Taipei's first Swedish restaurant isn't a quaint little cafe located on a lane in Tienmou, but rather part of a huge home furnishings chain. The good news is that it is very budget-friendly and located near the hustle and bustle of the city's banking district. While a complete meal doesn't cost over NT$300, diners are all too tempted to leave with a shower curtain or new bookshelf in addition to a full stomach.

Ikea, the Swedish furniture mega-chain, recently opened its second Taiwan store in the basement of Tunhwa North Road's Asiaworld Department Store and with it came a cafeteria. Serving a limited menu of Scandinavian favorites, the restaurant in Asia's largest Ikea outlet places an emphasis on simple, family dining.

While the basement cafeteria was designed so that patrons can bypass the store, it was designed to showcase Ikea's products, and it's a challenge not to go looking for magazine holders after a plate of meatballs, or try out the sofas after some salmon.

Ikea's cafeteria is in tune with the company's philosophy of value-for-money and do-it-yourself. None of the set meals cost over N$215. David Yang, the restaurant's manager, says the most popular meal is the meatballs and gravy (NT$149), which comes with a half-plate full of imported Swedish meatballs, pickles, and a choice of boiled potatoes or fries. Judging from people's plates around the cafeteria, the most popular meal seemed to be the Lax Gratin, a lasagna-like layer of cheese, potatoes, and poached salmon for NT$185. 
All drinks are bottomless, including freshly made espresso that costs only NT$45. (The only drink that isn't bottomless is the beer, lest someone get sick in the rug section.)

Patrons practice the do-it-yourself part by sliding their trays along the cafeteria rails, then busing their own tables after eating. If you find your fries are a little too cold by the time they get to the table, you can heat them up in a microwave.
Yang says patrons are often curious about the meatballs, which are made of a mixture of pork and beef. Flown in from Sweden, Yang adds his restaurant is fully prepared to make them by scratch if shipments happen to be temporarily delayed. The imported almond cake (NT$68), is a different story. Also sent from Sweden and hard to duplicate here, it's often the first desert to go during dinner time.
While Ikea cafeterias in other countries serve a variety of fish, the store found that salmon would initially be the big seller. Yang, a rare veteran of American theme restaurants and home furnishing mega-centers, says customers are also curious about the Norwegian salmon. "(Poaching the salmon) is a little bit different than the Chinese cooking methods of steaming or boiling," he says.

Roast beef served with potatoes and vegetables is also available for NT$215, and those that want something lighter can find salmon or beef sandwiches for under NT$80. Salads, both large and small, are also available, as is crispbread.
For customers who came in to find a CD rack or flooring and aren't in the mood for meatballs, the restaurant does offer at least one Chinese dish per day. Starting next month, the restaurant plans to expand its Chinese menu and add more Western food such as cabbage rolls.

The cafeteria, with heavily Ikea-inspired furnishings, has a utilitarian feel. The emphasis is on a family dining experience, a place where parents can bring their toddlers to eat without being ashamed. Although it is tempting to take a tray of food into one of Ikea's impeccable kitchen or dining room displays and eat, or even grab a Taiwan beer and plop down on a leather Halland sofa, the food has to stay in the cafeteria.