06.08.2020 The Day IKEA Made History
IKEA just made history with its first convenience store or “combini” in Harajuku. This blue and yellow compact store is just 2 minutes away from the Kawaii Zoo and 10 seconds away from Harajuku station, meaning there’s no excuse not to grab a ¥100 cinnamon roll whenever you want them.
Munchies You Won’t Feel Guilty About
In their Swedish Combini on the first floor, they sell a variety of goodies, but the highlights for me are cinnamon rolls, plant-based ramen, alcoholic ale, and those ¥90 chocolate bars. But just like in a regular IKEA, you can also buy curtains, kitchenware, and colorful pillows. That’s personally a dream of mine as a 27-year old: to snack while shopping for home decor.
The Cafe Above the Convenience Store
What if you had a little time and didn’t want a grab-and-go? Then head upstairs to their Swedish Café where you can enjoy some savory or sweet tunnbröd (flatbread) as well as soups and refreshing drinks, like elderflower lemonade. I recommend trying the ¥200 veggie sausage tunnbröd because there’s a layer of mashed peas you never knew you needed.
FYI If You Like Cake
If you want to visit though, keep in mind you can’t just pop in. People are still taking precautions to flatten the curve, so you need to grab a ticket from the machine outside and queue in line. Don’t worry. I only had to wait about 15 minutes and that was during the afternoon rush!
Before I leave you jogging your way to the IKEA convenience store, here’s a tip: bring an insulated bag in case you plan on buying frozen daim cakes. I made that mistake and had to leave daim cake-less; what a tragedy! Now go forth and start your Swedish adventures!
