This week, the highly anticipated Saluhall opens adjacent to Ikea in downtown San Francisco.
For plant-based shoppers, the furniture giant already offers a plethora of options, including Swedish meatballs, cinnamon rolls, and not one but two types of super cheap veggie dogs. But Saluhall—a plant-forward, Scandinavian food hall concept by Ikea’s real estate sister Ingka Centers—promises something out of the ordinary. And it’s got the unicorn vegan soft serve to prove it.
Saluhall
VegNews got a sneak peek of the offerings at Saluhall’s 11 different food-related concepts before its official public opening on April 11. Here’s what to eat at this unique concept, created to unite people around food and drinks.
Saluhall
Table of Contents
Burgare Bar
Kerb, the hospitality group behind Saluhall’s food concepts, melds American and Scandinavian cuisines into a fully vegan burger bar.
The menu offers a simple hamburger and cheeseburger, Hüzburger and Cheezeburger, which feature standard toppings like a Beyond Burger patty, ketchup, mustard, onion, and house pickles.
If you love adorable names as much as juicy burgers, the next one is for you. The Big Enorm is indeed large and in charge, with a double Beyond patty, extra cheeze, lettuce, house dill relish, Burgare sauce, onion, and pickles.
Saluhall
With American burgers well-represented, we move on to more Scandi-forward flavors with the Smørrebun, an open-faced burger with a Beyond patty, vegan fish roe, applewood smoked vegan cheese, fennel slaw, crispy onions, and seaweed.
There’s also a chicken sandwich simply named the SFC with a vegan chicken filet, lettuce, tarragon mayo, dill relish, and pickles.
The sides also do not disappoint with “latad” (or loaded) fries topped with forest salt, burger sauce, onions, and house pickles—almost like In-N-Out’s animal-style fries; Salunuggets, or crispy bites of oyster mushrooms; seasonal slaw; and crispy deep-fried onion “laces.”
Saluhall
Snöberg soft-serve counter
This soft-serve counter offers two different types of Oatly soft serve (Vanilla and Chocolate) and 11 different toppings.
And the toppings are made with a bit of Scandinavian flair. Think kiwi and pineapple syrups; wild huckleberry and kumquat rosemary shrubs; cocoa nib praline; and Feuilletine (a crepe-like baked good) flakes.
For the traditionalists, there are caramel and chocolate sauces, chopped nuts, and sprinkles.
Saluhall
Plus, there’s a unicorn sugar topping that comes with crushed edible flowers and vegan marshmallows.
Saluhall
Smörgåsland all-day eatery
This bakery serves a full breakfast, lunch, and dinner menu.
In the morning, the eatery serves freshly baked bread, organic overnight oats with orange and candied cacao nibs, and Timeless coffee.
For lunch, there’s an open-face rye avocado toast; beet pastrami sandwich with hazelnut cheese, tarragon, kraut, and slaw; a tofu salad sandwich with pickled carrots, herbs, sprouts, and arugula; and a simple Yukon gold potato flatbread. If you’re in the mood for greens, there’s a beetroot and radicchio salad with split peas, tahini cream, and the classic herb combo of dill, chervil, and tarragon.
Dinner is hearty with a Lemon & Butter Bean stew and vegan cheesecake for dessert.
Saluhall
Endless cocktails
At Lagom, guests can find lighter cocktails, wines, and beer, including one made by local company Fort Point to honor Saluhall. There, you can also get a Rose Sour made with gin, elderflower, grapefruit, rose, and aquafaba (an egg white alternative).
At Saluhall’s Punsch Bar, a solo drinker can get a single beverage or groups can opt for a giant bowl of punsch—Sweden’s national drink that gets a California twist at this bar.
Instead of honey, Punsch Bar uses agave as a sweetener for its Island Punsch (a blend of rums and glögg, a Scandinavian mulled wine) and its Evergreen Collins (a refreshing mix of gin, cucumber, basil, and green tea).
Nearby, the Sauna Bar is crafted for conversation and serves more classic cocktails—think Old Fashioneds, Martinis, and Vespers—but with, of course, a Scandinavian twist.
Note that these bars also use some non-vegan ingredients, such as Campari and honey, and that while many wines, beers, and spirits are vegan, some are made with animal-derived fining agents. You can use the alcohol resource Barnivore to double-check.
But wait, there’s more
The essence of the Saluhall concept centers on fostering a sense of community. In San Francisco’s Mid-Market District, an area heavily impacted by the economic downturn, Saluhall is collaborating with the city’s Office of Economic & Workforce Development (OEWD), to hire locally from disadvantaged populations. Saluhall has recruited eight individuals thus far, with 19 more expected, who will make up half of the concept’s opening staff.
“Shaping inspiring new ways for people to meet, socialize, and enjoy time together is central to our approach, so we were never going to settle for a traditional food court for our first US meeting place,” Cindy Andersen, Ingka Centres Managing Director, said in a statement.
Saluhall
Saluhall will also serve as a platform to showcase local food businesses, including two fully vegan spots: Taqueria La Venganza and Casa Boriqueña.
“Alongside local chefs and food businesses, we’ve brought a Scandinavian twist to a plant-forward menu that appeals to all and is kinder to the local community and the planet,” Andersen said.
“I believe that our success here in San Francisco will inspire a wider belief in the regeneration potential of vibrant downtown destinations such as Market Street,” Andersen said.
Saluhall/Taqueria La Venganza
Stopping by these five local food vendors will give you access to carnitas burritos, tacos, and nachos at Taqueria La Venganza; chicken and beef turnovers (pastelillos) at Casa Borinqueña; deconstructed samosa salads at Curry Up Now; hot and sour rice noodles with spicy konjac tofu at Momo Noodle; an “Impossible Feast Bowl” with Algerian-spiced meatballs at Kayma; and so much more.
Plus, the Cooking Skoola—Saluhall’s in-house culinary education center—offers a variety of classes, including a four-hour course titled “Plant-Forward Feast.”
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Anna Starostinetskaya is the Senior News Editor at VegNews and is always keeping an eye on all things vegan in her home city of San Francisco, CA and everywhere else.
