As a cynical non-parent, I've long suspected that women raise sons that no other woman could want so they could hang on to their mama's boys forever. It's that “;gain a daughter-in-law, lose a son”; thing.

Moms have told me otherwise. They defend themselves by saying that no matter what they do, boys have a testosterone-driven mind of their own, and grow up to be the men nature intended them to be, settling the whole nature vs. nurture argument.

Gender differences are real and nothing demonstrates this more conclusively than in male and female response to the mention of Sanrio Cafe.

The very idea of a Sanrio character-driven cafe — i.e. Hello Kitty, Chococat, Cinnamoroll — caused women in our office to get giggly and excited envisioning all the pink decor and all the great girly outings or mother-daughter tea parties we could have. The men of the office listening in groaned as if the very thought of cutesy characters posed a threat to their manhood. Some felt they had to leave the room.

As soon as we heard about cafe plans last fall, we started counting down the months to opening day at Pearlridge Center. It wasn't only the idea of a Hello Kitty pink room that captured our imaginations. Based on early press releases, we envisioned a relaxing woman/girl-friendly environment where we could pick up simple, light inexpensive soup-and-sandwich, or soup-and-salad combinations, finished with extravagant desserts.

Now that Sanrio Cafe has arrived, it seems we let our imaginations outstrip current reality.

First, a cafe suggests the existence of tables and chairs, but I didn't imagine it would just be a takeout window near the front of the Sanrio store, near the second-story entrance to Sears. If you want to eat on the spot, there are mall benches just outside.

Well, this is the first one in the United States, so it is experimental, the work of Cafe Laufer pastry chef Cyrus Goo and Sanrio licensee Ben Chow, who's worked with the international company for 26 years.

To date, Sanrio is in 40 countries, with two themed amusement parks in Japan, and restaurants in Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and most recently, Brazil. If the cafe concept takes off in Hawaii, it will spread to the other states.

“;We're testing the water,”; said Chow, adding that they intend to start regular food service to make opening a second location next year viable.

THE WAY it's set up right now, with plentiful desserts and a handful of takeout sandwiches, town dwellers might as well head straight to Cafe Laufer, unless you really, really like Hello Kitty and want to get your hands on bread in the shape of Hello Kitty's head, or chocolates bearing the Sanrio name or images of the characters.

As much as some would like to believe “;girls are dandy, made of candy”; we need real food, too. As one woman said, in face of the dessert-laden window, “;That's too bad, there are already a lot of dessert cafes.”;

The cafe gives consumers one more chice to Pastry House Uptown to stop in for a treat for their little ones or office mates.

The ultimate aim is to create menu items that are character driven. Already, a large, vertical cup of chocolate mousse ($3.75) with layers of chocolate syrup makes a natural tie-in to Chococat. And a cinnamon-accented caramel-apple square ($2.95) makes a great companion to Cinnamoroll. Can an actual cinnamon roll be far behind? It's a little frightening to imagine where the frog Keroppi may fit in.

Because all the dessert items are laid out before you in a refrigerated showcase, you'll shop with your eyes. I was lured by the luscious looking red of the Hello Kitty strawberry-tapioca ($3.75) confection, but was briefly deterred by the tapioca description. Although I've never had a problem with tapioca, I've lately developed a slight aversion to the bland, gelatinous pearls because of a friend who hates the stuff and always questions its existence. But this dessert is a complete delight, flavored with a sweet puree of fresh strawberries.

If you want the pastries at their freshest, show up in the morning, about 10:30 to 11 a.m.

Save for the Hello Kitty-shaped bread, sandwiches are kid-oriented basic, at $5.95, filled with the likes of deli ham, salami or turkey, with lettuce and processed cheese.

The Sanrio Cafe concept is a great idea, but has a way to go to match the bigness of the brand.

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Nadine Kam's restaurant reviews are conducted anonymously and paid for by the Star-Bulletin. E-mail .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).