View Kids Welcome: Where to Eat around Central Park in a larger map

There are many things to do and see with kids in Central Park all year long. In summer you ride the carousel, in winter you skate in either or both of the Park's two rinks; in spring you watch the cherry blossoms, and in the fall, you can go watch the brilliant autumn palette. This abundance of activities and fresh air is bound to awaken appetites big and small. Thankfully the options are many in and around Central Park.

Inside the Park

If you don't want to leave the park, ubiquitous Belgian chain Le Pain Quotidien is open year-round and serves the usual cafe-bakery menu (with the notable exceptions of the soft-boiled eggs). Not far from LPQ, at the Visitor's Center and Gift Shop located in the now-extinct Tavern on the Green building, you can enjoy Turkish "tacos" at Pera and Van Leeuwen ice cream from their respective trucks.

Sweet Treats and Sandwiches

Bombolone at Bomboloni [Photos: Aya Tanaka]

Sweet treats abound just a few blocks away from the park's edges. At the Time Warner Center on Columbus Center, Bouchon Bakery offers French patisseries as well as light fare that you can take out (or consume right there, if you are lucky enough to get a table). Going north on Columbus Avenue, before you hit Magnolia Bakery, you will find delectable panini, gelati, soberti, and of course, bomboloni, those custard-filled Italian donuts, in a myriad of flavors at Bomboloni.

On West 74th Street and Amsterdam, Levain Bakery serves their legendary doughy chocolate chip cookie, a finalist in the Serious Eats chocolate chipper competition (I happen to think they are the best in the world, period). They also have great bread, hence great sandwiches and pizzas, and if you happen to be in Harlem, they have recently opened an outpost on Frederick Douglass Boulevard and 117th Street. Likewise, at Silver Moon Bakery on Broadway and 105th Street, you will find fine baguettes and pastries that you can take out or, weather cooperating, enjoy at their sidewalk cafe.

Over on the Upper East Side, Yura on Madison (92nd Street) and Two Little Red Hens (2nd Avenue and 85th) are perpetual favorites among SE:NY staff. Yura is closer to the park, and more upscale (and expensive). Two Little Red Hens is farther over on Second Avenue, and homier.

Tea Time

Strawberry Chocolate Scone at Alice's Tea Cup

At tea time, fans of Eloise might enjoy the Plaza Hotel's Eloise Tea, served in the Palm Court. Better yet, Alice's Tea Cup, with three locations on the Upper West and Upper East Sides, will lend your kids a pair of fairy wings for the duration of your meal there and sprinkle some fairy dust on them as well. Alice's Tea Cup has some of my favorite scones in the city.

Sit-Down Meals

For more substantial and casual meals not too far from the park, my favorite would be Kefi. The regular menu offers great selection for parents and kids alike, and they have a children's menu in any case. I like El Paso Restaurant for great Mexican fare and a nice outdoor space in the back. Gabriela's on Columbus and 93rd and Cafe Frida on Amsterdam and 98th are also good options for Mexican meals.

Fried Calamari at Ed's Chowder House

For a more upscale experience, Ed's Chowder House offers an excellent three-course kid's menu in a beautiful Lincoln Center setting.

Burgers

Beloved burger joint Shake Shack is on both sides of Central Park, at Columbus and 77th Street and 86th Street and Lexington. Alternatively, try the burgers at the Burger Joint at Le Parker-Meridien on 56th Street and 6th Avenue.

Any Suggestions?

Where do you like to eat with kids near Central Park?

Photos: Aya Tanaka

Ed's Chowder House

at The Empire Hotel, 44 West 63rd Street, New York, NY 10023; map); 212-956-1288; www.chinagrillmgt.com
Kids' Amenities: High chairs, stroller storage
Best Dishes for Kids: Great choice from prix-fixe kids menu; also regular kids' menu; fish and chips, chowders
Cost: Adult prix-fixe lunch $24, children's prix-fixe $15

A recent brunch with my daughter at Ed's Chowder House has convinced me that this is the best "grown-up" place to take kids to eat around Lincoln Center. Located in the Empire Hotel across the street from the New York City Opera, the restaurant is beautifully decorated in white (the whitewashed reference here might be New England, but it's hardly shack-like), and its large windows offer a placid view of Dante Square at the intersection of Broadway and Columbus Avenue.

With the 2011-12 season at Lincoln Center having just started, and the Nutcracker coming soon on stage, a visit to this East Coast seafood eatery is all you need to top off a cultural outing with a meal that pleases children and adults.

Ed's Chowder House has a great bread basket that includes two special items: cornbread in the shape of corn, and a jalapeño biscuit (in addition to standard, but delicious bread). If nothing else, your kid might just love those and call it a meal.

The restaurant has a typical childrens' menu all year round, offering the usual plain pasta and chicken fingers, among other items ($9-12). More recently, however, they introduced a special MasterCard/TimeOut New York kids' menu where for $15 dollars your child will get a generously served three-course meal, with a much more interesting range of choices. So to start, we ordered the crispy calamari with saffron aioli. There were plenty of calamari to share, especially as my daughter was fishing exclusively for the legs. The calamari couldn't have been crunchier.

I also went with a prix-fixe, three-course menu for myself ($24) and started with the salmon tartare. The fish was awesomely fresh, the seasoning there only to highlight it. The creme fraiche and caviar that topped it were also nice touches, and my daughter was intrigued by the little tiny "fish eggs"!

My entree was a pan-seared skate with Israeli couscous, delicious because of, or perhaps despite, its excesses: the fish was a tad salty, and the Israeli couscous a tad too buttery. What could have been a light dish was actually a combination that saturated your palate.

My daughter's main was a Chatham cod with potato chip crust, and if you just look at the picture, you realize this is probably beyond what a three-year-old can consume in one sitting—especially after the bread basket, calamari legs, and, I forgot to mention, oyster crackers (another big "distraction" at any seafood restaurant).

Still, the dish is appropriately mild, and she took a top-down approach, starting with the chips, moving on to a little bit of fish, and even eating a little spinach too. She happily consumed the rest of it that same night at home.

Both prix-fixes come with dessert, and my daughter enjoyed a honeydew sorbet, although what we all really fought over was the delicious dark chocolate pudding with Bourbon pecans. I would have been happy with the bourbon pecans alone, but the chocolate pudding provided a luscious and assertive creaminess to the combo.

For the parent, Ed's Chowder House offers not only serious seafood, but also a relaxed, adult environment (that's also comfortable for the little ones). And although adult prix-fixe lunches are all over town, a children's prix-fixe such as the one we found at Ed's Chowder House are a vote of confidence in our budding gourmets, and a wonderful example of a new wave of restaurants that believe that your child deserves better than chicken nuggets. Even if she didn't finish all her food, I was very pleased that she tried (and liked) all of it, and even more pleased to have dinner all taken care of that same night, thanks to the leftovers we took home.

About the author: Aya Tanaka teaches French literature and critical thinking in and around New York, and takes every opportunity to introduce her 3-year-old daughter to new tastes, at home and in restaurants. She chronicles her local and international food discoveries on high chair ny when time permits.

Photos: Aya Tanaka

Persepolis

1407 Second Avenue, New York NY 10021 (at 74th Street; map); (212) 535-1100; persepolisnyc.com
Kids' Amenities: High chairs, stroller storage
Best Dishes for Kids: yogurts, kebabs, rice pilafs
Cost: Appetizers $6-18, Entrees $16-28, Desserts $6-10

It's hard to convince anyone to go to the Upper East Side for a meal; the argument has to be compelling, as there's probably not much food there that you can't get elsewhere at an equivalent or better level. It happens, however, that the Upper East Side is home to some of the best Persian restaurants in Manhattan. On a Saturday night when we fancied a taste of Iran, we trekked across town to Persepolis on Second Avenue, and we were glad we did.

A visit to Persepolis will not transport you to the Middle East. The restaurant's decor is nondescript, and the table settings are elegant and modern. The attentive waiters are all Latin Americans, and the chef is Thai, which may sound blasphemous to purists. But we were there for the most important thing, the food; I can't judge how traditional or updated Chef San Sethachutkul's creations are, but I can tell you they are delicious. We went to Persepolis expecting hearty Middle Eastern fare, and we found lightness and subtlety beyond a plentiful meal.

Eggplant and yogurt lovers such as myself will be pleased at Persepolis' many appetizer choices. For larger groups, the best way to go is probably to order a sample of the eggplant ($18) and yogurt ($14) so you don't really have to choose.

We started with a Baba ($8) and the Yogurt and Shallots ($6). Baba is a baked eggplant purée with Kashk (a Persian goat cheese), walnuts, and onions. Although it was promptly consumed, the Baba was the least interesting of our dishes, as it could have delivered a bit more flavor. The yogurt was the better of the two appetizers, its tanginess and creaminess balanced by bits of aged shallots; it was also quickly devoured. I suspect, however, that the eggplant and yogurt were mere toppings for the delicious, fresh barbari bread that came with them. We fought over the last few pieces.

For entrees, the three of us shared a kebab platter and a stew dish. We opted for the Caspian mixed grill ($22)—saffron chicken and beef kubideh, with a side of polo shirin (rice pilaf with orange and almonds). The chicken was perfectly moist and flavorful with onions, the saffron imparting imposing color and scent. The ground beef in the kubideh was likewise tender and tasty, and the kebabs the greatest success with our daughter.

I had little doubt the kebabs would be the best dish for her, as tender, flavorful meats are unfailing choices in her repertoire. The stew we ordered, the Khoresht Fesenjan ($17), was more aimed at pleasing her parents—and it did so exceedingly. The walnut-pomegranate stew of chicken might not be the most pleasing-to-look-at dish (maybe a few pomegranate seeds on top for color?) but it is definitely the dish we are going back to Persepolis for. It's slightly tart from the pomegranates, but the walnuts are there to bring it all together; when you think it's a little thick, the pomegranates provide a little sharpness to the dish.

We had polo albalo (sour cherry rice pilaf) alongside the walnut-pomegranate chicken; both that and the orange-almond pilafs were noteworthy in themselves—although they are listed as accompaniments to the entrees, we all thought they stood out on their own, as the fruits and nuts brought just enough extra taste to an already perfumed Basmati rice.

Most desserts at Persepolis are fruit-based, as fitting to end a plentiful meal. Our dessert of lemon sorbet with cherry compote (faludeh, $6) was likewise light and refreshing, if a bit too tart for a toddler's taste (and we could all have done without the chewy noodles, but I guess that's the point of faludeh). The cherry compote was more akin to a syrup, and its thickness and sweetness provided a good counterpoint to the lemon sorbet's icy sourness.

About the author: Aya Tanaka teaches French literature and critical thinking in and around New York, and takes every opportunity to introduce her 3-year-old daughter to new tastes, at home and in restaurants. She chronicles her local and international food discoveries on high chair ny when time permits.

Takahachi

145 Duane Street, New York NY 10013 (at West Broadway; map); (212) 571-1830; takahachi.net
Kids' Amenities: High chairs, stroller storage
Best Dishes for Kids: Maki, Edamame
Cost: Lunch specials $13.50-17

Takahachi may be my new favorite spot for lunch in Tribeca (and I am almost thinking jury duty might not be that bad after all). The lunch specials, in the $15 range, may also be the best Japanese food bargain you could get for the amount and quality of the offerings at this beautiful restaurant on Duane Street.

My daughter and I met an old friend of mine with her daughter for lunch there recently, and we were sat at the skylit back room. Takahachi's front room is surprisingly dark at noon, but the back room, with an abundance of natural light, was perfect for two active toddlers. The restaurant counts with a number of "stone planters" (pebble-filled patches on the floor) which proved to be both a blessing and a challenge: the pebble patches were great fun for a while, but soon became too much of a sandbox for them.

The food came soon enough, however, and we started with pitch-perfect edamame (a staple in Japanese summers): bright green, with plenty of bite, and sprinkled with salt flakes—not too much, not too little. What's not to like about edamame? Both girls got directions on how to squeeze the beans right inside their mouths and that kept them busy for a little while.

We ordered three lunch specials between the four of us, with the hope of having the girls share the maki box (tuna, salmon and California rolls, $14). The attentive waitress suggested that we order the maki without wasabi, and so we did. The salmon and tuna maki sushi were great, and the girls thoroughly enjoyed it; sushi rice, in particular, proved irresistible to both, although they also quite liked the fish. Nori was less appealing to my daughter's friend.

The California roll was harder for the children to eat because it's rolled inside out, and they forgot to hold the wasabi. I thought they were wonderful, especially because instead of kani (crab sticks) they used real crab meat in the rolls. Rolls tend to be a very good choice for kids at Japanese restaurants; it's entirely acceptable to eat them with your hands and they are both fun and healthy.

I order chirashi-zushi whenever I can, because I like to strike my own balance between fish and sushi rice. The chirashi at Takahachi was as beautiful as it was fresh. I had to surrender my fish roe to my daughter, but I was glad to see her enjoying the delicate red balls exploding in her mouth.

My sushi-lover friend is pregnant and was a bit concerned about raw fish, so she wistfully order the enoki mushroom-stuffed beef rolls ($15) from the kitchen, and although she enjoyed the flavors of the marinade and dip, she thought the texture of the vegetables was a little too stringy.

But really, besides all the excellent dishes, what makes Takahachi a winner for adults and their kids are the small dishes that come with the lunch special. In addition to the usual miso soup (choice of red or white miso) and salad that you get with Japanese meals, we also got two side dishes, which on that day happened to be a delicious chicken and carrot salad, and steamed spinach, both laced with a very subtle sesame dressing that's slightly sweet and thus appealing to children.

In the end, even if your kid is not into any of the entrees or sides, try putting some rice into the miso soup bowl and feeding it to her. It's irresistible and, although not particularly refined, entirely acceptable! As soon as the little ones' appetites were satiated, however, the pebbles became too much of a distraction again—so we took our profits and left Takahachi without dessert. (Takahachi Bakery is only a few blocks away on 25 Murray Street, for those interested in a great selection of Japanese sweets).

About the author: Aya Tanaka teaches French literature and critical thinking in and around New York, and takes every opportunity to introduce her daughter to new tastes, at home and in restaurants. She chronicles her outings on high chair ny when time permits.

Photos: Aya Tanaka

Pongsri Thai Restaurant

244 West 48th Street, New York, NY 10036 (between Broadway and 8th Avenue; map); 212-582-3392; pongsri.com
Kids' Amenities: High chairs
Best Dishes for Kids: Thai Fried Rice and Pad Thai
Cost: Appetizers $4.95-14.95, Entrees $8.95-24.95, Desserts $3-5

Lunch in Midtown is a challenge in so many ways—time is limited, good eats may be scarce, and service is by necessity rushed and harried. While lunch at Pongsri Thai Restaurant on West 48th Street is not exactly a relaxing experience, the restaurant's wonderful food and attentive service make it, against all odds, a delightful place to go have a family lunch.

We met for lunch just before the flood of customers at noon and were sat a nice, comfortable table by the window. Pongsri has a good selection of lunch specials, but you may also order from the extensive dinner menu at any time.

Most kids balk at some ethnic cuisine dishes because of hot spices, and this is particularly disheartening to spice-loving parents who crave a little heat. Yet one can generally find something on the menu that will be agreeable to mild palates and it is always a great idea to ask a manager or waiter for a recommendation. I always ask them what kids like to eat in their countries and they are usually happy to oblige with enthusiastic guidance.

On a recent visit, we were advised to order Thai-Style Fried Rice ($6.95), which, according to the manager, was in her son's lunch box every day from kindergarten to the end of high school. We thus ordered the pork version, and the dish was a success. The fried rice and pork were enrobed in eggs and the spices were subtle, almost sweet, making it a real winner with my daughter. My husband and I both loved it too, but thought it best to leave most of it for her.

Likewise, the mainstay Chicken Pad Thai ($6.95) was touted as especially child-friendly, and although my husband and I had had pad thai innumerable times, we were somewhat surprised at the generational versatility of the dish. The rice noodles are tender, the bean sprouts are crunchy, and the peanuts, in little chopped pieces give this dish its unmistakable taste. Eggs, like in the fried rice, bind not so much the ingredients but rather the flavors.

My husband and I have long been partial to Pongsri's Chu-Chee Chicken ($12.95) at Pongsri. Chu-Chee Chicken is basically two breaded, crispy chicken cutlets, cut up and topped with Chu-Chee curry—not a curry you find in every Thai restaurant, in my experience. It has a red Thai curry base, but its heavy creaminess, derived from coconut milk, pushes it pretty close to a Panang curry; lime leaves have a lightening effect. It's a medium spicy dish (not on the lunch specials menu), and even my daughter tried some lightly sauced pieces of the chicken and loved it.

At the end of the meal we fought over a great star-shaped Coconut Sticky Rice Cake with Mangoes ($4.95). The sticky rice cake was subtly sweet, and the coconut milk atop, slightly salty, provided a nice counterbalance. The mangoes were perfectly sweet.

By the time we left the restaurant was full of casual Friday-clad young finance and consulting types, and there was a line of customers waiting to be seated. We were pleased and almost surprised to find that eating lunch in Midtown with a child is not that hard, if you come slightly off rush hours. Pongsri Thai food is a great choice for such an outing because, beyond a courteous and accommodating staff, its well-priced menu is ready to please both parents' and children's palates.

About the author: Aya Tanaka teaches French literature and critical thinking in and around New York, and takes every opportunity to introduce her daughter to new tastes, at home and in restaurants. She chronicles her outings on high chair ny when time permits.

Photos: Aya Tanaka

Itzocán Bistro

1575 Lexington Avenue, New York NY 10029 (at 101th Street; map); 212-423-0255; itzocanbistro.com
Kids' Amenities: High chairs
Best Dishes for Kids: Ravioli
Cost: Appetizer $7-11, Entrees $17-22, Prix Fixe $22. Cash only

There is a two-block stretch of Lexington Avenue in the low 100s that's filled with charming little dining establishments; one of them is Itzocán Bistro, which promises and delivers Franco-Mexican fare. True to its name, Itzocán is more of a bistro than a Mexican restaurant, and you won't find chips and salsa here. Rather, bread and butter are brought to the table. Mexican ingredients and flavors impart a lively, subtly assertive twist to a traditional French bistro repertoire of dishes, putting Itzocán Bistro in a class of its own.

On a recent weekday evening my daughter and I were rapidly accommodated by the maître/waiter/busboy at a comfortable table.

We ordered one three-course prix fixe dinner (at $22, including a glass of sangria), along with a few more selections from the regular dinner menu. The soufflé de huitlacoche ($9) was our hope of introducing my daughter to the joys of corn smut, but she balked at it—most likely because of texture rather than taste. I thought it was actually very good, with the huitlacoche and a bit of truffle oil lending an earthy flavor to a well-executed soufflé atop a brioche toast.

Luckily we had also ordered an appetizer of mushroom ravioli ($10) with corn and wild mushrooms that struck great success with her and kept her happy for most of the meal. Again, the fusion of mushrooms and a bit of truffle oil transformed a potentially bland dish into a rather fragrant meal.

I was very curious about the pumpkin gnocchi, one of the signature dishes at Itzocán Bistro. I ended up somewhat mystified not only by the odd, chicken-tender shape but also by the tough texture of the dumplings (made of pumpkin and semolina, I was informed).

Still, the dish had two important redeeming qualities: the vegetables were perfectly cooked—I always love when fresh spinach is cooked just enough to keep a crunchy bite—and the broth, as with the other dishes at Itzocán, packed many flavors and a certain spicy punch. Funnily enough, besides the gnocchi itself, the dish had almost an Asian soup quality to it.

The pan-seared salmon salmon ($19) we had was also very nicely cooked and flavored, and counted again with the support of a bed of crunchy green beans and chipotle ragout, and a subtly spiced broth. My daughter shared some of the salmon and green beans with her dad and that rounded her meal nicely.

The chocolate cake we had for dessert was dense and rich, with a touch of tequila, but probably too exciting for a toddler at 8:00pm, so we asked for the accompanying vanilla ice cream to be served separately to my daughter.

Mexican food is sometimes tricky for children, especially if they are not used to spices. Itzocán Bistro might well be a gentle way to introduce little ones to stronger flavors without overwhelming them. Parents, for their part, might also well enjoy the Mexican inflections of the restaurant's offerings as a punchier alternative to French bistro fare.

About the author: Aya Tanaka teaches French literature and critical thinking in and around New York, and takes every opportunity to introduce her daughter to new tastes, at home and in restaurants. She chronicles her outings on high chair ny when time permits.

Photos: Aya Tanaka

Malagueta

25-35 36th Avenue, Astoria NY 11106; map); (718) 937-4821; malagueta.com
Kids' Amenities: High chairs
Best Dishes for Kids: pork sausage, yucca fries, steak, pork loin, shrimp
Cost: Appetizers $8-9, Entrees $15-20, Desserts $5; Lunch special entrees $7-8

Brazilian food lovers have plenty of decent options in New York. If you want a churrascaria, Plataforma and Riodizio will do the trick. For cool Brazilian atmosphere, Barzinho, Favela Grill and Bar Bossa are pleasing options. For cheap and delicious-by-the-pound bounty, Copacabana is the best bet. If you want to make it yourself, Rio Bonito supermarket will provide all the necessary groceries for a Brazilian feast. Yet my favorite all around Brazilian restaurant in the city is Malagueta, located on a quiet, easily accessible corner in Astoria, Queens. The restaurant is quite small, nicely decorated, and service is welcoming to parents and children. The dishes are well priced and the selection pleases both picky and adventurous eaters of all ages.

The restaurant is unassuming, and actually offers "continental" dishes in addition to the Brazilian selections. Yet each dish stands on its own, from the picanha (sliced top sirloin) to the moqueca de camarão (shrimp stew) and I have yet to have a meal I didn't like at Malagueta.

On a recent lunchtime visit, we started with guaranás ($2), the Brazilian soft drink, in regular and diet versions. Because of supplier shortages, we had to do with the sweeter Brazilia brand instead of the most popular Antarctica brand. These sodas are somewhat similar to apple cider, but with an unmistakable guaranás berry aftertaste, and they are best served on ice with an orange slice.

We ordered some linguiça grelhada com mandioca (sliced pork sausage with yucca fries, $9) as an appetizer, and they were promptly devoured by my daughter. Brazilian sausages are usually well seasoned with garlic and salt, and it's hard to eat only one slice. Paired with the yucca fries, the denser, crispier cousins of french fries, this sausage appetizer is likely to please children so much that parents might have to beg for a taste.

The moqueca de camarão served at Malagueta is made Bahia-style, meaning that in addition to shrimp, coconut milk, cilantro, garlic, scallions, onions and red bell peppers, the stew contains dendê (palm oil), which gives the dish a strong orange hue and characteristic taste. Despite all the seasonings, the dish was actually tending toward sweet and my daughter and I quite enjoyed the perfectly cooked shrimp. I like my moqueca with a bit more kick, so I asked the server to bring me the pimenta.

Molho de pimenta (chili sauce) is usually proudly made in-house and offered on the side, upon request, for those who enjoy spicier dishes. Unless you know your restaurant's molho de pimenta, you should always start with just a few drops, as some can be very hot. This one in particular was made with malagueta peppers, typical of Bahia, and only a few drops sufficed to balance the sweetness of the coconut milk and red peppers.

We also ordered a lombo de porco (pork loin, $8) from the very well priced lunch menu, which came with rice and beans. Again, the pork was flavorful in a sauce of tomatoes and sweet peppers, but mild enough for children, and the meat was, if not super tender, tender enough for little ones to chew. Of course the side of rice and beans is a great complement that few kids refuse, so it rounded up the savory part of the meal very nicely.

Dessert is often the great incentive for a child to end his or her meal and Brazilian desserts provide an apotheosis of sugar worth cleaning your plate for. We ordered two: The pudim de leite ($5) and the mousse de maracujá ($5). The pudim de leite is similar to a flan, and is usually made with condensed milk. The caramel sauce in particular pudim de leite was dense, almost like doce de leite (that is Portuguese for the ubiquitous dulce de leche we all know by now). We all thought it delicious and would have had more if we hadn't already ordered the mousse.

The mousse de maracujá (passion fruit mousse) is yet another condensed milk concoction. As your spoonful of mousse de maracujá rolls down your tongue you feel the intense sweetness of the condensed milk, and two seconds later, the passion fruit kicks in, tangy and perfumed. Children might not like this last part so much (think key lime pie) so let them have pudim. Adults with a taste for sourness will love the mousse.

About the author: Aya Tanaka teaches French literature and critical thinking in and around New York, and takes every opportunity to introduce her daughter to new tastes, at home and in restaurants. She chronicles her outings on high chair ny when time permits.

Photos: Aya Tanaka

Golden Unicorn

18 East Broadway, New York NY 10002 (at Catherine St.; map); 212-941-0912; goldenunicornrestaurant.com
Kids' Amenities: High chairs, elevators
Best Dishes for Kids: Steamed buns, steamed rice rolls
Cost: $2.25-$8.25

In the past couple of months, after experiencing the fun of dumplings at the Himalayan Yak and reading a very handy SeriousEats Guide to Dim Sum, I've been thinking of trying out dim sum as a family meal. This past week I had the opportunity to get newly re-acquainted with dim sum through a friend who has lived in China (and London, where she says the best dim sum is), and to introduce my daughter to it as well. Dim sum turned out to be an excellent family-friendly dining experience, as variety, portion size, restaurant setup, entertainment, and cost all combine to make parents and children happy.

We'd been warned about the long wait for tables at the Golden Unicorn in Chinatown, but we had no problem getting seated for a weekday noon lunch. The restaurant was just about three-quarters full by the time we left. The Golden Unicorn is located on the second and third floors of a building on East Broadway and Catherine Street, but elevators make it easy to take strollers up. The dining room feels spacious because of the wide aisles required for the food carts that go around the room. The cart ladies serving the dim sum baskets were remarkably sweet to my daughter, playing and joking with her, and indeed, the constant ebb and flow of food in steaming baskets alone keeps the little ones entertained.

The Steamed Rice Roll with Roasted Pork ($3.25) and the Steamed Roasted Pork Bun ($2.95) were by far the most successful dishes with my daughter. She is well-acquainted with pork buns and loves them, so no great discovery there. Still, Golden Unicorn's buns' dough excelled in delicacy, and the sweet-and-sour filling tingled in our tongues.

She had two of the steamed rice rolls, loving not only the pork, sausage and vegetables but also the sticky, slightly sweet rice (easy to pick up for a chopstick novice). To her, the fact that it comes wrapped in a leaf adds to the fun and mystery of the dish; to me, I was glad she was getting carbs, protein and vegetables in one go.

It's also hard to go wrong with the Pan Fried Turnip Cake ($2.95), which balances sweetness from the root vegetables with savory flavors from ham, and a soft interior with a slightly crunchy exterior.

We also had a variety of steamed and fried dumplings, starting with har gau, steamed shrimp dumplings ($3.25). The shrimp's pinkness came beautifully through the ultra-thin skin, and the shrimp itself tasted fresh and flavorful.

In fact, I was pretty impressed by the shrimp at the Golden Unicorn. Whether in dishes like har gau, or the deep fried shrimp rolls ($4.25) where it is the sole meat, or in others such as the siu mai, pork dumplings ($2.95) and the fried sticky pork dumplings ($2.95) where it complements the pork, they had the unmistakable crunchy bite of perfectly cooked fresh shrimp. Similarly, the spinach in the steamed spinach dumpling ($2.95) retained its bite.

For dessert we were somewhat disappointed by the coconut jello, although we could have probably made a better choice from the many desserts still on the cart. The problem was that I was really keen on having a baked egg custard, but they were gone by the time we reached the end of the meal. I am a big fan of Portuguese pasteis de nata, so I am curious to try the Chinese version. Next time I come to the Golden Unicorn (which I will, because there are still so many dishes to try) I will make sure I grab one as soon as they materialize in front of me, and set it aside for the end of the meal.

About the author: Aya Tanaka teaches French literature and critical thinking in and around New York, and takes every opportunity to introduce her daughter to new tastes, at home and in restaurants. She chronicles her outings on high chair ny when time permits.

Photos: Aya Tanaka

Himalayan Yak

72-20 Roosevelt Ave, Jackson Heights NY 11372 (map); 718-779-1119; himalayanyakrestaurant.com
Kids' Amenities: High chairs
Best Dishes for Kids: Momos
Cost: Appetizers $4.99-6.99; entrees $7.99-$12.99; desserts $2.99-$3.99

Jackson Heights boasts the most amazing variety of "ethnic" cuisines in New York: it is where South Americans meet East Asians meet South Asians, with Mexicans making themselves heard loud and clear in the many taco shops along Roosevelt Avenue. Such cultural co-existence is also present in Himalayan Yak's menu, which features not two, but three cuisines—Nepali, Tibetan, and Indian. The restaurant is located at the at the very heart of the neighborhood, at the intersection of Roosevelt Avenue, Broadway and 74th Street, and getting there should be no issue as no fewer than five subway lines (7, E, F, M, R) are within two blocks' distance.

We went to the Himalayan Yak in the hopes of introducing ourselves and our daughter to yak meat, but contrary to popular belief and their own website, the restaurant doesn't offer yak meat all the time—only for a short period during the summer, yet to be determined. I was informed also that it's "not really yak meat" but some Colorado-raised substitute.

The Himalayan Yak had been highly recommended to us for its Tibetan and Nepali dishes, so we picked from those sections of the extensive menu. We started with a Cheura Tareko ($4.99), described as beaten rice with peanuts, potato chips and spices. When I read "beaten rice," I thought of Japanese mochi; I was a bit surprised to get a rice flake mix (like India's chuda), and not with peanuts, but with soy beans. Despite the prominently displayed chiles, the dish was less spicy than salty, which of course just kept us eating it (and drinking water) until every last bit was gone.

The Himalayan Yak is well known for its momos, pictured at top, which are a great treat for kids. Momos are Himalayan-style dumplings, filled with meat or vegetables (pork in our case), and steamed over broth (check out Sara's guide to momos in Queens).

What's special about momos, or at least the sha momos ($7.99) we had at Himalayan Yak, is that they are brothy on the inside too, making it both fun and a royal mess to eat. Our waiter directed us to tilt our heads to the side in order to capture the broth as we bit our momos. My daughter was obviously delighted at the messy, textural experience, and the momos themselves tasted great—even more so when enhanced by the chili sauces served alongside.

The chicken Sekuwa ($4.99) featured tender and flavorful pieces of chicken breast, but was too spicy for my daughter. Although the menu says it's sauteed in butter, these looked like they were grilled, kebab-style, to me.

From the Nepali menu we had the vegetarian thali ($8.99), which featured dal (lentils), aloo kauli ko tarkari (potatoes and cauliflower), aloo tama (bamboo shoots, potatoes and black eyed peas), saag (mustard greens) and yoghurt, as well as pickles, rice, and a papad cracker bread. The thali offered us the opportunity to sample a variety of dishes, but the lentils in particular were fought over by the three of us.

At the end of the meal we were still in the mood for something different and so we opted for the bhaktcha markhu ($3.99), described on the menu as "hand made pasta lightly rolled in roasted barley, sugar, butter & grated sauce". The pieces of pasta dough were indeed enveloped in sugar and butter, and I suspect there was a hint of cinnamon in the dish. My daughter probably enjoyed it more than me or her father. The pasta was a little too chewy and not terribly flavorful to me.

The Himalayan Yak's staff was very attentive to my daughter and smilingly guided us through the long menu. The restaurant is large and comfortable (they also have live music Friday through Monday) and a good place to introduce kids to Himalayan fare at very reasonable prices (the highest priced item on the menu are prawns at $12.99). I could actually see a whole meal of momos, in their different preparations and fillings, entertaining a party of parents and children in search of something new.

About the author: Aya Tanaka teaches French literature and critical thinking in and around New York, and takes every opportunity to introduce her daughter to new tastes, at home and in restaurants. She chronicles her outings on high chair ny when time permits.

Photos: Aya Tanaka

Blossom

187 Ninth Avenue, New York NY 10011 (at 21th Street; map); 212-873-0200; blossomnyc.com
Kids' Amenities: High chairs
Best Dishes for Kids: Parsnip Cappelletti, Braised Tofu, Rigattoni in Porcini Cream
Cost: Appetizers $7-12, Entrees $18-22, Sides $6

If vegan food were always this good, I would happily give up my pancetta. Blossom, with two venues in the city (Chelsea and Upper West Side), plus a takeout place and a chocolate bar, serves flavorful organic, vegan dishes that will impress animal-free food lovers as well as steak-eaters.

My daughter and I met a friend of mine and her toddler daughter for dinner at the Chelsea restaurant on an early weekday evening. We were all previously acquainted with the uptown cafe location and expected to feast on Soy Bacon Burger and Zucchini Pappardelle, both popular uptown but unfortunately not in the Chelsea restaurant menu. Still, the two restaurants share the same ethical principles of animal caring and innovative approach to vegan cuisine and healthy eating—and in both locations their fare is exciting and appealing to adults and children alike, vegetarians/vegans or not.

We started with a Black-Eyed Pea Cake ($10), which is a Yukon Gold potato and black-eyed pea cake, breaded, fried, and served with a chipotle aioli. Surprisingly, the dish was not a hit with the girls, and in retrospect, I should have asked for the aioli on the side. Both mamas loved it, though; the soft inside of the cake, the crunchy outside, and the spicy mayo all combined to make it a substantial appetizer.

My daughter enjoyed some of the Parsnip Cappelletti ($10)—which looked more like ravioloni to me—probably because of the sweet tasting parsnip and her predilection for pasta; to the adults, the dish was enhanced by sauteed mushrooms.

My friend's daughter, a committed carnivore, was still not convinced by any of this, so we ordered a side of soy sauce Braised Tofu ($6), and the two pieces disappeared rapidly between the two girls. I can't even say what it tasted like because I didn't have the chance to taste it, but the two girls were very happy with the dish, so much so that it actually opened up their appetites for the next dish.

One of my favorite dishes at Blossom is the Rigatoni in Porcini Cream ($19), and I was happy to find it at the Chelsea restaurant. The amazing feature of this pasta is that although it doesn't contain any animal products, it tastes like a creamy, pork-enhanced dish, without the heaviness or guilt that might be associated with it. Its goodness is derived from shallots, leeks, and broccoli rabe, as well as a touch of pistachio and truffle oil (is truffle oil is a vegan's bacon?). Both girls loved it, and it was hard to share the dish between the four of us.

The last dish we tasted was perhaps the only one that didn't thrill anyone. First of all, the "Feijoadinha" with Smoked Tempeh ($19) is a take on a Brazilian dish (Feijoada) that is based on unsightly pork bits. It's a multi-part dish (served with rice, collard greens, farofa, orange segments and more pork—just check out Kenji's article on it) that you prepare over many hours and enjoy over equally many hours.

I think the Feijoadinha at Blossom could hardly be called a feijoada at all; the only ingredient they have in common is black beans. The Blossom dish was more of a chili, with the proper chili spices balanced by the sweetness of chayotes and sweet potatoes. It was a bit spicy for the girls, and a bit disappointing, if mostly in name and expectations, to the mothers. To be fair, I ate the leftovers the next day, cold, in front of the fridge, and it tasted great to me. Just not like a feijoada!

When time came for dessert, the somewhat meager dessert menu could not compete with Billy's on a spring evening across the street, and so we gladly moved on to cupcakes and key lime pie.

Blossom is great for kids because with vegetables tasting this good, it's hard to refuse. It might also be the place to convince your child that vegetables are actually delicious. It is also a wonderful reminder that vegan fare doesn't have to be boring, and might be the place to indulge your vegan and vegetarian friends without feeling forlorn about the lack of animal products in your food.

About the author: Aya Tanaka teaches French literature and critical thinking in and around New York, and takes every opportunity to introduce her daughter to new tastes, at home and in restaurants. She chronicles her outings on high chair ny when time permits.

Photos: Aya Tanaka

New Leaf Restaurant and Bar

1 Margaret Corbin Drive, New York NY 10040 (map); 212-568-5323; newleafrestaurant.com
Kids' Amenities: High chairs, stroller storage
Best Dishes for Kids: Calamari, Salmon
Cost: Appetizers $8-16, Entrees $23-34, Desserts $10

New Leaf Restaurant and Bar's greatest asset is the synergy between its food and locale. Located in northern Manhattan's Fort Tryon Park, one of the highest points in Manhattan and the home of the Metropolitan Museum's medieval art branch, the restaurant is unique not only because of its beautiful setting in a cottage-like building in the middle of the park, but because it is actually a charitable and environmentally responsible operation.

The restaurant's net profits support the New York's Restoration Project, a non-profit organization founded by Bette Middler that seeks to reclaim and restore the city's parks. Like the gardens around it, New Leaf's menu changes with the seasons and dishes are prepared with locally grown ingredients by Chef Scott Campbell.

In our recent visit, we were stuck by the beauty of the dishes that evoked the colors of the spring gardens. After an appetite-building stroll around the park on a late afternoon—the park is also a Revolutionary War site and the brainchild of Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr.—we were sat at a comfortable table in the main dining area. They accommodated my daughter on a high chair but promptly removed her plate and silverware from the table; we had to request it all again when the food came. Despite this initial glitch, we felt welcome at New Leaf and were treated to a beautiful dinner.

As an appetizer, we shared the Quick Fried Calamari with Mint-Cilantro Chutney ($12). The calamari could have been crispier, but what made the dish was a very green and refreshing mint and cilantro dipping sauce that combined spiciness and sweetness exactly like a chutney should, and also provided the necessary lightness to a fried dish.

We ordered the House Made Ricotta Manicotti ($15) with wild mushrooms and truffle essence appetizer for my daughter as her main course. This was unfortunately the least interesting dish of our meal, mostly because the ricotta, despite its wonderfully creamy texture and truffle essence, didn't taste like much. The mushrooms didn't really add much flavor either, and what we expected would be the perfect dish for our toddler turned out to be too bland even for her.

She thus turned to my entree, a gorgeous dish of Bacon Banded Pork Tenderloin ($30) on a bed of Tokyo turnips, thumbelina carrots, shimeji mushrooms, chestnuts, blackberries, pomegranate seeds. I was so struck by the composition of the dish, its earth-toned colors flanked by the blacks from the blackberries and the reds from the pomegranate seeds, that I almost didn't want to eat it.

My daughter was far less worried about such aesthetic pleasures and proceeded to thoroughly enjoy the pork and vegetables. And indeed, beyond its visual appeal, the dish balanced many textures and juices from the pork, vegetables and fruits. I especially enjoyed the inclusion of chestnuts.

The Pan Seared Atlantic Salmon ($26) dish was also a beauty to behold in terms of colors and textures. The salmon was probably a bit more cooked than I had asked, just on the farther side of medium. The sides of ginger-carrot puree and green peas and white asparagus complemented and contrasted the colors in the dish, and the sweetness of the vegetables made the salmon stand out a little more.

We ended the meal with a terribly good warm chocolate cake ($10), which was still upstaged by the salty caramel-peanut butter ice cream that accompanied it. The cake texture was delicate, and it felt a bit like a muffin not just because of its shape but especially because it had a crusty top that cracked gently in your mouth. The ice cream was heavenly—ribbons of caramel and peanut butter on a simple custard base, with bursts of salt here and there.

New Leaf Cafe might be the perfect place to either end a visit to the park or museum, or to start it. Weather permitting they also offer a wonderful brunch in their terrace, and the access to the gardens make it easy to go take a little stroll with the eventual unruly child. Their bar area is very congenial, and on wintry days it offers a warm midway point for a coffee between the subway stop and the Cloisters. Yet New Leaf's solid cuisine is also worth the trip for itself; its beautifully executed dishes seem to encapsulate the art, gardens, and New York spirit that surround the restaurant.

About the author: Aya Tanaka teaches French literature and critical thinking in and around New York, and takes every opportunity to introduce her daughter to new tastes, at home and in restaurants. She chronicles her outings on high chair ny when time permits.

[Photos: Aya Tanaka]

Chez Lucienne

308 Lenox Avenue, New York NY 10027 (at 125th Street; map); 212-289-5555; chezlucienne.com
Kids' Amenities: High chairs, stroller storage
Best Dishes for Kids: Saucisson en croûte, mussels, hamburgers, fries
Cost: Appetizers $6.95-8.95, entrees $15.95-21.95, desserts $5.95-8.95

Walk out of the 2 and 3 subway lines' 125th Street stop and even before you reach the Red Rooster in Harlem, you will find Chez Lucienne, a delightful French bistro serving classic dishes in an elegant yet casual space filled with warm and joyful service. Chez Lucienne's food and experience is in one (French) word, correcte—they basically do everything right. The menu is full of typical bistro, comfort food, the dishes are well executed, the portions have some "American sensibility" to them, and the staff is beyond nice.

We called the night of for a reservation at 6:30pm and were accommodated without a problem. As we arrived, the restaurant was lively and almost entirely full of patrons, ranging from dates to groups of friends to families with children, locals and perhaps not-so-locals like ourselves. The maître d' and the servers made us feel welcome right away, cheerfully leading us three to a comfortable table for four, and bringing a highchair for my daughter.

Chez Lucienne has great nightly specials. On Sundays they offer a bountiful $24.95 three-course prix fixe menu; we ordered two, which were just enough for the three of us. The prix fixe choices for appetizer, entree and dessert are actually plentiful, and filled with French classics such as soupe à l'oignon, coq au vin, bavette à l'échalotte, mousse au chocolat, and the like.

We started with an excellent saucisson en croûte (garlic sausage wrapped in pastry) on a bed of green lentils, which was an exercise in subtle flavor and textural balance. The sausage's strong garlic flavors were balanced by the thin, buttery crust of the pastry and by a lightly seasoned lentil salad; likewise, the soft texture of the meat met some resistance from the pastry and from the al dente lentils. We all fought over it.

We also had a tomate au Montrachet, a tomato stuffed with goat cheese and pesto, roasted and then sliced, and served on a vinaigrette sauce. I suspect some varieties of tomatoes lend themselves better for stuffing, and this beefsteak's small cavities really didn't allow for much cheese or pesto; still, this appetizer featured an interesting combination between the acidity of the tomato and the sweetness of its own roasted juices.

I am as great a fan of mussels as my husband is of hamburgers. The moules frites at Chez Lucienne are among the best I've had in New York, for three reasons: they are fresh, they are steamed to perfection (no rubbery mussels here), and in the version I like (moules marinières), the broth is enhanced by a touch of cream (they also offer moules dijonnaises and provençales). They come with "killer frites" on the side.

The beef hamburger was nice and moist, and had a delicious brioche bun. Between mama's mussels (so fun to eat!) and fries, and papa's hamburger, chatty servers and ladies at the next table, my daughter thoroughly enjoyed her food and herself at Chez Lucienne; yet the best was yet to come.

The prix fixe dinner at Chez Lucienne comes with a choice of any dessert from the menu (except for the blueberry tart) and choosing two was hard. We wistfully ruled out the chocolate mousse and the fondant au chocolat because too much chocolate tends to keep the little one awake at night, and went with a tarte tatin topped with vanilla ice cream. The individual tarte was warm and tart, but ended up all sweet from the melting ice cream and caramel sauce.

We ended the meal in a very high note with the profiteroles, two round pâte à choux shells filled with vanilla ice cream and topped with chocolate sauce that felt decidedly "American" in its size and sumptuousness. My daughter devoured one, and my husband and I had to be content with sharing the second.

About the author: Aya Tanaka teaches French literature and critical thinking in and around New York, and takes every opportunity to introduce her daughter to new tastes, at home and in restaurants. She chronicles her outings on high chair ny when time permits.

[Photo: Aya Tanaka]

Bottino

246 Tenth Avenue, New York NY 10001 (at 24th Street; map); 212-206-6767; bottinonyc.com
Kids' Amenities: High chairs, stroller storage, garden seating
Best Dishes for Kids: Pastas
Cost: Appetizers $5-$16, Pastas $16-$18, Main courses $18-$30

Spring is, at least officially, upon us; despite the unpredictability of the weather, we just want to shed that winter coat and be outside. In Chelsea, a neighborhood not particularly known for its child-friendliness, the place to get that whiff of spring and let the children run a bit are the suspended gardens of the Highline. Some parents might even want to try checking out what's happening in the art scene in one of the area's many art galleries. And when hunger strikes, an early dinner at Bottino might be all you need to end the day.

Bottino has been around since 1997 serving Italian fare that doesn't strive for authenticity, and is a bit of a cafeteria for Chelsea's art and art-gallery types. For many years, it has been the place where I take out-of-towners to give them a taste of the "local". Bottino never failed to impress with its accessible menu and people-watching: men in jackets and scarves that don't come off, and women sporting outfits that speak of style and not fashion. Cool, chunky, colorful eyewear is worn proudly.

We arrived early for a 6:00pm reservation of a Saturday night, and sat at the bar area, which was was already full. The restaurant was not open yet, but the hostess said we would be the first party to be accommodated us as soon as they were ready. Right before 6 they sat us a center table, and brought a high chair for my daughter. Bottino's sparse and chic decor conforms with its location and clientele, but is made warm and romantic by lighting and candles. The dining room has four different sections that can be closed off for private events—and garden sitting that is actually delightful in good weather, and not a bad place for kids to roam a little.

We ordered the bruschetta al pomodoro ($5) and the tuna tartare ($14) as appetizers. The tomatoes in the bruschetta were better than you'd expect of winter tomatoes, resuscitated by a lively olive oil dressing, salt and a sprinkle of basil en chiffonade. My daughter, who was already wolfing down the bread basket, enjoyed the tomatoes. She also took some bits of the ginger and sesame oil tuna tartare, which came on a bed of watercress, cucumber and daikon sprouts. Despite the slightly meager portion of roughly chopped tuna, this Asian-scented tartare is one of the best appetizers at Bottino.

Our main courses were a bit of a mixed bag. We had the the penne speck ($16) and the orecchiette with broccoli rabe and boar sausage ($16) but neither was memorable. The boar sausage in the orecchiette had some character, and my daughter loved it; she was also very intrigued by the word "orecchiette" and even more by the fact that it means "little ears"! The overcooked penne, in turn, should have been a lot bolder in a sauce of tomato and speck.

The grilled Norwegian salmon ($22) was on the other hand very good—not only because the salmon was cooked à point and still retained much moisture, but also because it came with a very interesting salsa verde—a garlic-basil mound of deliciousness, and perfectly cooked haricots verts.

We ended the meal with a slightly tough pecan tart ($8) buried under a storm of powdered sugar. The shallow tart format did not allow for much of the molasses base of a pecan pie, and lacking moisture, both crust and pecans were hard to chew. No matter. Between the three of us it disappeared fairly quickly.

If the weather is nice and a picnic on the Highline is really what you want, Bottino to go, adjacent to the main restaurant, offers delicious sandwiches, salads, desserts, coffee, and a few hot dishes to take out.

About the author: Aya Tanaka teaches French literature and critical thinking in and around New York, and takes every opportunity to introduce her daughter to new tastes, at home and in restaurants. She chronicles her outings on high chair ny when time permits.

[Photos: Aya Tanaka]

The Mermaid Oyster Bar in the Greenwich Village is the third location of the Mermaid restaurants in New York, and by some accounts, the best one. In addition to New England seafood classics, this location also offers a raw bar, with East and West Coast oysters, as well as clams, shrimp cocktail, and ceviche. With a chic seaside shack decor, a hopping happy hour, and very high decibels, the Oyster Bar is a vibrant restaurant that pleases both parents and children with a wide selection of oysters and an appetizing variety of hot dishes.

For a narrow restaurant on MacDougal Street known for its "happy hour-and-a-half" ($1 oysters and $7 cocktails, among other bargains), the Mermaid Oyster Bar was actually pretty welcoming to our two-and-a-half-year old. We requested a high chair when we reserved and they went to the restaurant next door to retrieve one; they also had crayons ready with an Ariel coloring sheet.

But what is great about the Oyster Bar is that there are actually many items in the menu that are likely to satisfy young (and older) palates while getting that brain-developing and heart-strengthening serving of Omega-3.

The happy hour is hectic, but the special menu (served at the bar and throughout the dining room everyday before 7pm) offers a great opportunity to sample dishes from the main menu at lower prices. Because the dishes are small, they are a good way to introduce children to a wide variety of new tastes. We, for instance, took the opportunity to introduce our daughter to lobster.

We sat down at 6:30 and ordered drinks and a few items from the happy hour menu as appetizers. I had two oysters to start, an East Coast malpeque ($1) and a West coast skookum ($1.75), both deliciously fresh. The fish tacos featured grilled tilapia, avocado, smoked jalapenos, pico de gallo and cilantro in a fried mini-tortilla—like a hard shell taco. At $3 apiece, they were not cheap, but they were perhaps the best of our happy hour selection.

My daughter had two of the the shrimp corn dogs ($3; for kids, it might be wise to ask to hold the mustard-mayo sauce). We shared the lobster slider ($6), a mini version of the Mermaid's famous lobster roll, with great crunchy chunks of lightly dressed lobster in a sweet brioche bun. She was also very happy with the lobster and truffle mac and cheese ($9) from the main menu, also featuring substantial chunks of lobster among the macaroni and just enough of the truffle's perfume to make it all a bit earthy.

For main courses, I ordered the mustard crusted rainbow trout ($21) on a bed of cherry tomatoes and arugula. The fish tasted better than it looked—because it looked like its crust had been slightly burned. Still, my daughter and I enjoyed the crusty fish and tomatoes.

My husband had the shrimp po' boy ($16), which featured nice, crunchy fried shrimp, shredded lettuce and tomatoes in a lightly toasted baguette. The po' boy was well-seasoned but not memorable. The fries were consumed in due course, but were heavy on the salt. In fact, our entrees were indeed a tad too salty.

Yet there is something special about the fish tacos ($6) at the Mermaid restaurants that keeps us coming back for more. We ordered the fish tacos from the main menu, and this time the grilled tilapia was seasoned with ancho peppers and dressed in a cilantro sauce and pico de gallo. The fish by itself was flavorful and got a great kick from the fresh vibrancy of the sauces. Nothing New-Englandy about these—there is a true Mexican sensibility to these fish tacos.

The meal ended with my daughter requesting "dessert for everybody, please"—at the Mermaid Oyster Bar, as well as the other Mermaid Inns, there is no dessert menu, but you get a complimentary cup of chocolate pudding topped with whipped cream at the end of the meal, along with a "fortune teller miracle fish"—a cellophane red fish whose movements on the palm of your hand guessed our moods: satisfied and happy.

About the author: Aya Tanaka teaches French literature and critical thinking in and around New York, and takes every opportunity to introduce her daughter to new tastes, at home and in restaurants. She chronicles her outings on high chair ny when time permits.

[Photos: Aya Tanaka]

Kum Gang San

138-28 Northern Blvd, Flushing Queens 11354; map); 718-461-0909; kumgangsan.net
Kids' Amenities: High chairs, stroller storage, gardens, fish ponds, waterfalls
Best Dishes for Kids: Bibimbap, Jap Chae, Hae Mul Pa Jul, Bugolgi
Cost: entrees $12.95-18.95, barbecue $26.96-28.95

Serious Eats: New York has been on a Korean food kick lately, and while there may be other restaurants in Flushing, Queens offering extraordinary renditions of particular Korean dishes, Kum Gang San (in Flushing, with a second branch on 32nd Street in Manhattan) is an excellent choice for parents searching for a solid Korean meal with their children. The restaurant is large (with gardens, fish ponds, and waterfalls); the food is delicious, plentiful, and easily enjoyed by children; and the service is extra-attentive to the little ones.

The restaurant was nearly full on a Saturday at 6:00pm, with many families with kids already having their dinners (Kum Gang San is open 24/7, and has parking). We were welcomed by a couple of very sweet hostesses, who accompanied us to the table and sat my daughter on her high chair. They brought hot tea for the adults and cold water for her, as well as a "special" spoon (I think it was a sugar spoon).

I asked the hostess what kids usually like to eat at the restaurant, and was pleasantly surprised to hear "everything": she explained that the food is made to be shared and parents and children enjoy the same dishes; and that children are introduced to all different tastes and spices from this experience. I was smitten right away by the warmth of the service, which remained excellent, fast, attentive, and full of smiles throughout the meal.

Korean meals start with series of Banchan dishes, a large (and complimentary) assortment of small vegetables, fish, tofu, egg and seafood sides. I was very happy with Yoengeun jorim, the lotus root simmered in soy sauce and sugar, while my daughter especially liked the Gyeran-jjim, a dish of steamed, seasoned eggs, and the grilled fish. Kum Gang Sam offers both hot and mild versions of their famous Kimchi, but my daughter doesn't seem to be ready for it yet.

The Banchan is only a teaser—eat too much and you'll spoil your appetite for the bounty of food that follows. Soon arrived the Hae Mul Pa Jul ($16.95), the ubiquitous rice-flour, scallion pancakes with seafood, crispy on the outside and edges, and soft on the inside; followed by the Bibimbap ($14.95)—steamed rice topped with sautéed vegetables, beef, and a fried egg. It promptly disappeared between adults and child.

The Bibimbap is a great dish for kids as it contains everything you want your child to eat in a meal—vegetables, proteins, carbohydrates. You stir all Bibimbap ingredients together before eating it, adding hot sauce as you wish, so we separated a portion of the mix for my daughter before adding the sauce. She loved her plain version and we adults loved it even more with the added heat.

Jap Chae ($18.95) and Duk Mandoo Guk ($12.95) came next. Kids tend to like noodles and the cellophane noodles in the Jap Chae, stir-fried with vegetables and eggs and seasoned with soy sauce and sugar, were a great hit with my daughter and everyone else.

Eating a big bowl of hot, brothy soup might prove challenging to kids, but my daughter also enjoyed the rice cakes and meat dumplings we fished out of the Mandoo soup.

A Korean restaurant experience is not complete without the barbecue. We ordered Kalbi ($28.95) and Bul go ki ($26.95)—marinated short rib and rib eye steak, grilled right before your eyes on the table (nervous parents might opt to have the meat grilled in the kitchen and then brought to the table; we just placed the highchair strategically far from the grill). The server places the slices of meat on the slightly domed hot plate of the built-in gas grill on the table. When the beef is cooked, you place it atop a crunchy red leaf lettuce leaf, and top it with thinly sliced scallions, jalapeno peppers, garlic and a miso sauce, then you roll it up, and eat it. While kids might object to the toppings and lettuce, the meat by itself, sweet and salty from the soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, and garlic marinade, is irresistible.

After such a bountiful meal I was looking forward to the fresh fruit that comes as a courtesy dessert in Korean restaurants, but this time around we had a sweet potato frozen yogurt, to my daughter's delight. We left Kum Gang San wanting to come back, perhaps in the summer, for a late, leisurely lunch on a weekend, to take advantage of the gardens and waterfalls—always a great distraction for kids who don't want to sit still on the table.

About the author: Aya Tanaka teaches French literature and critical thinking in and around New York, and takes every opportunity to introduce her daughter to new tastes, at home and in restaurants. She chronicles her outings on high chair ny when time permits.