Being a concept brought by the same folks behind The Refinery at King George’s Avenue, Hello Arigato does seem to be a brand in the local cafe scene that is pretty aggressive in its expansion plans. Whilst they had just opened their very first outlet of Hello Arigato at Upper Thomson Road just around the end of 2021, a second outlet has already opened their doors just earlier this month at 314 Joo Chiat Road — just walking distance from Dunman Food Centre, and also several units away from Dickson Nasi Lemak; another notable and newly-opened establishment in the vicinity. The outlet at Joo Chiat Road has an interior that stays true to the original Hello Arigato at Upper Thomson — the design theme is no doubt minimalist with a touch of Scandinavian influence where wooden furnishings meet the largely white decor and concrete floors, all that with a shelf that includes designer items that is largely reminiscent of the same at the original outlet. Currently serving their soft launch menu, Hello Arigato’s menu at Joo Chiat is largely similar to that of the one served at their Upper Thomson outlet — patrons can opt for their popular items such as Wagyu Sando and Gyu Sando, as well as the Tamago Sando which have been raved about, whilst sharing plates include a Furi Fried Chicken, Hello Kombu Tater Tots or the Arigato Truffle Fries. That being said, the Joo Chiat outlet does feature some outlet exclusives, such as the HCG Sando, the Hello Twister Fries, and a whole new line of bakes that includes the Sticky Bun, Cookie Arigato (variations include Salted Choco Pecan or Matcha Mochi), and a Miso Banana Cake — just to name a few. Beverage options include specialty coffee, sodas, cold brew tea as well as NON spirits; a series of 0% alcohol “wines” created by an ex-Noma chef.

The HCG Sando here features elements such as a “48 Hr Marinated Shrimp Paste Har Cheong Gai Chicken, Crunchy Cucumber, and Japanese Milk Bread” as described on the menu. As one would have expected, HCG is the abbreviation of “Har Cheong Gai”, which translates to shrimp paste chicken — a local favourite dish that is often found in tzechar establishments. The concept of the HCG Sando where it features Japanese-meets-local fusion does remind us of their Otah Sando that we previously had at their Upper Thomson location, which is also not offered here at their Joo Chiat outlet. Here, the same Japanese Milk Bread sandwiches the other elements in between — the milk bread being toasted and provides quite a firm bite on its own. Always generously stuffing their sandos, the Har Cheong Gai is pretty much the show-stopper here with its crisp exterior and juicy, tender flesh — the marination of shrimp paste being especially prominent so one does get that hint of umami flavour with a good meaty bite; all that with thinly-sliced cucumber that provides for a refreshing crunch and a bit of mayonnaise to bring all the elements together.

With the trend for cafe food shifting towards that of sandos, it is little wonder how Hello Arigato had gotten so far despite being somewhat of a new brand that is run by folks experienced in the F&B scene in Singapore — they had already been a name that is well-associated with affordably-priced (where cafe fare is of concern) Japanese-inspired sandos. Quality of food at their Joo Chiat outlet is also pretty consistent with their Upper Thomson outlet, yet providing patrons with just a few new items enough to encourage cafe-hoppers whom have visited their Upper Thomson location to also check out their Joo Chiat outpost. Ticking off all the right boxes for a cafe that has opened in recent times, Hello Arigato is that spot that avid cafe-hoppers will certainly make a beeline for — something which was already evident as we were placed on a waiting list when we made our visit on a weekend afternoon.