Inside LA’s First Hello Kitty Cafe at Universal CityWalk | Eater LA
"At the outdoor shopping district outside Universal Studios Hollywood, I visited Los Angeles’s first Hello Kitty and Friends Cafe, which opened on Friday, September 6; its storefront sports pink-and-white-striped awnings and a peek-a-boo pink bow above the entrance. The walk-up, grab-and-go menu is a sugary, social-media-ready parade of Sanrio-themed desserts and drinks: the signature red chocolate dome-shaped cake is filled with cinnamon mousse, apple pie filling, and cinnamon streusel, and seasonal mousse domes inspired by Hello Kitty’s friends (each crafted uniquely based on their personalities) will appear periodically. The birthday cake layers a sprinkle-dotted confetti cake with white chocolate mousse and a whipped white chocolate ganache, while other cakes use fresh fruit jams to fuse their layers. Portable options include macarons in raspberry, caramel, vanilla, pistachio, and chocolate; berry-stuffed churros with cream cheese frosting; and a Hello Kitty-shaped sugar cookie decorated with royal icing and rainbow sprinkles. The half-dozen character-inspired drinks range from a Keroppi frozen matcha latte as green as its amphibious muse to a Tuxedo Sam blue raspberry lemonade garnished with a lemon slice. Customers can linger at umbrella-covered tables outside or take everything to go, and admission to Universal Studios Hollywood is not required for entry." - Cathy Chaplin
