HAVE you ever tasted Swedish food? If you haven’t, you don’t have to travel to Sweden to do so. Just visit an IKEA restaurant in Semanjung Malaysia.
It is said that if Sweden had a national dish, it would be meatballs and mashed potatoes, the classic comfort food served in IKEA restaurants globally. And that was exactly what my family enjoyed when we visited the IKEA restaurant at Toppen Shopping Centre in Taman Desa Tebrau, Johor Bahru, Johor recently.
The halal-certified meatballs made with beef and chicken were savoury and juicy. They were served with a creamy gravy that complemented the savoury meat flavour.
At IKEA Tebrau, we also enjoyed fried chicken wings, which were light, crispy and lightly breaded. We ate them with ketchup or chilli sauce.
While there, I could see many customers carrying huge piles of fried chicken wings on their trays to their tables. The fried chicken wings are one of the hottest-selling items at the restaurant.
Besides Swedish food, the restaurant also serves Western food and local delights.
It’s self-service at the restaurant. You queue, take some trays, and pick up the desired dishes from the food counters and pay the cashier. Coffee, tea and low-sugar soft drinks are refillable.
My niece, Ah Hong, loves the Swedish-inspired dishes at IKEA Tebrau. She was the one who introduced me and the rest of the family to the restaurant when we were in Johor Bahru for a holiday recently.
You can also buy furniture or household items from IKEA Tebrau. We didn’t. Instead, we went window shopping after our meals.
You see, the restaurant is connected to Toppen Shopping Centre; the complex features upscale retailers, chain stores, playgrounds and many eateries.
IKEA Tebrau is definitely a good place to bring your family and kids.
IKEA’s restaurants in Malaysia have been operating since the first store opened at 1Utama Shopping Mall in 1996. Since then, IKEA has opened new stores with restaurants in Cheras, Tebrau and Batu Kawan in Semenanjung Malaysia.
