Coffee Shops in Mexico City / Blu Café, a kawaii haven in Portales
A small coffee shop full of color, toys, stuffed animals, and cookies.
By Alejandro Pohlenz
Perhaps I'm not the right person to write this piece because, before poking around and inquiring a bit, I was clueless about what the kawaii and coquette styles were. I thought Kawaii was a volcanic island in the Pacific; turns out it's spelled Kauai. So, with all due respect, I'll have to rely on the heroic Wikipedia, which explains (about the kawaii style): "it's a Japanese adjective that can be translated into Spanish as pretty or cute. This term has found its place in Japanese popular culture, in entertainment, fashion, food, toys, appearance, behavior, and personal habits." To give us a better idea: the prototype of kawaii is Hello Kitty. I also stumbled upon the adjective coquette, or coquette soft style, which refers to cosplay clothing and accessories, pinks and whites; miniskirts and handbags...
How did Blu Café start?
Quetza, Paola, and their mother Lorena decided to set up a small café with 3 tables in their garage, based on the kawaii and coquette styles. Everything here is hyper-cute. For my niece Bianca, who travels with a stuffed animal hanging from her neck and dresses like an anime star, it's paradise. In addition to the decor with stuffed animals, dolls, and toys in pink and light blue, the cakes and their specialty, cookies, are made in the Hello Kitty style. There are SpongeBob cookies and figures that, I'm told, have to do with important events for them (like finding their lost cat). One publication says their designs are "super cute." I'm already getting a sugar rush.
What's to eat?
Besides the aforementioned sweets, there are "normal" breakfasts like eggs, chilaquiles (homemade), molletes, and sincronizadas (grilled cheese sandwiches). There's a significant variety of hot and cold drinks (coffee from Mexican producers, sodas, juices, and milkshakes in vibrant colors). For lunchtime, there are hamburgers and sandwiches.
- What we love and you should try: the cookies
- What we don't like so much: it's hard to park and sometimes you have to wait for a table.
- Address: Saratoga 525 BIS, Portales Norte, CDMX.
- Hours and days of operation: Monday and Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Closed Saturday and Sunday.
- Ideal for: breakfast and coffee with cake.
- Payment: cash and cards.
- Accessibility: yes.
- Parking: no.
- Reservations: no.
- Nearby public transportation: Parque de los Venados Metro station.
- Pet Friendly: yes.
- Suitable to go with children: yes.
- Vegan options: no.
