COCONUTS CRITIC’S TABLE – Less a restaurant than a photo-op arcade with food, Hello Kitty Chinese Cuisine has opened to much fanfare in Hong Kong. Although tucked away in an inconspicuous part of Jordan bordering West Kowloon, it’s attracted media attention from all around the world.
Not that Hong Kong has until now been immune to such kitschy ideas. There’s already a Hello Kitty Cafe (where the mouthless feline is rendered in latte milk foam and cupcake frosting) in Tin Hau. A Doraemon pop-up eatery also popped up recently, and Premier League fans might recall the short-lived Manchester United Restaurant Bar (which faded as quickly as the team’s title hopes this season).
But enough of the football chat. We’re talking Hello Kitty here.
For a Chinese city, Hello Kitty dim sum seems like a no brainer. Why did it take so long for someone to think of this?
The Japanese character, created about 40 years ago by cutesy kiddie fantasy factory Sanrio, has undeniable appeal across Asia and the world. But in this age of Instagram and Twitter, such novelty outlets become more than just a diner for fanatics.
Front of house
I recall about a decade ago when an Ultraman Chinese restaurant opened in Shatin, with dishes like ordinary char siu pork on rice served with the character’s likeness somewhere within. The place drew long lines in its first few months, even though the food wasn’t especially appetising. It, however, closed after about a year once all the fanboys took pictures and left.
Now you can instantaneously show your quirky allegiance or ironic hipsterness through selfies and status symbol boasts. Food quality is not as relevant or a hindrance. Although I have to say, Hello Kitty Chinese Cuisine does make an effort to be edible.
Practically every surface and utensil has been branded with the cute cat (who is not actually a cat but a girl, according to Sanrio’s official myth-biography). There’s even a private dining room where paintings of Taoist Chinese goddesses now possess Kitty’s face. Blasphemy or kawaii? You decide.
For hungry cameras, the must-have dim sum dishes are the Shrimp Dumplings (HKD68 for four pieces), the Lotus Seed Buns (HKD62 for three), the Custard Buns (HKD62 for three) and the Sponge Cake (HKD48 for three).
These naturally round-shaped items offer the best recreation of the trademark Kitty face, with the eyes and whiskers made of eggplant skin slivers.
Hello Kitty dim sum
One of my dining partners gushed that the dumplings were almost too cute to eat. I bit off half the face of the sponge cake all the same. It was very airy and delicate in flavour. Meanwhile, the others were still styling the food for photos.
The Shrimp Dumplings were very plump and fresh tasting, and the Custard and Lotus Buns were also consistent with the quality offered at most dim sum palaces. The prices are not outrageously high, but there’s obviously a premium for food with a nice face.
The Chicken in Apple with Hello Kitty Fried Rice (HKD108) was less impressive, however, served in a weak tomato sauce. Equally drenched in unappealing sloppy stuff was the Steamed Egg White with Prawn and Hello Kitty Rice (HKD128). I appreciate the attempt to make a more nutritious meal with egg white and even broccoli on the plate, but it severely lacked flavour once the prawn was no more.
We also tried an array of non-Kitty stamped dishes, including standard Chinese favourites like Shrimp Platter, Fried Tofu, Crispy Chicken, and Sweet & Sour Pork, the latter of which saw the pineapple replaced with apple because – as any fan worth their salt will tell you – Hello Kitty’s favourite food is apple.
Shrimp Platter
In these instances of dishes without the ubiquitous cat face, however, you’re just eating overpriced, ordinary Chinese food.
For dessert we got a bowl of rather thin tasting Almond Tea (HKD38)… but there was a surprise. In the bottom of the cup was a piece of jelly – in the shape of Hello Kitty’s face, naturally. For some, that automatically made the memory of the tea taste better.
I’m under no illusion that the Hello Kitty Chinese Cuisine restaurant is a place for gourmet diners with sophisticated palettes.
It is what it is. But is the food worth the price? Probably not. Is the whole thing a marketeer’s dream enterprise? Undeniably so. Will a large number of fans get a kick from being surrounded by Sanrio’s innocent and innocuous character while eating? Yes, they do seem to.
So, who am I to be a grumpy old cynic and crush their simple and delusional happiness?
Hello Kitty Chinese Cuisine, Lee Loy Mansion, 332-338 Canton Road, Yau Ma Tei, (+852) 8202-8203.
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