Review: Hello Kitty & Little Twin Stars Pop-Up Cafe at Swissotel The Stamford
As you might have probably heard about this dreamy pop-up café from our recent article, all-time popular Sanrio characters, Hello Kitty and Little Twin Stars are making a special appearance at The Stamford Brasserie in Swissôtel The Stamford from 22 November 2022 to 29 January 2023. The brasserie’s French style bistro interior is delightfully transformed into a starry world filled with cotton candy fields and pastel motifs.
Source: Hello Kitty & Little Stars Café
Enjoy a specially curated menu suitable for all ages, dotted with adorable accents of Hello Kitty and Little Twin Stars, complete with a picturesque dining experience under cotton candy pink awnings.
Savouries
On Cloud Nine
Perfect for rainy days and lazy afternoons, a warm and hearty bowl of On Cloud Nine ($16); an aromatic Wild Mushroom Soup topped with a creamy Cappuccino Foam marked the start of our lovely dining experience. The soup was rather flavourful and certainly whetted our appetite.
Tip: Savour the foam and give the soup a good stir before digging in.
Rainbow Mediterranean Salad
Next, we had the Rainbow Mediterranean Salad ($16) which came with Japanese cucumber, daikon, beetroot hummus and tomato atop a bed of Aquaponics* salad dressed with a pomegranate dressing and finished with yeast flakes.
Aside from the coloured star-shaped daikon, this was actually a no-frills salad with a dollop of slightly sweet beetroot hummus. In our opinion, the light colour of the beetroot hummus pales in comparison to typically bright pink beetroot hummus. We would also love to have a little more of the pomegranate dressing to spice up the salad.
Pasta Adventures (Creamy Corn with Sesame and Edamame)
As for our main course, we had Pasta Adventures ($26) - Creamy Corn with Sesame and Edamame. This featured pasta is farfalle - a type of pasta commonly known as bow-tie pasta or butterfly pasta. It was undoubtedly a cute representation of Hello Kitty’s ribbon. The vibrant yellow and green colours of the corn and edamame added pops of colour to the simple cream pasta sauce. However, we wondered if a pink sauce (a blend of tomato sauce and cream sauce) would bring more colour and flavour to this pasta dish.
Alternatively, you can opt for the classic Chicken Bolognese.
Kawaii Pulled Pork Milk Bun
Kawaii Pulled Pork Milk Bun ($28) is a combination of Aquaponics* salad, juicy pulled pork, and pink garlic aioli nestled between two fluffy buns, served alongside crunchy potato & vegetable chips.
The overall flavour profile of this dish was on the sweeter side, as the seasoning on the pulled pork and garlic aioli were a little heavy handed for our liking. Nonetheless, the potato & vegetable chips uplifted the dish with their crisp flavours.
*Aquaponics is a sustainable, pesticide-free solution to traditional farming methods with substantially higher yields while requiring less water, space and labour. Fairmont Singapore and Swissôtel The Stamford’s 450m2 farm supplies produce that meets an estimated 30% of vegetable and 10% of fresh fish needs across the hotels each month.
Sweets and Beverages
We had Sun, Moon and Stars Gelato ($16) which promised a taste of the rainbow; a variety of ice cream flavours such as Madagascar Vanilla, Matcha Tea, Wild Strawberry, Sicilian Pistachio and tangy Alphonso Mango.
We had fun adding the blue “potion” into the jar of dry ice, creating a picturesque scene of “white clouds” and “blue sky”. We also loved the unique and distinct ice-cream flavours, which tasted as good as they looked.
Whimsical Wonderland
Next, Whimsical Wonderland ($16) presented a pretty scenery on plate, with yoghurt cone, blackberries, pea lychee popping and potpourri juice. Be in for a colour-changing surprise as you pour the small jar of potpourri juice atop the pea lychee popping. Tip: Lift the cone and uncover the yoghurt!
Rosy Dreams
Last but not least, we had a lovely pink mocktail- Rosy Dreams ($18), a beautiful concoction of Pink Flamingo Tea fused with milk, strawberry and rose., topped with a cute Hello Kitty sugar design. Alternatively, check out other gorgeous beverage options such as Milky Way Milkshake ($17) and Galaxy Adventures ($18). Don’t you love the Hello Kitty X Tocco Toscano coasters?
Hello Kitty X Tocco Toscano Coasters
Final Thoughts
It was indeed a dreamy cartoon theme café experience for us, we enjoyed spotting the cute accents of the Sanrio characters in the various savouries, desserts and beverage. The cute plating of the dishes was commendable. Taste-wise, the grub was fairly decent for a themed cafe. However, you may find that some items may not be “value for money” as the components are fairly simple.
Nonetheless, do visit with your friends, family and little ones, and have fun taking instagram-worthy photos at the photo wall located at the store entrance, as well as at the dining area. In addition, look forward to a mini shopping spree at the café! There is a wide variety of Sanrio collectibles, including the celebrated Hello Kitty X Tocco Toscano collection.
Hello Kitty x Little Twin Stars Pop-Up Café
Location: 2 Stamford Rd, Level 1, Swissôtel The Stamford, Singapore 178882
Opening Hours: 10am to 11pm daily
For enquiries and reservation, contact 6431 6156 or email dining.singapore@swissotel.com
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*This is an invited media tasting event.
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