By Sandra Vo, Staff Writer
Photos by Sandra Vo
Located in the middle of California’s Irvine Spectrum Center, past the swarm of joyfully hollering children and carnival music emitting from the Ferris Wheel Speakers, lies a quiet sanctuary for Hello Kitty lovers everywhere. The Hello Kitty Grand Cafe proudly boasts a pink and white canopy, sleek pink windows, and a logo with Hello Kitty herself sitting in front of a coffee cup.
Inside, the cafe is decorated just as sweetly as its exterior. Upon entering, guests are met with clean, white walls and several spots for a photo opportunity, such as the Hello Kitty sprinkle wallpaper or the statue of Hello Kitty in the corner. There are two sections of the cafe, one of which is the regular coffee storefront and another room in the back, which is reserved for the special afternoon tea set.
Since the afternoon tea set was about $60 a person, I decided to stay within the main coffee area. There’s a window that shows the donut making process of the cafe, likely to entice customers with its smell and appearance. The service is friendly and eager, dressed in a pink Hello Kitty apron appropriate with the theme.
On the day of my visit, I was disappointed to hear that they had already run out of one of the cafe’s specials, the strawberry dream smoothie, even though it was less than an hour since they had opened. However, I was able to get a cappuccino and the strawberry cake. The cappuccino had the classic “Hello Kitty” face drawn on the top with cocoa powder.
As for the strawberry cake, it was decorated in a white frosting that was so thick and hard that it resembled a candy coating. Unfortunately, it was nearly unbearably sweet, although the portion was a decent size for ten dollars. There was an artificial taste to the jelly inside of the cake, but perhaps its appearance can excuse the poor flavor.
Overall, the Hello Kitty cafe is a pleasant visual experience if not dining, but should still remain on the bucket list for any Hello Kitty fans or people looking to visit themed cafes.