

Not my favorite location. The one at Steeles and Middlefield is less crowded and has more ethnic varieties.
I really do appreciate the access to all the Asian packaged dry goods available here in Markham but I hold T & T to a higher standard and where it comes to the fresh produce for this location I wish they had more higher grade options for fruits and vegetables to justify the cost. Don’t get me wrong they are not sub par to other Asian grocers just feel that they can do better. Can Loblaws or T&T ever make this a possible– Locally grown Organic Chinese Vegetables when the season is right? That would be pretty amazing and I would get in line for that.
Frozen Dumplings:
I get overwhelmed with the frozen dumpling section which seems to be taking over half the store. It’s like a minefield and picking the wrong one can spoil your mood and leave your dumpling craving unfixed. There are some brands to avoid, I won’t name them but choose cautiously nothing can quite erase the taste that stains your memories and lingers on forever like a mouthful of minced pork gone bad. I shouldn’t have been surprised there is just so much variables that can go wrong when dealing with raw prepared minced pork /​shrimp/​chicken. Such as the quality and freshness of original ingredients, adequate storage practices, and regular maintenance of freezer trucks. The risk ten-​folds if it’s imported. Which brings me to the conclusion that I should really make my own but my laziness is just too strong :). So I buy the T & T Fennel and pork/​lamb dumplings made in store which so far have been consistently Yummy!

I don’t really like this T&T but it is the closest to Newmarket.
So quick note. Parking is so difficult to find at times. Drivers are careless here so be wary.
On to the food. The food is the same quality. The price is where it depends on the location. I find that it is a bit more expensive than say Warden T&T location. Bakeries are the same proce anywhere. I love the seafood here because it is fresh and good price.
I give this a three because of the parking, price, and in comparison to Seasons Supermarket.
Yes, you can still get dim sum and drinks. The sitting area is enough for limited number of customers, about 50?

Purchased chicken breast from here, went home and cut it up. Found one breast with a weird greenish mark, like as if this chicken has been sick or something. Uh! I returned it immediately. I could purchase meat from there for a while…

This store is huge. The aisles are wider, the lighting is brighter, the selection of many categories is more diverse. I can get physically tired from shopping here, walking down aisle after aisle, from one end of the store to another, and then return. I am not complaining, though, because I come here for the selection. If you can think of a Chinese grocery item, this store probably carries it. My favourite is the seafood section that is impressively large. The produce is high quality fresh. The store has a clean feeling most of the time. The wait time at cashier can be long, just like other T&T locations.

Came here couple of times to pick up last minute ingredients. This place is packed most of the time. I like this place; well lit and generally clean. The staff here are nice and friendly the few times I visited. I choose this T&T over the one at middlefield and Steeles b/​c this one has the best service in the bakery department lol. The one at middlefield isn’t bad, but this one just tops it. 10 times over lol. I went to pick up a cake and made an order to pick it up over the weekend. The lady (cantonese) was so polite and friendly. I think I could give this a 5 stars rating if it wasn’t for the stupid parking lol

Pros: Cleanliness, I haven’t experienced bad service from the cashiers yet
Cons: Pricey in comparison with Chinese supermarkets nearby, especially for Western food
The Chinese cabbage (choy) is inconsistent with quality, especially during winter where the leaves are often yellowish and not fully green. Oranges are often bad quality too.
Many times when I went during peak hours, the lineup to get live seafood (fish in the tanks) was awful because only one staff was working. The queue line was unorganized and people were butting.
Sushi/​sashimi is always mediocre and sometimes bad quality. Don’t waste your money.
Parking is abysmal during peak hours. Have to be very cautious while backing out of a parking spot because of heavy traffic. I would recommend parking on the other side of the lot and walking. The walking distance isn’t that much greater.
Like someone previously said, the layout of the store in comparison with other T & T’s is bad.

Your usual T&T grocery store — this one’s a pretty new one located at Woodbine/​16^th Avenue in Markham.
Parking is crazy — save yourself some frustration and park near the bank or Sportchek. The closer parking spot isn’t worth the aggravation of dealing with other motorists in this lot.
As you walk in you are definitely hit by the smell of the seafood section — it’s not offensive, but if you don’t like it you, you may want to go elsewhere. That said, the seafood section as with most T&T’s is phenomenal, with more fresh (live) seafood than any western grocery chain (interestingly, T&T is now owned by Loblaws, so you do see the occasional PC brand item). Besides the seafood, there’s a wealth of ethnic foods. Lots of Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Indian, Malaysian — great for when you’re shopping for those hard-​to-​find ingredients you’re looking for.
Produce section is also excellent — they have all sorts of fruit and veg you just can’t get in a western chain. Prices are reasonable too — probably a little on the high side for the few western items (strawberries, etc) but quite good for the eastern foods.
Also great prices on take-​out sushi, dim sum, steamed buns, Vietnamese buns, and misc other hot foods.
Bakery section is a bit smaller than some (or so it seems), and although the lines are usually short due to having sufficient cashiers on registers, the store is unique in that the cashiers actually bag your goods for you, which can slow things down.
That’s about it — just a mention — probably 95% of the clientelle is Asian, so if you’re not, you’re a minority here. However, most (not all) staff, and the cashiers and counter attendants in general, speak excellent English. Just don’t ask the shelf-​stocking crew anything too intense and you’re fine.

I LOVE this place! So nice and clean and bright! We tried the dim sum and it was good. Daughter ordered the sticky rice in lotus leaf and liked it. I ordered the mini rice with sausages and liked it. The only semi loser was the dumplings with peanut. Kind of dry. Things are inexpensive in here! Service is friendly. Would gladly return when in the area again!

All the workers there are either rude or creepy. The older male ones stare at you and doesn’t look away even when you give them a look.
Some items will not give you the price because the sign will say ‘item out of stock’ even though there is clearly enough stock there.
The cashiers will not greet you if you do not look like you speak good chinese, which by the way, I can, thank you T&T workers. Also, they’ll just ring your purchases up without saying a word to you and expect that you’ll know exactly how much you have to pay. The entire transaction is done without a single exchange of words, even when you say thank you.
Also… the lottery counter, even though I gave my ID, they still ask if I was over 19. which is not even the age to buy lottery tickets, so why are you asking, lady?
Another thing… it’s crowded as shit, many people that go here have no manners at all. I’ve had my feet run over more than 5 times by a grocery cart with no more than a rude look, as if it’s my fault they ran me over.
The parking lot is equally bad, there are soooo many cars that just put on their hazard lights and wait by the curb, leaving little room for anyone to pass. I understand if you’re picking up somebody, but staying for more than a few minutes is unacceptable, especially in such a busy parking lot. The people don’t follow stop signs and right of way and everybody thinks they can go. I fear a car accident every time I’m in this parking lot.
The one good thing I can say about this supermarket? …It’s clean compared to many other chinese supermarkets.
But still. Avoid at all costs.

Many true reviews about this location posted. My feelings exactly! Horrible parking/​driving situation. As some of you may already know, there is a huge problem with the line-​ups of idling vehicles waiting by the doors of Asian grocery stores. Well, here the problem is twice as bad because this leaves no room for two-​way traffic. Okay, so that’s outside, 30 minutes later you walk in … and it is all true about the service. The hot food counter is probably the worst! The hub has already walked away once because he was completely ignored and skipped in the line. Yes, the food is okay and cheap, but not worth the trouble. A better T&T? The new one at Kennedy and Hwy. 7. Will not be back to this one.

I heard from a friend that T&T opened their newest location at where the old National Sports used to be, and lobsters were 4.99 a pound during the grand opening week. I made plans, cleared my schedule… and in the end didn’t get around to coming here.
Now, this location is a monthly visit for me. I never paid any attention to the isles for shopping, as the space isn’t comparable to the one at Warden in space, but the pre-​made/​cooked food section is much better, and looks much more cleaner.
The dumplings become rock hard after 3pm, so get it before that time. Three times I came here and ordered the fried dumplings; three times I almost cut my mouth open trying to eat it.
The canteen area for eating on location is less chaotic than any other location. The boys at the Buttonville Airport can be found here on a daily basis lunching in their uniforms. For you girls who like fly boys, this is where you can find them.
I find that the seafood display to be under-​whelming and this is a major short-​coming as this is usually a highlight of a Chinese grocer. Child or adult, we enjoy looking at fish. The livestock of the sea conjures curiosity; it entertains the patrons, and brings in large cash for the seller. This location is just dull, with dirty fish tanks, and half dead zombie-​like swimmers.
Let me mention that the traffic outside of this T&T is an absolute nightmare.
The closest entrance to the plaza is right by the intersection of 16^th & Woodbine. Onslaughts of oncoming cars floods down from the East every couple of minutes, and all the vehicles coming off of the 404 from the West makes exiting almost impossible at rush hours. The other entrances are almost utilized… because…people are stupid. Constantly there are cars parked outside the store entrance like it’s a nightclub, and if the middle finger were a common Chinese gesture, it would be the most used expression among the populous within 20 square metres of this area.
These are the factors which makes driving here a most harrowing experience.
…What? You think I was going to make a comment about Asian driving?
Screw you bro!

Of all the T&T Supermarkets I regularly visit (Warden, Milliken, Downtown, and this one), this would have to be the worst in terms of layout.
I’m particularly criticizing the aisle between the hot food and cold food counters, which is arguably the busiest aisle in the supermarket. Guess what? It’s the narrowest aisle as well. The aisle is so narrow one can only fit a shopping cart and one human being lining up in the hot food section side by side. If you want to go through you’d have to go around the other side of the cold food section… well, as long as you don’t interfere with the bakery section.
The second issue I have is the seafood counter. The «fresh fish» and «lay-​it-​all-​there-​already» fish have separate lines, which is unlike all the other T&Ts I go to. If you’re unaware of that you might be in for a long wait as the people dealing with the fish will ignore you if you’re not in the correct line yet point at the aquarium.
I would give it a 2.5 star, but like other T&Ts the quality and cleanliness makes up for the design. At least with this T&T opened I can actually find parking in the Warden store now!

Finally, I don’t have to go down to Scarborough and Warden store (chaotic) when I need to grab something from T&T. I like this new T&T that opened earlier this year.
I would have to say chinese supermarkets usually don’t present very well because the prices may be slightly less than other local supermarkets in the area.
They are very clean and bright. The food on the shelf is neat and tidy. It doesn’t look as chaotic as the Warden store. The freshness and quality of food is good.
The service is good as well. When I was locating a product and needed assistance, the employee helped me thoroughly. Although at the end, they didn’t carry icing sugar (which is quite common). The employee was courteos and apologized for not carrying it.
They also have a variety of products from different parts of the world including Japan, Korea and etc…
All in all, a place I would come often!

The latest T&T in the GTA has landed.
I like this one the most, its departments are large, bright, well displayed, spacious and planned, almost feeling like it’s taken a chapter from its parent company Loblaw’s in the planning department. No T&T that I’ve been to so far are identical. Each one has been a little different based on size of the store and locale.
On this Sunday afternoon, it felt very much like a Costco experience with food sampling around each corner. Drinks to dim sum, I could eat an entire meal consisting of samples here. :)
Unique aspect at this location I’d like to highlight is the fresh dumpling and noodle station. There’s a person making this stuff right in front of your eyes. You get hungry looking at it and be damned I got to get me some those dumplings the next time I visit.
One area that is sorely lacking though is the dairy department. The cheese selection is slim! Could this be due to culture or lactose intolerance?
Although it was Sunday afternoon and the store was bustling the checkout process was quick and all checkout aisles were open. It’s always good sign to be able to shop and be able to get the heck out in a reasonable amount of time. There have been many times I’ve been turned off by the lines, drop the food and leave the store.

The 16^th Ave & Woodbine intersection is going to get a lot busier, now that T & T is here… This supermarket is a good size and fairly well-​organized, they’ve got the mini food Court, since they took out the sports ware store that was next to the former tenant, No Frills.
This place is packed to the brim right now, however it should die down after the initial excitement. This location expanded the freshly prepared offerings to include a open dumpling kitchen station that also does freshly made noodles as well. As well as the Tai-​yaki booth towards the front. T & T has dropped the Korean cosmetic counter as well as reduced the household electronics towards the front to a small book case size towards the customer service.
It is a quick and easy stop to pick up stuff on the way home, but it’s like any other T & T store and not especially out-​of-​the-​ordinary.
Most noteable features is the expanded section of their freshly prepared foods, especially the dumpling counter.

T & T just opened up a brand new location at Woodbine and 16^th! Open everyday from 9 am to Midnight!
This store is big, since this used to be No Frills and National Sports Centre… and with the bigger retail space, T & T is able implement something a little different than others in the area.
Now there is a section where you see fresh Northern Dim Sum/​Dumplings being prepared… you can either buy them cooked for immediate consumption or the uncooked one to boil/​steam/​fried them at home and pretend you made themyourself!
There is also now a little booth making fresh Korean fish shape pastry. There are also a bigger selections of baked goods, Asian twist of Western pastries?!
This T & T seems to be a lot well stocked than the Milliken location with a bigger selections of Japanese/​Korean/​Taiwanese products. There is also a great selections of «Canadian» groceries and even a whole aisle of healthy/​organic food products.
As usual, since the store just opened and having special sale: $ 3.99/lb lobster! and other specials… this place is a ZOO!!! Luckily, all the cashiers were opened and there was no wait at all to cash out…
BUT the hard part is to find a parking spot. I was here on a Friday early afternoon and the parking lot was jam packed!!! I feel sorry for other business that shares the same parking lot. Hopefully, all these hype would die down soon…
Be Careful NOT to run over other people with your shopping cart… Breathe and Be Patient!