Hello Kitty Cafe

COMMENTS 51

A while ago we did our ridiculous video in which we dress up as a dragon and unicorn and Dance in Korea. In that video, Martina stopped by a Hello Kitty Cafe, but it was closed. We went back afterwards and filmed a video of what it’s actually like inside. Check it out!

Now, you might be aware that we really like Korean Coffee Shops, more specifically, the indie ones that don’t cram thousands of people into a few square meters and sell overpriced sugar-soaked burnt espresso beverages. Bah! Again, recently we went to Angel-In-Us (which we always want to call Angel Anus) out of desperation and bought a drink that we couldn’t even finish half of because it was so terrible. Stay away from franchise coffee shops! More often than not, they’re terrible. Anyhow, Hello Kitty, even though it’s a worldwide brand, isn’t really a franchise coffee shop, so we still consider it somewhat Indie. And, hell, they’re few and far between as well, while you can throw a stone from one Starbucks to the next, nowadays.

Anyhow, the main reason we went to the Hello Kitty Cafe wasn’t because of the coffee. Martina’s a big fan of Hello Kitty stuff, if you didn’t already know. Check out our How to Dance Kpop Style 2010 video. See that toilet cover? Yep. It’s Hello Kitty. Also, last year for Christmas Simon got Martina a coffee maker: Hello Kitty, of course. So when Martina saw the Hello Kitty Cafe she was determined to go.

Well, let’s just say Martina was excited at first. The idea of it was great, and at first glance it seemed like it would be wonderful. But, after a few minutes the charm wore off. It was very crowded, terribly lit, overheated, and covered in graffiti. No joke! We’ve never seen so much graffiti in a coffee shop. The back wall was entirely covered with one set of initials being in love with another set of initials at a specific date, and lots of B2ST written on the walls (and ceiling) as well. Kinda took away from the Hello Kitty vibe. As well, it just didn’t seem like what we expected. We thought it’d have nothing but cutesy music and the staff dressed up Hello Kitty-ish, but it wasn’t really like that at all. The baristas were just regular looking, and the music was – for some reason – from the 90s. Like, Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On” was playing in the background. Not what I’d expect in a Hello Kitty Cafe. In the end, when we left the place, it seemed like just a pink coffee shop with lots of Hello Kitty paraphernalia. It was quite disappointing. Drinks were good. Atmosphere wasn’t.

If you’re interested in going, even though it’s not too great, just to be able to tell your friends that you’ve been to the Hello Kitty Coffee Shop, we’ve attached a map:

Except, err, the map isn’t all too great. It’s from the official Hello Kitty Cafe site, and the English is a bit off (like Starbugs, for example). Anyhow, just remember these directions:
1) Get off Hongdae station Exit 5 and walk straight.
2) Turn left and walk up the street.
3) Turn at your second right.
4) Keep looking to the left. You’ll see it on its own side street eventually.

And there you go! If you’ve been to any of the other Hello Kitty Cafes, please let us know. We’d like to know if the others are worth visiting, or if they’re equally as disappointing. Also, thanks again to JB and Annie from [ë‹‰ì‘¤] Enjoy Your Happy Life~* for translating our silly videos. Yay!