The Japanese creators of Hello Kitty have decided to oblige the character’s massive Hong Kong fan base by giving them the world’s first Hello Kitty-themed Chinese restaurant. Sanrio Co. has teamed up with Chinese restaurateur Man Kwong to create an incredibly cute Hello Kitty dining experience in Hong Kong.
“Hello Kitty is more popular in Hong Kong than in Japan,” said Kwong, who started negotiations with Sanrio in 2013. The official nod came through in April 2014, and since then, he has worked hard experimenting on hundreds of recipes and varieties of dim sum. Each dish was individually inspected, taste-tested, and approved by Sanrio executives. The final menu consists of 37 dishes, ranging from fresh shrimp buns to stir-fried beef and noodles.
Some of them are quite laborious to prepare: the buns, for instance, require 17 different steps. The Hello Kitty-shaped dim sum platters will have flour bows colored with beetroot, eyes dotted with squid ink, and skin made from high-quality flour. Kowng said he wanted to stick to all-natural ingredients, as he is also the founder of a Chinese health magazine.
Apart from the dishes, the owners have gone to great lengths to make sure that the diner’s interiors appeal to Hello Kitty fans. The windows, tables, chairs, dinnerware, teapots, and chopstick holders are all adorned with Hello Kitty motifs. The restaurant’s official launch will take place on June 1; its clientele is expected to consist of lots of giggling young girls madly clicking photographs to share online.
Hong Kong already has two Hello Kitty themed cafes, but apparently the cute icon’s popularity is so high in the island city that any new venue is a guaranteed success. The hard part is getting the approval of parent company Sanrio Co.
If you’re looking for a similarly cute Hello Kitty eating experience, you may also want to try the Hello Kitty Dreams restaurant, in Beijing.
Photos: Hello Kitty Chinese Cuisine/Facebook
Source: TIME
