From a marketing perspective, a Hello Kitty food joint is so clever because there are so many Hello Kitty fans willing to jump on all Hello Kitty products. More noticeably in Hong Kong, you will find Hello Kitty’s face everywhere – from tissue packs to drink bottles at 7-11. This Hello Kitty Dim Sum joint is the first in the world so the novelty factor will stick around for a while. As a kid, I was a Hello Kitty fan and have since grown out of that phase but when I heard about Hello Kitty dim sum in Hong Kong, I naturally had to make a visit.
Food
Hello Kitty Chinese Cuisine is open for lunch and dinner. The dinner menu has traditional Chinese food offerings such as pork soup, crispy chicken, giant grouper with XO sauce and rice dishes.
I visited the restaurant for its lunch dim sum menu instead – that’s where you can have the cute dim sum steamers of Hello Kitty dumplings. I was strategic in what I ordered since I wanted Hello Kitty’s face to appear on my little morsels of food. Not all dim sum dishes feature Hello Kitty’s face prominently. The spring rolls are made into the shape of her bow. My only gripe is the price of dim sum. It’s expected that you would pay a premium for eating at a Hello Kitty establishment, but $62HKD for Har Gow is a smidge on the ridiculous side!
But be prepared for the cutest food ever! Despite the whole marketing gimmick, which patrons willingly give into, the dim sum quality was on par with other dim sum restaurants I’ve tried in Hong Kong. I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed each bite I took of Hello Kitty’s pretty little head.
What I ordered:
The Other Stuff
It’s no surprise that Hello Kitty is everywhere in the restaurant. Even the servers are decked out in Hello Kitty uniforms. Sanrio’s most popular cat appears on the chopsticks, plates, napkins, table top and in the restaurant decor – lanterns, mirrors, and dining furniture. Her bow motif runs along the wall decor of the restaurant.
Go ahead and take plenty of pictures! You won’t stand out as the only one taking copious amounts of food pictures and selfies at Hello Kitty Chinese Cuisine. Along with the whole Hello Kitty shtick, you’ll find a bunch of Hello Kitty souvenirs for sale – stuffies, plates, teapots and wine.
As with other dim sum restaurants, note the tea and condiment charge per person that will be added to your bill.
I would recommend going to the restaurant after the lunchtime lineup if you don’t mind having a late lunch. We actually had a meal prior to visiting Hello Kitty dim sum at 2pm and the Hello Kitty dim sum was a snack.
Hello Kitty Dim Sum (Hello Kitty Chinese Cuisine)
Location: Shop A to C, Lee Loy Mansion, 332-338 Canton Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong (Jordan MTR, Exit C2)
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