Hello Kitty continues her world domination with a restaurant in Hong Kong
Because everything tastes better if it's in the shape of a cute cartoon character, Hong Kong is now home to the first official Hello Kitty Chinese restaurant.
The dim sum features flour bows colored with beetroot and eyes made out of squid ink, and the noodles are plated so they take the shape of the world’s most famous cat. Restaurant owner Man Kwong told Time that "Hello Kitty is more popular in Hong Kong than in [her native] Japan," and that his restaurant will use the freshest ingredients possible — it makes sense, since Hong Kong is home to a Hello Kitty organic farm.
This is Kwong's first restaurant, and he had to get the blessing of Hello Kitty's parent company, Sanrio, before getting started. Negotiations began in late 2013, and they were on board by April 2014. While putting Hello Kitty Chinese Cuisine together, Kwong had to get permission every step of the way from Sanrio — if they didn't like a piece of dim sum, it didn't go on the menu. The restaurant is gearing up for an official opening on June 1, but is ready to go with 37 Sanrio-approved dishes and Hello Kitty emblazoned on everything, including mirrors, teapots, screens, and even chopstick holders.
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Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
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