An Ikea Restaurant is located in both Ikea stores in the Vancouver area: Richmond (map, 3200 Sweden Way, Richmond, British Columbia, phone: 604-273-2051) and Coquitlam (map, 1000 Lougheed Highway, Coquitlam, British Columbia, phone: 604-636-1000).
IKEA is famous for the clean and modern design of their reasonably priced home furnishings and accessories. Their stores are “family friendly” which means there is a room filled with balls for kids to play in (one of my favorite places to go when I was a kid), and a bunch of kid-friendly items such as hotdogs and meatballs on the menu at their restaurant.
I went on a visit to Ikea on a Sunday afternoon, mainly to try their restaurant. The food at the restaurant is fairly inexpensive, because they know if people feel comforted by good food, they might be more inclined to spend hundreds of dollars on that new couch, table, or desk. It sure worked for me – I really only intended to visit the restaurant and then have a quick look around the store, and I ended up spending over $300 on various items. Yikes!
Being a Swedish company, Ikea features some Swedish items on their menu including the meatballs (pictured below) which cost around $7 for 15 meatballs with potatoes or fries (or $6.49 for 10 meatballs, potatoes, fries, and a soft drink). They also have some really tasty cold smoked salmon dishes such as the Gravlax with mustard and dill (also pictured below, around $5.00). For dessert they offer some nice pastries and cakes, such as the one pictured below (around $2.00).
If you like pasta, you can get a plate of Organic Pasta for $1.99. Their menu describes this dish as, “organic pasta with organic vegetarian tomato sauce” and says the pasta is available after 11am. But if you go before 11am you can get a $1.00 (yes, that’s one dollar) breakfast of scrambled eggs, sausages, and home fries. Their hope is that you’ll spend much more on the home furnishings and accessories. After all, you are already there, so why not pick up a TV stand, lamp, and chaise lounge or two?
Ikea Swedish Meatballs from Ikea in Coquitlam (a suburb of Vancouver BC Canada). Around $7.00.
Ikea Swedish Gravlax with Mustard and Dill (smoked salmon, delicious!). Around $5.00. From Ikea in Coquitlam BC Canada, a suburb of Vancouver.
Swedish Dessert pastry from Ikea restaurant in Coquitlam BC Canada (a suburb of Vancouver). Around $2.00.
The show ran from May 8th to 10th 2009 – but don’t worry if you missed it; you can soon visit the trade show’s web site for more info about next year’s show.
Highlights included a speech by Summer Rayne Oakes, ‘the Eco super-model’ who talked about sustainability and the environment, as well as her career as an entrepreneur among other things.
Also there were many eco-friendly merchants such as Vital Gifts selling fair-trade and organic foods and gifts.
I checked out the cool electric cars and fancy bikes, and listened to knowledgeable gardenerSteve Whysall, author and Vancouver Sun gardening editor, talk about healthy, sustainable and fuss-free gardens. It was interesting to hear how he makes his garden weed-free by pulling up the weeds before they get a chance to bloom.
I made a video journal of my experiences attending the conference and have posted it below (or you can view it on Youtube by clicking here). Hope you enjoy Vancouver’s great Spring and eventually Summer weather! -Geoff
Summer Rayne Oakes, the "Eco-Supermodel", talking at the EPIC Vancouver 2009 Trade Show.
A popular steakhouse in Whistler, Monk’s Grill is located next to the ski runs at Blackcomb Mountain, right in front of the Wizard Express chair lift. The restaurant has ski in / ski out access and is next door to the Fairmont Chateau Whistler. It is also within walking distance to the Four Seasons Resort & Spa in Whistler.
During the summer, Monk’s Grill is in the centre of the Whistler “Summer Family zone” which includes activites such as: 18 hole Links mini putt, flying trapeze, farmer’s market & crafts fair, Kiss the Sky bungy, climbing wall, and horseback rides.
Chef Shaun Anderson and Monk’s kitchen create “a fusion-style menu with a French/European background” (from their website). Their Spring menu which runs till April 30th features a choice of:
Pan Roasted Wentzel Duck Breast, Lotus Root Chips, Shanghai Bok Choy, Oven Dried Blueberry Jus
or
8oz NY Strip loin, Melted Cambozola Cheese, Roasted Garlic Jus
I’m interested to make a trip out to Whistler in the coming months to give Monk’s a try. Feel free to leave comments below, regarding your experiences at Monk’s Grill in Whistler!
