Swedish meatballs and more: What we hope will be on the menu when IKEA opens in PHL

Bigger IKEA branches such as this one in Singapore have restaurants and offer meals. Smaller, boutique stores have bistros and serve smaller snacks. Photos: Stanley Baldwin O. See

My social media feed went nuts when it was announced that international furniture giant IKEA (Ingvar Kamprad, Elmtaryd, Agunnaryd) will be setting up its first store on Philippine shores. From its do-it-yourself furniture to the guided, one-direction paths that ensure you cover every inch of the store, IKEA is like a wonderland/theme park for adults.

I have visited two branches: a big, warehouse-looking one in Alexandra, Singapore, and a smaller boutique establishment in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong. But despite the number of interesting chairs, tables, and other items available for purchase, what I look forward to during each visit was the food.

Whether available for dine-in or take-out, I hope that the first Philippine branch will also serve the following IKEA favorites:

Meatballs

An order of ten, 15, or twenty Swedish meatballs always comes with gravy and lingonberry sauce.

Available in IKEA restaurants located in bigger establishments like the ones in Alexandra and Tampines, Singapore, IKEA's famous Swedish meatballs are always a crowd favorite. The moist, chunks of meat are portioned just right, and are topped with generous servings of gravy and tart lingonberry jam. The accompanying side dish of potato (baked, or mash) makes this a complete meal.

Should you choose to buy them to eat at home instead, IKEA also sells frozen meatballs and jars of the lingonberry jam.

Salmon with hollandaise sauce

Salmon with hollandaise sauce is an IKEA restaurant staple, and can be paired with boiled potatoes, long beans, or seasoned vegetables.

Another staple of IKEA restaurants is the salmon fillet with hollandaise sauce.

Juicy, flaky, and nutritious, the salmon can be paired with boiled potato, long beans, or a mixture of corn, carrots, and peas.

Like the Swedish meatballs, frozen packs of salmon fillets can also be bought at IKEA’s Swedish Food Market for consumption at home.

Hotdog

For smaller branches like the one in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, IKEA Bistros serve snacks instead of the heavier, plated meals. Hotdogs on a bun, popcorn, sweet cinnamon buns, and the meatballs in boxes of five are the main fare at the Causeway Bay, Kowloon, and Shatin branches.

IKEA’s mini food cart—here carrying both entrees and dessert—is a convenient way to transport your ordered meals and desserts from the kitchen to the dining table.

Almond cake and almond butterscotch cake

No meal is complete without dessert. The almond cake and its close cousin, the almond butterscotch cake, are the signature treats of IKEA restaurants.

Both cakes, like the meatballs, are Swedish classics, and contain just the right amount of sweetness. The cake itself is velvety smooth while the almonds give a nice texture and crunch to every bite.

Crisps

I never leave the Swedish Food Market without buying at least one box each of the double chocolate crisps (Kakor Chokladflarn) and the oat crisps (Kakor Havreflarn). Once a box is opened, it can be hard to limit to eating just one piece. The double chocolate crisps consist of two oat crisps sandwiched by dark chocolate, and is the one I am most addicted to. — BM, GMA News