[CLOSED] So obviously you’re gonna go get your photo taken with the Hello Kitty statue out the front. That’s a given. But are the queues worth it? Here are our reasons to hop on the train to Chatswood and check this joint the hell out.
1. The décor
You know that scene in Back to the Future when Marty (aka ‘Calvin Klein’ LOL) punches Biff right in the noggin in the diner (yeah Marty!)? Well this place looks just like that diner: bright, pastel colours everywhere, booth tables and a massive, steel-lined, curved bar in the centre of the space, with girls in cute pinnies making milkshakes within it. Just don’t get all meta and punch anybody, okay? We won’t be held liable for that malarky.
2. The lamb ribs
I know, I know… ribs aren’t the first things that spring to mind when you think of cartoon kittens, but bear with me a sec. The lamb ribs are one of the best dishes here. They come loaded with salty-sweet kecap manis sauce, dotted with sesame seeds, lime for a-squeezing and rounds of spicy jalapenos. They are so tender: we’re talking melt-in-your-mouth stuff. Who knew kittens could make such great ribs, hey? Or is Kitty a fully-grown cat? Actually, reports are coming in that she’s a human girl. And she’s apparently from freaking London, not Japan. Oh I don’t know…
3. The kimcheese fries
I mean, what’s not to love about French fries drizzled alternately with kimchi and mayonnaise sauces and loaded with a heap (we’re not exaggerating, there’s a lot) of melted cheese? That’s umami on umami on umami baby, and we devour our plate in no time.
4. The milkshakes
Sure you can go for the Hello Kitty Diner Soda, which is sweet and a bit blah, and the pancake milkshake (which my dining partner aptly describes as tasting like “Maccas hot cakes” – your call whether that’s a good or a bad thing), but our money is on the yuzu curd and white chocolate milkshake. It’s got a good citrusy kick from the yuzu, which balances out the sweet white chocolate purr-fectly (see what we did there? Yeah you did).
5. The waffles
It’s weirdly hard to get a housemade waffle in this town. But here at Hello Kitty, they’re all about it. You can get it with fried chicken – and why the hell not? But we go for the saccharine version, because we feel like that’s what a cutesy kitten would do, and who’s gonna argue with a cutesy kitten? The fluffy but crisp-edged waffle is shaped like Hello Kitty’s head, so that’s adorable/disconcerting. It’s topped with apple ice cream and a big ol’ drizzle of salted caramel sauce. (Did you know that Hello Kitty’s height is five apples and her weight is three apples? WTF is that about – giving a cartoon character a ‘weight’ and then serving me waffles? Now I’ll never weigh three apples.) But there’s little not to love about this dessert (except for the three apples thing – don’t be so judgy, kitty).
We know what you’re thinking – what about the burgers? They’re on a menu devised by the guy behind Chur Burger, right? We had the burgers, but dear reader, we have to say we weren’t over the moon about them. Our patty was quite dry and way too small for the bun. We liked the bun though, which was soft and sturdy, and you can’t go wrong with a bit of iceberg, but the sauce tasted like the special sauce on a McDonald’s Big Mac. If we went back we’d double up the patty, to make up for its diminutive stature, but we begrudge paying an additional $4 for something that should be there already. The little bow speared into the bun, however: ADORABLE.
Like this? Then check out our definitive list of the Best Burgers in Sydney, Catmosphere cat café and Hinky Dinks.