IKEA Restaurant & Cafe
All IKEA locations
3200 Sweden Way (Location visited)
Richmond, BC
Being a single person, I don’t have that feeling of purchasing well made furniture. Right now, anything functional works for me. To paraphrase my former boss “It is until you get married that you have to make sure you get really good furniture. For example, the best purchase a man can make after getting married is a good couch”. And what place is best known for the cheap furniture (actually, not necessarily so nowadays)? IKEA, of course. And being there, it gave me a chance to drop by their restaurant/cafeteria.
No actual picture of the exterior but, let’s face, when you see the yellow and blue sign, you know you are there…
I was there by noon on a weekend and, sort of expected, the cafeteria was packed by lots of families. Where they there for a cheap meal or actually out there to buy furniture?! Anyway, I queued myself and looked around at the different offerings.
A “salad” bar.
Bread and soups.
Open face sandwiches and, in the back, lox.
More sandwiches/wraps.
But the first picture already told you what I ordered. Currently, they have a BBQ Ribs and Roasted Chicken meal for $9.99. But, let’s face it, what are the chances the ribs are actually BBQ? Most likely, they were steamed/braised and coated with a sweet/smoky sauce. As for the chicken, well, it could be roasted… Anyway, I will have to say the meal was disappointing. The chicken was dry despite it was dark meat. The rib, despite it was a sizeable portion for the price, was also dry and slightly chewy. I guess having it sitting under the lamp will take its toll. But, then again, who I am kidding… Just the meal is just like the furniture you can get there: relatively cheap and functional, not necessarily memorable. If I am in IKEA again and stopping by their restaurant/cafeteria, I think I will stick with something “safer”, like their salmon plate or meatballs (despite the gravy for the later looks… “strange”). Or, heck, the lox or their sandwiches!
Before leaving, I stopped by their Swedish food market. While I was slightly tempted to buy a bag of meatballs, in the end, I decided not to. However, since it was hot outside, I though I might as well get some soft serve. At $1, it is soft, vanilla tasting but nothing spectacular. A quick, cheap dessert for certain but that is about it.
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Hey Kim,
that cone looks delicious – reminds me of when I was young and I would go with my parents to IKEA just to get the ice cream!
Anyways, just wanted to tell you that I really enjoy reading your blog, thanks for the consistent updates. I feel awkward enough taking photos of the food with my small digital camera so I can only think about how people must stare at you with your camera…
By the way, a friend of mine recently took me to this vietnamese restaurant called Thai Son (2nd floor of those typical plaza complexes in Richmond) across the street from the Fabricana (or is it Fabricland?) in Richmond…on Garden City.. the lemongrass chicken with broken rice (that’s what it’s called…broken rice) and the pho is delicious! I really think you should try it, hope you write an entry on it so I know what you think, cause I find I usually agree with your reviews on the restaurants..
Keep up the great work!
Ikea ice cream is my favorite! I’m thinking the same thing – no need to buy “good” furniture until I get married. At this rate, I don’t think I’ll ever end up married though :S
you know, at the Ikea Coquitlam, it says frozen yogurt instead of soft serve on the menu, but I always questioned it, how can frozen yogurt be so cheap?
Hi Kim, if you thought the Chicken and Ribs were mediocre, don’t try the breakfast. I know it’s $1, but it’s not very good. Did you see Kevin’s picture of the sausages???
Kira, thanks for your comments!
I used to have that “shame” of people staring at me because I have a dSLR and taking pictures of the food but no more (well, mostly). However, that does not mean the staff are happy with what I do, hehehehehe. Will keep Thai Son in mind, though I am not sure if I will go to the Richmond’s location, as there are already two of them on Vancouver. Who knows, Canada Line will be opening in two weeks… ^_^
Jessica, errrrr…. No comments? ^_^;;;
Jenny, I just went to IKEA’s site to check for this item and, guess what? It is not listed as either one! However, it is possible it is called frozen yoghurt but, if it is or it is not, I always ask for “soft serve”. And they serve me that so I guess they don’t differentiate between the two. How can their frozen yoghurt be so cheap? I don’t know, I have also wondered how their furniture can be so “cheap” as well!
Sherman, was it Kevin’s picture? I am sure I saw a picture of a carbonized “thing” so I assume that was the sausage. I guess that is a case of you get what you paid for, hehehehe.
Hey Kim, having worked for IKEA in the past, your experience is probably bang on for the most part. Like most cafeteria style experiences, it can really depend on when ‘your’ plate hit the cooler or heat lamp. I was always surprised in my time that IKEA didn’t prep more of the food on site, and quite a bit was brought it.
It’s pretty hard to argue with a $1 breakfast, even more so in this economy I suppose. Yes it’s cheap, but the sausages are something they have been working on for years. I saw a few variations in 5 years.
It is a yogurt product at the bistro, not ice cream. And hey if all else fails you can get 2 hotdogs and pop for pennies! On plenty of occasions, we would have hotdog breaks and head down for a cheap fix.
I think one of the best things about the IKEA food group, is their desire to bring a lot more organic/fair trade products in for customers. Helps for ‘enviro/social’ minded consumers.
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