I’ll keep this short and sweet: if you need a quick pick-me-up in Japan, stop by IKEA to satisfy your cravings.

View other posts in this series:

• Trip Introduction: Springing for Sakura
• Review: oneworld Qantas Business Lounge LAX
• Review: Starlux A350-900 Business Class LAX-TPE
• Review: Starlux Galactic Lounge TPE Terminal 1
• Review: Starlux A330neo Business Class TPE-NRT
• The Airport Limousine Bus is Indeed Friendly
• Quite a Grand Stay: The Tokyo Disneyland Hotel
• Thoughts on Tokyo Disneyland
• Thoughts on Tokyo DisneySea
• Japan Pro Tip: Luggage Delivery Services
• Review: Park Hyatt Tokyo
• teamLab Planets: I Don’t Understand The Hype
• Cuteness Overload: A Review of the Pokémon Cafe Tokyo
• You Fished Your Wish: Zauo Fishing Restaurant
• Tokyo with Kids: Perhaps The Largest Playground on Earth
• Japan Pro Tip: IKEA Has Cheap Eats (this post)
• Review: Starlux A350-900 Premium Economy NRT-TPE
• Review: EVA The Infinity & The Star Lounges
• Review: EVA Air 777-300ER Royal Laurel TPE-LAX

When out and about, there are generally two categories of snacks: those that are unique and those that are cheap. A good example of a unique snack would be the ichigo daifuku mentioned in the prior post. Something cheap yet still good? That would be where Japanese IKEA comes in.

We were wandering around Shibuya, and the kids needed a little bit of a boost. We happened to be right next to an IKEA store and saw ice cream cones being advertised for only ¥50 (about 0.33 USD) and thought it was worth a try. I’m used to seeing IKEA stores associated with their Swedish meatballs, but there was none to find here.

On the ground floor, the cafe was found in a corner of the store by the entrance. Ordering is done via a vending machine, where you put in your money, tap the item(s) you want, and it spits out coupons that you could then use to redeem your choice at the counter. Just note that as of now, it’s cash-only at the vending machines.

Service was very quick, despite how busy it seemed. I was tempted to order a beer (¥300 or 2 USD) and a hotdog (¥150 or 1 USD), but refrained and instead settled on a hash brown (¥120 or 0.80 USD) for myself and an ice cream cone for each child.

So how was it? Honestly, not bad! Both the hash brown and ice cream cones remind me a bit of McDonald’s, though the hash brown wasn’t nearly as greasy. The kids thoroughly enjoyed their cones.

By no means was this a must-do. But if you happen to be near an IKEA and get a craving, know that you won’t go wrong for stopping in for a quick bite.

Have you been to IKEA stores in Japan?