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Ikea--Swedish Food in Japan

prasantrin

By prasantrin
in Japan: Dining

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prasantrin

prasantrin

Posted
Posted

Anyone been to the new Ikea, yet? I'm thinking of making a trip to Tokyo just so I can go there (the one in Kobe won't open until 2008--a few months after I'll be leaving Japan! :sad: ).

helenjp

helenjp

Posted
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I'm thinking of going - it's just a hop for us, and I feel it wouldn't hurt to cover up the HOLES in son's bedroom wall before his teacher makes a home visit! We have Swedish friends living locally too, so will be sure to report back on what we find.

Helenjp

* Pickles foodblog

* New Year foodblog

torakris

torakris

Posted
Posted

I thought about it but am thinking of waiting until the Kanagawa one opens this fall, that one will be quite close to me.

It will be good timing as I will have just come back from a summer in the States and will be ready re-do my whole house. :biggrin:

Helen let us know how it is.

Do they actually sell Swedish food there?!? :shock::raz:

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

prasantrin

prasantrin

Posted
  • Topic Starter
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I have a feeling it's probably just a few bags of snacks, but I'm very willing to find out that I'm wrong!

According to the website, they have a regular Ikea cafeteria--Swedish meatballs, salmon, breakfast, princess cake, but no Daim cake (from what I could see) :sad: .

they also have an Ikea food store at the exit, so you can buy all the Swedish food you want just before you leave!

torakris

torakris

Posted
Posted

They even have a restaurant!! and the prices look great.

restaurant/food stand page

My husband just suggested we go there today after looking at the homepage :shock: I'd love to but I am not a fool! the first weekend after it opened!?! you have got to be kidding, I can wait a little longer....

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

_john

_john

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Sometimes I would go to Ikea in the states just to sit on furniture and then eat in the cafeteria. They have this lindonberry drink that is really refreshing. I don't know if a trip to Chiba is worth it though :smile: . I would just be sad that I couldn't buy anything and bring it back to kansai. I guess I will have to stick with Muji ... but they don't have meatballs.

  • 4 weeks later...
torakris

torakris

Posted
Posted
bump!

Has anyone been there, yet?  I'm dying for a report, and I'm hoping someon finds Daim Cake (torte?) there!

Helen? Have you made it yet? I want to know too!

I am still waiting for the Yokohama one.... :biggrin:

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

fenyx66

fenyx66

Posted
Posted

I went to the Ikea in Chiba about 2 weekends ago on a Sunday, first we went to Costco (One hour drive from Gunma to Costco) and then we drove from Costco to Ikea (1 & 1/2 hour drive). So the point of that was don't drive to Ikea unless you have to haul something back, just take the train and walk and you will be glad you did.

They have almost everything that they have in the Atlanta store that I went to last winter when I visited my family, but I think the restaurant was bigger. I ordered ten meatballs in the cafeteria and it came with with a pretty good sauce, potatoes and what I think is cranberry sauce. I also got a slice of Almond cake (it was so delicious) and a roll (pats of butter are 20 yen each) They also had a salad bar, salmon, many desserts (including the Daim Cake) and food for kids (yogurt and kids sized portions). I didn't like the meatballs, but I have never cared for swedish meatballs anyway, so you can't take my word for it. Everyone else like the food anyway, but we all thought it was a little expensive for the somewhat small portions. But all the other food looked really good, and everything other than the meatballs was great. I even ate all the meatballs on my plate so it couldn't have been that bad. (I just woke up and now I am rambing) I paid around 1400 yen for my food and soft drink bar, but I was full though. They also have a market downstairs where you can buy other Swedish products, but I didn't go to this, but my Swedish friend Maria did and she went nuts and bought some fish and candy and other things. She said that the Ikea was just like the ones in Sweden.

When I went, it was packed and the purpose of going was to buy a mattress, we picked one out, and then went to the cafeteria and ate and , after taking our sweet time, we went to the warehouse to get the mattress and that particular one was no longer in stock, so my friend chose a different one and bought that one, coincidentally it was the last one of that style mattress in stock. So, go early in the day and don't dally around before going to the warehouse to get your things, they might be gone. It was crowded and the drive leaving Ikea was worse. After sitting in traffic for about an hour and a half after leaving the store, I could look to my right and Ikea was only about 40 meters away and no cars ahead were moving. I wanted to cry.

Going there for fun, doesn't sound like my idea of fun. I would wait until the other stores open and Ikea has lost some of it's ...charm (for lack of a better word) with everyone and people stop coming to Ikea by the busloads. Then maybe it will be fun.

I hope this didn't sound too negative, it is a really good store and I will be going back when I move to a new apartment and have to furnish it, the furniture prices, like always, are great and they have great products.

prasantrin

prasantrin

Posted
  • Topic Starter
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I hope this didn't sound too negative, it is a really good store and I will be going back when I move to a new apartment and have to furnish it,  the furniture prices, like always, are great and they have great products.

I don't think you sounded negative, at all! It's pretty usual for Ikea stores to be crowded when they first open, and knowing Japan as I do, I can imagine just how crowded and out of control it might have been! But as with everything here, the crowds will lessen once the new-ness wears off.

On the other hand, it could be like Costco which is still as busy as it was shortly after it first opened. You just have to know when to go in order to miss the crowds (usually first thing in the morning, or during the week an hour or so before they close).

helenjp

helenjp

Posted
Posted

Thanks for that - I wondered what the crowding would be like. I never drive down that part of town - too much stuff has popped up there, with no big changes in the main roads...and all those highways and railways to wriggle past on your way south.

I don't go to Costco often, and never on a weekend, but haven't found it too crowded.

Helenjp

* Pickles foodblog

* New Year foodblog

fenyx66

fenyx66

Posted
Posted

Yeah, I don't want to think of the crowds! There were so many people all walking around and not following the flow of the ikea floor plan route (if you've been you know what I am talking about) in the showroom floor that it was difficult to get around. I just had to stop for a moment and control my rage and just learn to relax, I am not a crowd person.

I went on a Sunday and probably arrived at 5 pm and left the parking lot at 8:07. The store closed at 8 so when we went to the warehouse to get the mattress it was around 7:30 and we ate dinner around 6:30 in the restaurant, so hopefully that should tell you when you shouldn't go. But as we all probably know, Sundays are big shopping days in Japan because it's the free day of the week. It was the only time I was able to go, so I bet during the week it is less crowded.

Has anyone else been? When did you go and what time? Was your experience like mine?

torakris

torakris

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I drove past the Yokohama one yesterday! (It doesn't open until September though)

It is directly in front of the Kohoku Interchange for Daisan Keihin Road and the main road there is 3 to 4 lanes both ways so I hope it doesn't have the congestion problems that the Chiba one does. We also know all the backroads in that area. :biggrin:

The crowds in the store are a different story, but after being here all this time they don't seem to bother me that much any more.

I think I am definitely going to wait until the Yokohama one opens.

How were the prices? I have never been to their store in the US so I have nothing to compare to.

I am glad to know I am not the only person who doesn't care for Swedish meatballs....

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

fenyx66

fenyx66

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Food at Ikea

Just click on that link and it will take you to the food prices, though they had more than what was posted on the webpage, like the almond cake, it was sooo delicious. They also had Curry Rice and Gyudon (beef bowl), but I don't remember how much those cost. But yeah, it's not worth going out of way for the food there, I would rather spend the same amount of money and have a cheeseburger and fries from Hard Rock or make a nikkujaga (meat and potatoes) at home (I like your recipe Torakris, I tweaked it to make a one person version and added konnyaku and sliced pork instead of beef, just because it's cheaper, and carrots, so thanks for posting it on Recipe Gullet).

JasonTrue

JasonTrue

Posted
Posted

I never find trips to Ikea in Seattle much fun either, as they are crowded when I have time to go (weekends, like everyone else), the trip there is almost an hour, and the store navigation is designed to guide you to walk through as much merchandising as possible, even if you take the "shortcuts".

But I almost never fail to reward myself with a small frozen yogurt from the cafe near the cash register, regardless of whether I buy anything or not, solely for enduring the pain of navigating Ikea.

Jason Truesdell

Blog: Pursuing My Passions

Take me to your ryokan, please

  • 2 months later...
torakris

torakris

Posted
Posted

I am still looking forward to checking out the store as well as the food. The Kohoku one opens on 9/15!

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

  • 2 months later...
GlorifiedRice

GlorifiedRice

Posted
Posted
I'm thinking of going - it's just a hop for us, and I feel it wouldn't hurt to cover up the HOLES in son's bedroom wall before his teacher makes a home visit! We have Swedish friends living locally too, so will be sure to report back on what we find.

Helen?

Teachers come to your house?

For what?

Is this a standard thing?

Wawa Sizzli FTW!

GlorifiedRice

GlorifiedRice

Posted
Posted

The frozen IKEA meatballs are great for recipes where you dont want to have an Italian taste. Ive bought Swedish dill seasoned crayfish there too and Lutefisk too.

Wawa Sizzli FTW!

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