Hello! Three Gal Pals Exploring the Supercute World of Hello Kitty + Best Fried Chicken and Waffles in Seattle

Who knew there was a Hello Kitty juicer, coffee maker, waffle iron, water cooler, toaster oven... ?

The amount of advertising done for the Hello! Exploring the Supercute World of Hello Kitty exhibit at Seattle's EMP was extensive, and it worked.

So, three twenty-somethings hopped the Seattle Monorail to Seattle Center and the EMP.

Nothing had drawn me to the EMP before. To me, it was the awkward-looking blob building downtown. After working at a children's museum for the past two years, I'm more interested in visiting museums of all types. Plus, I definitely remember my days writing notes in Sanrio friendship books in middle school. There was no way I was missing Hello Kitty.

Here is a quick rundown of highlights and lowlights from the exhibit. Here for the fried chicken? See below. I'll get there!

Into the blob!

Getting There
SOOO easy! I loved Jen's idea to take the monorail in. It was a bit stinky on the monorail that warm day, but worth it for the views. It drops you right at the EMP in Seattle Center. Lines were short in ticketing at the EMP. Museum tickets are $25 for adults and they don't offer a AAA discount.

Favorites
I LOVED: learning about the papa of Hello Kitty and all of the artists, reading that Hello Kitty doesn't have a mouth so she can take on whatever emotion the artist wants, learning more about Japanese culture through the Hello Kitty products on display and seeing products from when I was a little girl and exclaiming "I had one of those!"

Least Favorites
I wish they would change: make part of the exhibit hands on and engaging (a lot of it was toys and accessories after all) and there wasn't anything old or original, (real artifacts) to look at. The oldest coin purse representing the first Hello Kitty product was a replica from the 90s.

Check out this dress Lady Gaga wore during a photo shoot.

Nevertheless, the Hello Kitty exhibit makes for a couple of hours of girly fun. See it in Seattle before it closes May 15, 2016.

We went to a few of the other exhibits in the EMP, including Can't Look Away: The Lure of Horror Film and Fantasy: Worlds of Myth and Magic. The Fantasy exhibit had costumes from the movie "The Princess Bride."

Hello Kitty jewelry worn by celebrities.

Now, for that Fried Chicken and Waffles....

Local 360 Cafe & Bar
Before the three of us went to the EMP, we needed some food. We waited about 30 minutes for a table at Local 360 Cafe & Bar in Belltown. I'm so glad we did. We were treated to the best fried chicken and waffles I have ever eaten. The other lovelies had biscuits and gravy with fried chicken. The chicken wasn't greasy. The breading was thick and seasoned and the chicken was tender. I poured maple syrup over it and the huge Belgian-style waffles.

We also shared a pitcher of grapefruit mimosa that wasn't too bad.

Verdict: Go see Hello Kitty in Seattle before May 15 and the fried chicken and waffles in Belltown are definitely worth a 30-minute wait!

I'm 13 apples tall!