Kelly the Culinarian: Food find: IKEA cafe

Saturday, January 5, 2008

Food find: IKEA cafe

I love IKEA. It's just a great place for all types of cheap housewares. It also combines my love of shopping with my love of food. It's just a marvel of layout really -- the way the store is designed, it forces you to walk through the whole store and stop for a bite.

I went with my family earlier this week to look for stuff for my sister's dorm and for my newly redecorated bedroom. We also stopped for a bite to eat, which is also an experience.

Very much like the cafeteria you visited in middle school, patrons line up under the picture of the food they want and then are served up plates. And the food here is a great value -- penne pasta with sauce for $1.99 and kids meals for $.99, to name a few. Then you pay in a checkout line per item and clear your table when you're done.

I got the ham and cheese on baguette you see in the first photo. The sandwich was tasty and the ingredients fresh, but I wasn't a fan of the bread, it was a little dry. We all shared that deliciously decadent chocolate cake and it was a highlight. The consistency and flavor reminded me of a thick chocolate pudding with crushed oreos on top. Delicious.

Both my sisters went with the chicken finger meal, which was another hit. The breading on the chicken was crispy and a little spicy too and the fries salty and crunchy. My mother tried the penne pasta with Alfredo sauce and Parmesan cheese. For as unattractive as the plate looked, it was pretty tasty. The creamy sauce was well seasoned and had a great cheesy flavor without feeling to heavy. If you're a serious shopper, you know you can't eat too heavy before shopping.

We got all of this and drinks for $24. I say it's a bargain fit for IKEA with tastes like a cafe. I must go again soon and come hungry.

7 comments:

Frank K. said...

I cannot believe you passed on the swedish meatballs. They are excellent, and somehow make the whole IKEA experience more... international.

Katie Zeller said...

I'm with Frank on the meatballs - IKEA is noted for the meatballs and sell a ginourmous amount of them.
BTW, a book called 'Champagne Living on a Beer Budget' (your earlier post) was required readig for one of my college Sociolgy classes...I still have it, lots of good points! We wont go in to how long ago.....

Rosie said...

Hi Kelly, what a great blog you have and I will be visiting many times from now on! Thanks for calling by my Blog too :)

IKEA do have amazing housewears I agree and your ham and cheese baguette looks scrummy mmmmmm...

wishing you a great blogging year 2008 :)

Rosie x

Peter M said...

Kelly, try IKEA's Lingonberry Sauce...yum comes to mind.

Travis Erwin said...

Sadly, we have no IKEA in my neck o' the woods.

daphne said...

hah. looks like IKEA serves different food in different countries. do they have the swedish meatballs too? those are my fav!

Kenny Mah said...

I'm all about the Swedish meatballs... they are pretty decent. And yeah, I love going to IKEA even when I don't have anything in mind to buy... it's nice just to wander around. ;)