By Ai Wen & Russell
Let’s face it, who does not love a good hotdog? Simple yet delicious, it is easy to find good hotdogs across the country. Great hotdogs, on the other hand, are much harder to come by, especially ones that do not cost an arm and a leg. Do not fret, as IKEA’S newly opened Swedish Bistro is serving up premium hotdogs for the price of a plate of chicken rice.
IKEA has recently opened the Swedish Bistro at its Tampines outlet on Sep 9. The new Bistro, conveniently located at the level 1 entrance, focuses on a “Grab and Go concept” where customers are able to order pre-packaged, ready-to-eat food and enjoy it on the go.
Ever since the first IKEA store landed on the shores of Singapore back in 1978, shoppers have flocked towards their Dine-in restaurant to get a taste of the Swedish cuisine at affordable prices. Dishes like the iconic Swedish meatballs and chicken wings have become a staple of every meal had at the furniture store. However, with the large crowds that the restaurant attracts, snaking queues for food are not an uncommon sight.
For most trips to IKEA, spending up to twenty to thirty minutes queueing up for food, along with the included hassle of finding a table amongst the bustling crowd has become the norm. That is why the inclusion of the newly-minted Bistro is a welcomed one to IKEA’s ever-growing number of facilities and services available.
With the growing buzz surrounding the bistro, we decided to head down to IKEA’S Tampines outlet to check it out for ourselves and decide if it truly lived up to the hype.
The moment we stepped foot onto the premises, we were greeted by the newly-introduced autonomous self-order kiosks, similar to the ones found in Bubble-tea or fast food outlets across Singapore. With the touch of a couple of buttons, our orders were placed, and before we knew it, our meals were ready within a mere five minutes, resulting in a seamless, time-efficient process.
As for the aforementioned meals themselves, the bistro serves up both classic IKEA dishes like your meatballs and hotdogs, as well as including new, never-before-seen additions to their menu. That is why we decided to get a taste of the new dishes, giving our verdict on what we think of them and whether you should try them out for yourself!
Gourmet Hotdogs
The first new addition would be the Gourmet Hot Dogs. A delicious premium sausage served in their soft fluffy bread; it is a dance between the sweetness and savouriness of the ingredients. Be sure to drizzle some chili and mustard sauce before consumption.
Fans of cheesy snacks, be sure to try their Gourmet Hotdog with Nacho Cheese. As the name suggests, a big helping of nacho cheese is poured on the snack and topped with spring onions as well as fried onions. The addition of the onions help to add a sweet and mild taste with a little crunch that complements nicely with the salty, yet slightly spicy nacho cheese.
You can get the delicious Gourmet Hotdog for $2.50 (that’s just the price of one chicken rice!) and the Gourmet Hotdog with Nacho Cheese at $3.
Curly Fries with Nacho Cheese
Tired of the age-old regular Cheese Fries? Rejoice as IKEA’s Swedish Bistro now serves curly fries with nacho cheese. Enjoy the beautiful blend of piping hot potato and cheese with each bite. The curly fries are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside; when paired with the creamy cheese, one can enjoy contrasting textures and flavours in a single bite.
You can get the Curly Fries with Nacho Cheese at $3.50. However, that’s not all. The Curly Fries with Nacho Cheese is available in all the combo sets. One such combo set would be Gourmet Hotdog Combo 1, including Gourmet Hotdog and Curly Fries with Nacho Cheese. You can purchase the Gourmet Hotdog Combo 1 at $5.50 (normal price $6.50)
6pcs Plant Ball
No, the plant ball is not a ball of green. Instead, the plant ball adopts plant-based alternatives such as pea protein, oats, potatoes, onion, and apple to recreate the taste of the classic Swedish meatball for our vegetarian counterparts. Besides that, The Plant Ball has a climate footprint of only 4% compared to the Swedish Meatball, making it the more sustainable choice.
While serving as a plant-based alternative, the Plant Ball does not lack in terms of taste. Plant Ball offers the same level of savoriness, and the texture of the plant ball also does not differ too much from the regular meatball. It is a must-try for fans of the Swedish meatball, vegetarians, or anyone that wants to contribute to sustainable food.
You can get the six-piece Plant Ball for $5 at the bistro. You can also purchase frozen Plant Balls at $8 for 500g (roughly 24 pieces) at the Swedish market.
Two-piece chicken skewer
The two-piece chicken skewer is also one of the snacks on their new menu. The chicken skewer is crispy on the outside yet tender and juicy on the inside.
Bring this snack to the next level with their Nacho Cheese (add on $0.50). Surprisingly, the chicken goes really well with the cheese, giving you a delicious protein-packed boost!
You can get the two-piece Chicken Skewer for $3.50, or you can double up that portion and get a four-piece Chicken Skewer for $7.00!
Blueberry & Banana Ice-Cream
For those with a sweet tooth, you’re in for a treat. Ikea Bistro has pushed out a unique Blueberry and Banana Twist Ice Cream.
Besides the taste, the beautiful combination of blue and yellow also makes the ice cream so appetising that you’ll want to try it once, even if you’re not a fan of sweet treats!
The Blueberry & Banana Ice Cream comes at a price of $2. If you’re not a fan of mixing flavours in a single bite, you can also try their Blueberry Ice Cream and their Banana Ice Cream at $2 each as well.
Overall, IKEA’s new Swedish bistro is a welcomed addition to the furniture store’s offerings, long gone are the days of incessant queueing during peak hours for food at IKEA, when we can grab delicious food on the go. As if all this was not already good enough, IKEA is located just 20 minutes away from Temasek Polytechnic. So the next time you are looking for a quick bite before your next lesson, do not forget to add IKEA’s Swedish bistro to your list.
