COCONUTS HOT SPOT – Furniture design and retail giant Ikea is a paragon of consistency. Anywhere in the world you go, you can expect the same functional, quirky Swedish products at low prices… and the same goes for the Swedish fare at the Ikea restaurant in Mega Bangna.
For those familiar with Ikea stores outside of Thailand, you probably already know that it’s the best place in most towns outside of Sweden to score Swedish meatballs – but for the uninitiated, we understand that it might seem a bit weird to take a trip all the way out to Bang Na just to eat at a furniture store. Here’s why it’s a must-do: awesome gravlax, THB15 hot dogs (that are actually good), the aforementioned Swedish meatballs, and a market offering a host of cool products like Elderberry schnapps.
There are two dining options at this furniture giant: the pedestrian hot dog and ice cream stand on the bottom floor, and then the full-on, cafeteria-style restaurant upstairs. Skip over the hot dog area unless you’re really on a budget – the best deal here is a hot dog, soda, and ice cream all for THB45.
Salmon is the name of the game at the restaurant upstairs. The gravlax (which is often confused with smoked salmon – gravlax is cured with salt rather than smoked) comes in two forms: one with a traditional hovmästarsås, a Scandinavian dill and mustard sauce, and one with the standard Thai spicy seafood sauce. Cold salmon is phenomenal for this climate, but if you’re longing for something with a little more substance then go for the baked salmon in chive sauce. It’s topped off with a hearty portion of green beans and potatoes, how Swedish!
If you’re not a seafood type of guy or gal then try out the ever-popular Swedish meatballs. Rumor has it that the Bang Na store recently switched the source of the meat after some complaints from hardcore IKEA fans came in saying that the meatballs weren’t up to the same standard as other counterparts.
The availability of these dishes alone should be reason enough to go here instead of some lame themed restaurant at Mega Bang Na, especially since you’ll pay only a fraction of the price for the same cut of salmon that you’d find at one of those wannabe joints lining the entrance to the mega-mall.
Lots of people take IKEA very seriously; in fact, there’s even a very active web community at www.ikeafans.com discussing the furniture store’s big moves (and small ones too). We’ll let them geek out over the furniture, but for us it’s definitely about the food.
