As a visitor from California who resided in the Ullevål neighbourhood for a month, I fell for this place, so much that I eventually stopped complaining about the 10 minute walk from my apartment. Then again, simply being in Norway eased me back into borderline respectable exercising routine again.
Compared to Rema 1000 and Kiwi-pris nearby, this supermarket wins in size. It's around the same size as the Walgreens by the Downtown Berkeley BART Station.
An entire wall is lined with fresh meats, fish, and deli next to perpendicular rows of frozen foods. There are plenty of sauces and condiments to make ethnic foods (since the first things my mother and I hunted down was soy sauce and rice). I tended to come here for bread but elsewhere for dairy based on price. Of course, all their products are great quality.
The selection of BAKING ingredients in Scandinavia makes me weak at the knees. God no, I speak not of the sugary, extraneous sprinkles or toppings, but the sheer variety of baking flours that makes ICA the local mother of baking if you're into solid, heavy, flavourful breads. Why can't Trader Joe's sell 10 different types of wheat/rye flour?
Oh yeah, this place is tucked into Norway's national football (soccer) stadium- that's like tucking a supermarket into Rose Bowl, Pasadena! Not too bad.
Don't be like me and forget to do your shopping until Sunday- everything's closed.
One day I will wake up and find ICA down my street. #ibelieve read more