Ikea Wembley - Home away from home

I decided to check out Ikea Wembley to try to relive the memories in Ikea Tampines back in Singapore. Apparently, I have a very interesting boyfriend who is totally crazy about Ikea. Not surprisingly, Ikea Tampines became our frequent dating venue. (Think meatballs.)

Well, I cant say it is the most romantic place on earth, but yet it is the simplest things we did in Ikea that I always remember. (Think getting a real cheap deal on the last set of double bed frame.)

Ikea makes you feel so at home because the layout is always the same, no matter where you are. You take an escalator into the showrooms, walk through the different sections, take the stairs down to pick up your items, check-out, then Ikea HotDog buns... So familiar, it is as if you are at home.

Ikea Wembley is very very big. So big that there is a banner saying 'Entrance' just in case you were wondering where the entrance is. It has a huge open-air carpark and another huge multi-storey carpark. But, as usual, one can always take the free Ikea bus. Familiar again?

How to get there: Take the free Ikea Shuttle Bus from Stonebridge Park Station.

Off the beaten track -Tooting Broadway

Getting to Tooting Broadway from Kingston: Take bus 57 or 131 from Cromwell bus station just beside the Kingston Rail Station. It takes about 40mins to an hour to arrive, depending on traffic. I personally feel 57 goes through a shorter route.

What is there and why you should go there: There are markets and rows of mini marts on each side of the main road selling fresh vegetables, fruits and spices from all over the world, but mainly on Indian and Carribean. Also, there is a whole range of Indian food, from cafes to restaurants. If you want an exotic meal, this is the place to go.

Broadway market is one of the two sheltered markets. There are many stalls selling things from food to clothes to bed linen to kitchen utensils. You name it. Eyebrow threading is cheap here. 2.50pounds compared to 6pounds in Kingston Town.

Tooting Market is located nearby (a few steps down) and it also sells goods from all over the world. I did manage to spot an Asian shop selling sauces and food from SE Asia. Pricing in these two markets are pretty reasonable.

Do be careful not to go on a Wednesday though. The stalls are closed on Wednesdays by 1pm. We went on a Wednesday morning and many stalls were not opened. ):

Of course, they do have the 'essential' shops here, eg: Primark, Boots and T.K.Maxx.

An example of one of the mini-marts:

Basically, Tooting is a stretch of roads with shops located on both sides. We crossed the road many times, because the grass is always greener on the other side.

Kastoori was once raved about in Tripadvisor but I have no idea if it is still good, so we decided to check it out.

The restaurant was totally empty and the boss was really freaked out when he saw my DSLR. Maybe he thought I was a reporter? Maybe?

Appetiser:

Our Main Courses:



I took the potato curry with parantha and I thought the meal was pretty good. My partner, on the other hand, thought otherwise. There were a few other restaurants which were packed. Maybe we should check another one out the next time we are there. Depending on what you order, the main course should cost slightly under 10pounds.

I manage to buy some Asian food and it was an interesting and fruitful day.