Outtakes Backstage Bistro

Outtakes Backstage Bistro

Cineplex VIP Cinema

2190 McGillivray Blvd

204-269-9981

http://www.cineplex.com/Theatres/TheatreDetails/Cineplex-Odeon-McGillivray-and-VIP-Cinemas.aspx

February, 2013

I love going to the theatres to watch movies.  I love the big screen and I love the big sound.  I invested a lot of money to reproduce the effect at home but it’s never the same.  However, I don’t love the person kicking my seat from behind or the 400 pound person next to me jostling for arm space—that’s why the arrival of the VIP Theatres caught my immediate attention.  The thick and cushy seats give you an extra degree of comfort as you sink in and recline ever-so gently.  You have lots of legroom so unless you’re Yao Ming, you can easily cross your legs and shift around without kicking the person in front of you.  The ample arm rests give you plenty of room for your drinks, popcorn or snack.  Book early and you can reserve the specific seats you desire.  If you choose, you can enjoy an entire dinner at your seat before or as the show starts; service stops as the previews start.  

To me, munching down on a sloppy meal distracts from the theatre experience.  Instead, I recommend coming to the theatre early and dining in the VIP lounge before proceeding to the big screen.  Judging by the scene around us, you can’t get away with coming to the lounge a half-hour prior to show time and expect to gorge, get and grab a seat before trailers; we arrive a good hour before show time and we’re still a little harried to get out in good order.  Come early, take your time, and relax—after all, you paid extra to be a VIP, enjoy your stay.  

Cineplex doesn’t skimp on the staff; a flock of servers flit around the lounge, and yet, service can be painfully slow sometimes.  They offer limited but interesting cocktails, beers and wines but all come in plastic glasses.  I understand that they want plastic only in the theatre but in the lounge, some glass would go a long way.  My $56 bottle of wine settled into a glass stained with spots—that just doesn’t complete the VIP experience.  

Both the main course and the appetiser lists are limited, offering mostly fast-hit foods.  The fried Thai chicken pieces taste nicely crispy on the outside, coated with sweet and spicy sauce.  The inside tastes a tad dry but you rarely find breaded white meat that hangs onto its juices.  As a whole, the chicken pieces act as a nice holdover until the mains come.  By contrast, the equally dry rice in the sushi rolls taste hard and desiccated.  Sushi must be made fresh to taste moist and alive—this roll is anything but fresh.  In fact, they so recently took it out of the freezer that entire chunks of the crab remains icy crunchy.  As redemption, they use real crab; if this was imitation Pollack, the entire thing would have been a disaster.  

Most of the mains are sandwich-like foods or some similar iteration.  The angus burger comes with a substantial patty and fresh, crisp vegetables.  The hearty slab of beef holds its moisture well enough but one of the edges comes burnt and hard.  Nothing adds depth to a burger like a good piece of strong cheese.  The server assures us that the cheddar is real and not processed.  Then the burger comes and it’s a slice of the plasticky, processed cheese.  Am I out too far on a limb to expect a service person to know the difference between real cheese and processed?  Ok, cheese aside, this is an adequate burger but at $13, it’s not in the same league as Winnipeg’s best burgers.  The meal comes with a bowl of fries and these are some of the best fries you find anywhere.  The outside shines perfectly golden and the crispness protects the moist and tender inside.  

The same delicious fries come with the fish dish and this is another hit.  The lightly breaded fillet mimics the fries’ crispy exterior and also guards a moist and flavourful interior.  The tartar sauce tastes tart and zingy, and our server had to come back with refills.  The enormous fillet will satisfy most appetites so only order the two-fillet option if you have a piranha appetite.  

There are some hits and misses.  Cineplex tries hard to deliver a VIP experience but slow service irritates the anxious movie-goer.  The key thing to consider is coming early enough so you don’t feel the time pinch.  

Otherwise, you have another option—with a full stomach and a few cocktails, I’m always tempted to call off the movie and bring another round!  After all, the room is dark, modern and relaxing.  TVs line the walls if you’re into sports and new age envelops your ears if you rather just sit back and relax.  The only thing that rips us out of our seats are the prepaid tickets.  Thank goodness because if we were at any other lounge, it would be another lost movie night!

**½ /5

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