Today I will be exploring the lovely Korean Hello Kitty Theme Cafe located around Shinchon Station!

This cafe is also right next to the yummy Cm’s Box that I also blog about, so you can hit two places in one afternoon haha!

This is one of seven Hello Kitty Cafes currently here in South Korea ♥

This location is a little more off the grid vs the one in Hongdae, If you come on a weekday it is usually quite peaceful and just filled with a very small handful of students or couples~ rarely do I see tourists in here so if you are a Seoul local you will appreciate this spot! The Hongdae location has been crazy packed with Chinese tourists lately so when I want tea with Kitty I come here~ maybe you will see me if you stop by lol.

Shall we join Hello Kitty for Tea?

Before you even enter it is very clear that you are in for a Hello Kitty explosion!

When you enter this cafe you will immediately encounter the small ordering area + display case with treats you can pick from.  The best thing to do is have someone grab a seat and then come back up to order your snack.

Sorry for the dim photos, this area of the cafe is so dark… its like a Hello Kitty cave haha!

They have a lot of choices for drinks~ and YES the menu here is bilingual so if you can not read Korean you will still be a-ok!

Hot drinks obviously have the cute designs on top ( bow, Hello Kitty face, or Hello Kitty profile/cafe logo) but iced ones do come in a cute kitty glass! Remember though, you are paying for the experience + cuteness factor~ not necessarily the taste heh heh.

On the left they have samples of many of the treats you can order~ yes, everything looks very cute!

This location offers all the Hello Kitty waffle flavors, Hot Dogs, and the popular Toast Bread

They also have cheesecake, hello kitty shaped face cakes (strawberry, chocolate, and cheesecake), brownies, and tiramisu!

Some locations also offer Hello Kitty cookies and fruit ice flakes in the summer, so look around to see what is available !

Someone’s order finished! Ah it looks so cute, I love the rainbow sprinkles ♥

After you place your order you will be given a table buzzer and can sit down to wait for it to vibrate.  Depending on what you order and how busy the cafe can be this can take from 10-30 minutes (I have been told an hour worst in Hongdae, the norm here in Shinchon seems to always be about 15 min though…yeah they are not very fast in this chain)  so grab your seat and enjoy the cafe while you wait!

Cute mugs on sale right next to the counter in case you want your Hello Kitty coffee to do!

I love this kitty-shaped opening! ♥  Also, check out all the pretty plush kitty chairs!

Water and syrup are provided on each floor

Thankfully my favorite seat in this cafe was open so we grabbed some chairs!  I love how many Hello Kitty plush chairs are at this cafe~  some of the large cafes only have a few like this and they are always taken I need one of these chairs for my room ♥

Our food has arrived!! ♥ ♥

This cake is one of the more popular items tourists order because it is a full kitty face and very cute.

Today I ordered the Strawberry Mousse version ♥  Depending on the cafe inventory sometimes these cakes look a little collapsed like they have been defrosted (I’m sure they have) but that is just a visual gripe and the taste is still the same.  The other flavors offered in this shape are Cheesecake and Chocolate~ Which I will try in other review posts so check them out

Nara gave Hello Kitty a mouth D: BLASPHEMY!

This treat was a light yellow cake covered in a fluffy berry mousse outer layer~  the taste was a bit tart like natural strawberries which I enjoyed.  For the price these cakes are very small, but they are rich and you can easily share it with another person while you sip on a drink. Was it amazing and worth almost 10,000 for a little cake? Nah~ it was just ok, but high in the cute factor which is what this cafe is all about.  I would order this again I think though, I just wish it was not so expensive.

For drinks, I ordered a strawberry juice and Nara ordered a sweet potato latte ♥

Nara ordered his warm so it came out with cute art stenciled on top! The taste was just ok though, the drinks here are often so-so depending on what you order and who is making it….

still, it was adorable which is what is important dont feel bad for Nara, he is totally in his element here.

I ordered the strawberry juice, I believe it is only listed on the Korean menu though~ I know it is at this location anyway.

If you can not read Korean, for “Fruit Juice” here you have a choice of tomato, kiwi, banana, strawberry (“Dalki”, but if you say “strawberry” they often understand.  The other flavors are the same words  in Korean so just say them clearly.)

I love this drink though so I highly recommend ordering it if you are not a coffee person and want something cold.  It is a very soft strawberry slush with a splash of milk and very refreshing!

Cheers!

We had a nice relaxing time playing some games and sketching a bit~

Like many cafes here in Korea~ Wi-Fi is free!  Check around for the posted login info if you need to use it ♥

The bathrooms at this location are not super cute, but that has to be the thinnest sink I have ever seen!

They have a small wall with autographs from famous people who have stopped by… I can never read these

Aside from the first floor and pink backroom, the cafe has a very large 2nd floor if you are feeling a little cramped! Just look for the stairway by the main entrance and head on up~

The 2nd floor has a lot of cozy group seating and is a bit brighter during the day VS downstairs which can get a little dark!

They also have a very nice patio you can sit out on as well! I often see students doing homework out here because it is a bit quieter and you can spread out a little more.

lots of super cute cushioned patio chairs with Hello Kitty fabric to sit on!  These chairs fill up fast because they are the most comfortable upstairs hehe

The large center panel at this location has a bit of Hello Kitty history for you if you feel like reading and seeing the styles change through the years!

Of course being surrounded by Hello Kitty makes you want to buy MORE Hello Kitty… it is contagious!  I love the selection at this location, they have a lot more compared to some cafes.

This Hello Kitty cafe location in Shinchon has a LOT of special Korean Hello Kitty choices in the gift shop! These make wonderful souvenirs, but are a tad expensive sadly.  I want to collect all the special Korean Hello Kitty dolls to feature eventually so you guys know what is around… Hey Korea Sanrio, care to donate?? ♥ ♥ ♥

Many different doll styles and Korean Kitty key chains!

Like all the other cafes, they also sell the special Hello Kitty Cafe mugs and glasses!  These are super cute~

If you are a local here in Seoul, make sure you ask for a point card!

Time to say goodbye for now! Aw don’t be sad Nara~ we have several others to visit still!!

DIRECTIONS TO HELLO KITTY CAFE – SHINCHON LOCATION

서울시 서대문구 명물길 36-6

Hours:  11am-11pm

This cafe is a little tricky to find if you are just here visiting, but once you go know where to turn it is easy to remember~ at least for me haha I actually found this cafe by mistake one day just walking around!

If you are coming here from the metro, you are going to want to take the Green Line #2 to Shinchon Station.  This stop is right in-between Hongik University and Ewha University  (aka Edae and Hongdae) ~ so you are smack dab in the middle of the university town if you want to shop or do other things.

It looks a bit far, but it is not so bad and an enjoyable walk because the streets are filled with lots of shops and things to look at.  You are going to want to exit Shinchon Station using #3 and it will spit you out right in front of a Mc Donalds (as of this posting in 2012 anyway).

You are going to follow this main road down a very long ways till the next major intersection on the map~ it is usually fairly crowded with students!

Once you hit the intersection you are going to go right (you should see a Nature Republic) and walk down a ways once more.  Eventually you will see a pink “Bad Cat” accessory store and that side road on the right is where the cafe is located! The cafe itself is painted pink, but because it is above another building it may be hard to see if you only glance quickly~ so keep your eyes open.  If you look down the street you should easily see the cute door and signs outside ♥

Have you been to any of the other Hello Kitty Cafes before? Did you go to this one after you read this post? Got another cafe you would like me to check out? Post below!!