Tastebud : Ikea restaurant

28 July 2025

After a long hiatus, I got to eat at Ikea restaurant again. I have only eaten at Ikea twice since I moved to Sweden 8 years ago. Mainly because Ikea is far from where I stay and public transport takes about an hour. 

Today, I had a fish plate SEK99. Fried fish fillet with potatoes, sweet peas and a slice of lemon served with remoulade sauce. Remoulade is a French word. The sauce is made from mayonnaise, herbs, mustard and caper. I am satisfied with my portion. Also, I had a slice of cheesecake with berries SEK39. Very affordable meal! Many people come here to eat as it is so affordable. My glass of raspberry drink is included in the lunch set too. As I am an IKEA member, I could have gotten a cup of coffee for free. 

Tastebud : Vetekatten

29 July 2025

After dinner at Chao Na, it is time for dessert. There was no dessert in Chao Na, so we went to Vetekatten. It was either that or Gunnarsons Konditori. Most importantly, we needed a spacious space so we could talk and not be disturbed by others. 

We shared a slice of brownie SEK66. Very thick chocolate and filled with nuts. Sweet. I had to drink several glasses of water. 

Tastebud : Chao Na

29 July 2025

My friend was keen to try chicken rice and she saw it in Chao Na, a Thai restaurant. Well, the video in Instagram does look good. So, we went for it. It does not taste like Hainanese chicken rice or any chicken rice in Malaysia. The rice is cooked in chicken broth, that I can taste, but not as flavourful. We received fried and poached boneless chicken strips. Swedes don't enjoy bones in their meals. Very odd, I thought. Anything they eat must be boneless, both fish and meat.

Our chicken rice for SEK165. I enjoyed the sauce and crispy fried chicken. The poached chicken does not taste like my familiar taste of chicken rice. Probably it is the healthy version without oil, as the chicken was not 'shiny' from the oil. Portion was sufficient for me. I thought the portion was just nice for an adult. 

Me before every meal. Photo session to remember what I have eaten and to describe it here.

Archipelago - Finnhamn and Ingmarsö: Part 3 - Departure back to Stockholm

26 July 2025

Cost
1) Boat ticket - SEK186
2) Sandwich and 2 coffee - SEK121 

Time to depart to Stockholm today. Our boat departs at 12.10pm. My cottage and I. We hung our clothes to dry outside the cottage. We hung under the rail as there was bird poop on the top.

Other guests can pay to shower in the hostel for SEK20. Towel can be rented for SEK35. The reception is closed in the evening so I think others would have showered here without the staff knowing.

First, breakfast. One can sit outside to have breakfast too. When it is sunny, it can get very hot and not enjoyable to have breakfast. Yesterday, some guests had breakfast outside and came in as it got too hot for them.

Now, we check out. This is a small shed outside the hostel to put the luggage so that the staff can collect them and put in the jetty for departure.

This is where the staff collects the luggage from arriving guests at the jetty to be sent to the hostel.

We managed a last dip at the beach opposite the restaurant before we took the boat back. 

Light lunch on the boat. 

We were back in Stockholm 3 hours later. I would definitely recommend to do the hiking trails on the island during autumn where it is cooling and mosquitoes don't attack you. For the activities of suntanning and taking a dip in the waters, I am not a big fan of doing it in these islands. The entries from sandy beaches has many dead seaweeds or relatively big stones (the beach near the sauna). Most entries have to be done from large rocks where one can hop in and I am not good at that. 

Archipelago - Finnhamn and Ingmarsö: Day 2 - Explore Ingmarsö - Row boat, bakery, bar

25 July 2025

Costs

1) Fika at Ingmarsö bakery - 2 buns SEK90, 2 iced latte SEK120

2) Drinks at Ingmarsö bar - Cocktail drink SEK145

3) Dinner at Finnhamn rooftop bar - Salami pizza SEK175, Mango and pineapple pizza SEK175, Cocktail mango SEK135, 400ml landsort beer SEK95

The Story

Today, we will row a boat to Ingmarsö and explore the island. One can take Waxholms boat too but the ticket is quite expensive despite it being one or two stops away, depending which boat route it is and which stop - south or north of Ingmarsö. The price ranges from SEK61 to SEK86. Also, check the timetable. 

First, we have breakfast that is included in our accommodation. Simple breakfast of yoghurt and granola, bread, buns with fillings, boiled egg, juice and coffee.