Shopping Guide
Little Twin Stars, twins Kiki (male) & Lala (female), are characters that have been loved ever since their creation in 1975. Next year is their 40th anniversary, and coming before this a collaboration cafe has opened in The Guest Cafe & Diner on the seventh floor of Shibuya Parco Part 1.
Kiki & Lala were developed as characters to adorn various goods by Sanrio, the same company responsible for a slew of other popular characters including Hello Kitty and My Melody. Many reading this have no doubt used, or at least seen, stationery before with Kiki & Lala on it.
The cafe is arranged in an open style and the exterior and interior are decorated everywhere with Kiki & Lala. Large figures of Kiki & Lala are set up at the entrance, and patrons can take commemorative photos with them.
The first thing I was happy about after being shown to my seat was the Kiki & Lala limited paper luncheon mat. I was greeted by a lovely illustration of the two. I was also happy to find that the mat can be taken home as well.
On to the food. The cafe has prepared an original Kiki & Lala collaboration menu. My recommendation is the appetite-stimulating “Fluffy Omelette Rice with White Curry Sauce.” As the name describes, the eggs are fluffy and delicious. My recommendation for sweets is the “Kiki & Lala Extravagant Crepe with Lots of Fruit.” With this treat, you can enjoy lots of tasty fruit. These two menu items also come with a Kiki & Lala Cafe limited mug (limited to 3,000. Available on a first come, first served basis.) that is also available to take with you.
I have one more food recommendation for those who will come with a friend and each will order different plates and share them: the “Little Twin Stars Hamburger Plate.” The beef patty and salmon patty are perfect for sharing.
A highlight of the drink menu is the original lattes. You can choose from the “Kiki Latte” or “Lala Latte,” but the latte art on top might make you hesitate in drinking it. For those who can’t decide, I recommend the “Honey Milk Chai Tea” that comes with a topping of both Kiki & Lala. These drinks are great not just for their cuteness, but for their gentle flavor that will wash your stress away.
The Kiki & Lala Cafe limited coaster that comes with each original drink order is also cute. There are five to collect, and the illustrations match the tapestries hung around the cafe, meaning that they were drawn specifically for this collaboration cafe. These can also be taken home, but don’t put a mug on top of them!
The cafe also has a booth selling original goods. The stand-out items include a Kiki & Lala Cafe limited tote bag, clear file, notepad, and key chain, all of which have the Kiki & Lala Cafe logo on them. Each item is so cute, you may unconsciously find yourself saying, “I wanna get them all!”
On your way out, don’t forget to bring your memories of the cafe home with you by buying a “Kiki & Lala Strawberry Roll Cake.” The Kiki & Lala Cafe will be open until the end of May.
The cafe is so popular that on a weekday morning, more than 50 people were in line, but it’s certainly a special time with which to enjoy the world of Kiki & Lala. Definitely bring a friend along and enjoy sharing this cute world with them.
[Information]
Location: The Guest Cafe & Diner (Shibuya Parco Part 1 7F)
Dates: March 21, 2014 (Fri., holiday) to the end of May (tentative)
Hours: open at 11:00, last food order is at 22:00, last drink order is at 22:30
Inquiries: 03-3477-5773 (The Guest Cafe & Diner)
The Guest Cafe & Diner Official Site
The Guest Cafe & Diner Official Twitter
The Guest Cafe & Diner Official Facebook
This is a Tokyo Otaku Mode original article written by Nobuyuki Hayashi and translated by Jarrett Meuser.
