Hello Kitty Cafe Chadstone – Malvern East – the Japanese ultra-cute kawaii world comes with sweet treats, decadent beverages and light meals

The Hello Kitty Cafe along with a bunch of Hello Kitty paraphernalia have landed at Chadstone. A walk around the whole centre means you will spot something Hello Kitty related from giant inflatable balloons, UFO’s catchers, and activity areas. It seemed that the whole place was buzzing with excitement. The Hello Kitty Cafe is located in the Social Quarters on level 1 and is located in the same location that the restaurant White + Wong’s used to be.

Hello Kitty Chadstone added some excitement to our visit to the largest shopping centre in the Southern Hemisphere, Chadstone, thanks to the many vistas and artfefacts throughout the complex. We first came across the giant inflatable Hello Kitty balloons where we noticed quite a number of families taking photos in front of them. The inflatables themselves were beautiful to look out and well placed.

We also came across a long queue where people who had spent more than $150 at stores were eligible to receive a prize from the Hello Kitty UFO catcher. We didn’t quite see what the prizes were, but it seemed to attract the crowd of excited people. I suspected the prizes were something they could claim at the Hello Kitty Store.

We made our way to the Social Quarter to visit the Hello Kitty Cafe. We saw a huge queue for the cafe and was told by the staff that the line was about 30 minutes long. It didn’t quite feel like 30 minutes, because the queue moved quite quickly. In fact, I was so impressed with the management of the crowd and the staff on site that my wife, probably rightly, thought it was run with Japanese efficiency.

Before entering the cafe, you can scan the QR code to see the menu or merchandise store to whet your appetite.

Not long after we queued up, we were seated inside and then told that we needed to order at the cafe counter and to bring the table number back. The cafe was crowded, but there was still enough space for people to get around. I noticed quite a number of tables having high tea like-experience with the sandwich or dessert stand rack. Plus a number of people took the opportunity to celebrate Hello Kitty Chadstone by dressing up in their own Hello Kitty inspired or adorned clothing.

In the same cafe is the merchandise store where guests could purchase the tote bag for $35, drink bottle for $48, and jumper for $85. They had a gorgeous glass wall displaying all the merchandise that it made it quite tempting to want to purchase it. The special thing is that all the merchandise say Hello Kitty Chadstone, making it seem like it was a limited time thing.

From their menu, we ordered their Fried Chicken and Rice for $19, Strawberry Cream Cake for $16, Strawberry Matcha Latte for $8, and Apple Pie for $9.

Our orders came out really quickly and efficiency. We got the Strawberry Cream Cake and Apple Pie almost as soon as I ordered. It was impressive service speed. The cake was actually fluffy and delicious, and worth getting for both taste and insta-worthiness. My daughter had most of it though. The apple pie was okay, but nothing special about it.

The Fried Chicken and Rice was excellent as well. It came with potato salad, tamagoyaki, cherry tomatoes, pickles, and sweet teriyaki sauce for the fried chicken. It was delicious and worth getting. The rice is shaped and styled as Hello Kitty, but I wish they provided more rice. The strawberry matcha latte went down well with the family, but we had to keep change the paper straw when we got half way through the meal.

Overall, we thought the cafe was reasonably priced, well run, and was worth the experience. I can see it being a great place to bring friends for a quick meal and photos. And I’m hoping they do more of these collaborations.

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