To many, IKEA is simply an oversized furniture store that is designed as a maze to entrap innocent customers like us. My parents love IKEA though, because they would take a long time going through each of the display rooms and check out how they use space so efficiently and yet comfortably. For me, I always go to IKEA for one thing and only – food, that is.
Bregitt and Rick at IKEA's cafe.
A few weekends ago, Bregitt, Rick and I headed over to the IKEA outlet at Queenstown to look at their displays and more importantly, to eat. All of us share this love of their food – from their Sweedish meatballs to their local delights. Not to mention their $1 hot dogs on the ground floor! Everyone can have themselves a very generous helping of mustard, chili sauce or tomate ketchup – all in the goodness of a dollar.
My lunch - poached salmon with black pepper sauce.
That’s my lunch – poached salmon with black pepper sauce. I am a big fan of boiled baby carrots too! Of course, IKEA food fans like us will never miss out their meat balls – Bregitt got a huge plate of it and we shared the dish among ourselves.
Sweedish meat balls
One thing I like about IKEA is their effort to incorporate local dishes into their menu. In Malaysia, breakfast will usually be nasi lemak1. I’m not very sure of the menu in Singapore but I do know that on a few occasions, they do sell stewed beef as lunch and dinner in their cafe.
Dear readers: At what unique places do you enjoy eating?
- With roots in Malay culture, its name is a Malay word that literally means ‘rice in cream’. The name is derived from the cooking process whereby rice is soaked in coconut cream and then the mixture steamed. Sometimes knotted screwpine (pandan) leaves are thrown into the rice while steaming to give it more fragrance – Wikipedia ↩
Loved the photos, Terry. =)
I think I go to IKEA for the food too (I’ve a particular weakness for their meatballs) and I must say, seeing these photos again makes me want to pay them a visit.
PS: Lemak actually means ‘fat’, or ‘oil’, though I guess in this case rice in cream isn’t too far from the nuanced meaning.
Sigh, what a wonderful post this is.
I love IKEA for the food too! The salmon is my favorite (without the black pepper sauce). The Swedish meatballs aren’t too bad too – especially when it’s coupled with the jam.
They do localize the food here too. The fried chicken wings that’s served here isn’t served in Canada.
the way you capture the meatballs make me hungry. haha. and sorry for not visiting your site for ages. :P
Great photos – made me hungry , especially for the
salmon. IKEA opened a store near Boston last year
with massive traffic jams on the first weekend. I
don’t know if it has food ! Happy New Year !
I love their meatballs as well! Absolutely delicious! :)
I actually like shopping at Ikea, their home organisers are really good minus the price tag of course.
I can’t really think of unique places I like to go to for food in Singapore but I really love the Dim Sum at Old Hong Kong (Novena) and Imperial Treasure (Suntec).
While I was in Hong Kong, I like going to this really old “squatting coffee store” selling Dim Sum for breakfast in a back alley. The tables and chairs are so tiny and low, I look like I’m squatting when I’m sitting on one of the chairs (which look like they are about to give way any time!). It’s pretty interesting to have breakfast there while observing what the locals do in the morning. :)