Photo by Flickr user Existence.
UPDATE (7 March 2013)
Ikea will begin selling their meatballs again starting from tomorrow, 8 March. Tests show that the meatballs sold here in Singapore contain only beef and pork and the Halal-certified ones only beef and chicken. To "celebrate", Ikea will be selling them at both Alexandra and Tampines outlets at 10 cents per piece tomorrow. Yay!
The horsemeat scandal you’ve been hearing so much about has now hit Singapore – Ikea cafés here will not be selling their famous Swedish meatballs, both fresh and frozen, until further notice.
But there’s no reason to panic for now as the meatballs were pulled off the menu and shelves on Feb 26, Tuesday evening, as a “precautionary measure”. The company stated that it’s unlikely that the dish contains horse meat as the meatballs sold here are made solely from Australian beef and pork (Australia is not part of the list of countries which produce horse meat-tainted “beef”).
They further explained that they’re currently testing the dish for traces of horse meat in a local independent laboratory and that results should be released by the end of next week.
Ikea’s crisis began in Czech Republic when authorities recently confirmed traces of horse meat found in the meatballs sold at Ikea stores around the country. Since then Ikea has removed meatballs from its outlets in more than 20 countries.
What’s so bad about horse meat anyway?
Well, nothing really.
Horse meat – although not the norm – is still consumed in many countries, such as Mongolia and the Philippines. So what’s the big deal?
Let’s get one thing straight: it’s not that horse meat is bad for you, it’s just that the problem lies in the fraudulent ways many have been selling horse meat and labelling it “beef”. Also, some question the food safety aspect of passing off horse meat as beef because there are strict standards to meet for anything that’s meant for human consumption.
Other places to get your meatball fix
Photo by OpenRicer CoffeeTablePeople
Don’t be dismayed now that you can’t get your favourite Swedish meatballs at Ikea. For something equally good, head to Fika.
With two outlets in Singapore, one located at Beach Road and the other at Millenia Walk, Fika makes their signature meatball dish ($18+) just like Ikea’s – served with cream sauce and gooseberry jam. Plus it’s halal.
Photo by Don Quijote
For something a little different, give Spanish meatballs a go. One option to consider is Don Quijote at Block 7, Dempsey Road. Over here they serve their meatballs (Albondigas, $8) in Tomato-Oregano sauce. Other worthy non-meatball contenders include the oxtail stew (Rabo de Toro, $36) and squid ink paella with seafood (Arroz Negro, $30 for small).
There’s a bar within the restaurant too, so once you’re done with your mains, you can easily move on to Happy Hour.
Photo by Zsofi Tapas Bar
If you prefer your food tapas style, Zsofi Tapas Bar at Dunlop Street in Little India makes a great choice. Albondigas con Mozzarella is a tomato-based meatball dish and over here their meatballs are homemade.
You can also take advantage of the free tapas deal here. Yes, you read it right – FREE tapas! All you have to do is order an alcoholic drink and order tapas from the free tapas menu. It’s that simple. Remember, drop by with a very, very empty stomach.
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