Food Geek tries out (almost) all the food at Stockholm Arlanda
Johan “Food Geek” Hedberg: Dare to try something new!
The Food Geek gives suggestions for all passengers about his favourites at Stockholm Arlanda Airport and shares some of his best travel tips.
“I love being in airports since people are always on their way somewhere else – either to some place fun or on their way home, which is also greatly underappreciated. I’ve been like this since I was little. It’s always felt like you’re in some undefinable part of the world, that you’re international, a citizen of the world,” says Johan Hedberg.
When it comes to food at the airport, Johan thinks that more people should dare to try new things to find new favourites.
“Dare to go a little outside your comfort zone. Many people eat at the same place every time they travel – they don’t dare to try new places even though there’s such a wide variety of options. ‘We usually always’ and so on – forget that. Try something new instead. Sample some dumplings, eat sushi or something you may not eat so often.”
“Dare to go a little outside your comfort zone.”
“Then Pontus in the Air is really great – you can’t get away from that. Obviously, the best thing is if you can get to the airport early and have a nice leisurely meal, but most restaurants at Arlanda actually have a time guarantee so you can be sure you have time to eat your food.”
In addition to cooking, Johan is also really interested in technology and travel. For people who love gadgets, there are a few things they should certainly not forget to take along on their travels.
“I never fly anywhere without my Bose Quiet Comfort 35. Those headphones are my salvation. They’re really incredible. Then I usually always have my Storytel Reader and some extra batteries with me. You can go far on that. ”
However, it turns out you should not just take along earphones or an e-book reader on your trip. One of Johan’s most unforgettable travel memories is from the time he almost didn’t get to take off.
“When we were heading off on our honeymoon to Antibes a few years ago, I didn’t see that my passport had expired so I wasn’t allowed on board the plane. Then I spoke with my friend who is a pilot, and he talked to a few colleagues on the plane we were supposed to take. They had apparently arranged champagne and hors-d’oeuvres. So our honeymoon got off to a shaky start, but in the end everything was fine and I learned to always check my passport ahead of time.”
Cooking and gastronomy are Johan’s speciality, but he also likes to share his favourite destinations.
“This may sound a bit over the top perhaps but we go to Monaco’s Grand Prix every year – it’s become a tradition. Then I’m incredibly fond of Oslo. I love Norway. Full stop. I love everything about Norway, Norwegians, their attitude, nature, everything there is so beautiful. If someone offered to fly me there, I would go there in a minute. ”
A lot is happening at Stockholm Arlanda Airport right now, and in the years ahead the airport will be expanded and developed even more. Johan Hedberg has a clear picture in his mind of what the airport of the future should look like.
“It would be awesome to have a food court”
“In terms of food, it would be awesome to have a great food court with really good options, like at Teatern in the Ringen shopping centre in (the Stockholm district of) Södermalm. Then quite honestly I would like to have the chance to spend an entire day at the airport since I think it’s so much fun just to be there. It would be great to have a walkway that extends across the roof of the terminal buildings so people can go outside and have a view of the entire airport and all the aircraft – a really good place for flightspotting, quite simply.”
