Taste is something that takes time to cultivate, be it music, art or food. The earlier you get exposed to it, the more you can develop your senses. While children’s taste buds might not be mature enough to fully appreciate the art of gastronomy, there are plenty of MICHELIN-recommended restaurants which are willing to cater specifically to their needs. That makes the job much easier for the parents who want to keep their young ones happy and, at the same time, allows them to make the most of the excellent dishes on the dining table.
1. Cuisine Cuisine At The Mira
Every weekend, lots of families in Hong Kong would re-enact the most treasured gastronomic tradition of our city — spending some time at the dim sum restaurant, languidly eating the bite-sized delicacies, taking a sip of the hot tea.
MICHELIN Plate restaurant Cuisine Cuisine at Tsim Sha Tsui’s The Mira Hong Kong nails all the aforementioned departments, and scores extra points for its attention to the kids. The expansive dining area is open to the greenery of the Kowloon Park and it helps the young ones stay relaxed. In addition, it provides high chairs and kid-sized cutlery to ensure they can eat comfortably. In terms of food, the creative dim sum like spring roll with seafood and cheese in mushroom cream sauce, as well as taro puff with diced chicken and foie gras are just as good as the traditional items like har gow and siu mai.
2. Megan’s Kitchen
Hotpot is another defining feature of Chinese cuisine, giving a large group of family and friends a chance to socialise at the same table. Nevertheless, the food options found in most hotpot restaurants are rather uninspired. New ingredients hardly come up. After a few times, children with short attention spans would soon be bored of it.
It doesn’t have to be this way though, as Wan Chai’s Bib Gourmand outlet Megan’s Kitchen shows us how far-reaching the world of hotpot can be. The line up of broth is surprising, to say the least. Diners might have never thought of dropping sliced beef or dumplings into English oxtail soup and Sichuan super-hot chilli and escargot soup. The pairing ingredients — cheese-stuffed beef ball, chicken and quail ball, pork and salted duck egg ball — are just as unconventional and would surely arouse the curiosity of to-be gourmands.
3. Voyages By Alain Ducasse
To help children cultivate their sense of taste, the food prepared by master chefs is a great source of inspiration. The Macanese establishment of the world-renowned Alain Ducasse, Voyages is a MICHELIN Plate restaurant that exemplifies what good food means. Compared to the other locations opened by the maestro in the gastronomic world, it is a more appropriate choice for families in terms of both price point and environment.
The cooking of Voyages explores classic French flavors and showcases bistro favorites with a contemporary and generous approach. Some recommended dishes are cheese soufflé, koulibiac salmon, roasted French chicken and crème caramel.
4. Kaum By Potato Head Hong Kong
When we have an exotic meal outside, our rewards might not just come from the taste buds. If the restaurant puts enough thought into the dining space, it could make you feel like being on vacation in a totally different country. The MICHELIN Plate joint Kaum by Potato Head Hong Kong successfully transports a piece of Indonesia to Sai Ying Pun, which will delight the whole family.
In line with the atmospheric backdrop, it serves up dishes native to the island nation, for example, roasted baby pig in Balinese style, marinated Ternate-style raw tuna, beef rendang as well as "Ayam Geprek" battered chicken leg. Originating from Sumatra, Bali, Java and other islands, they display the diversity of Indonesian cuisine. Outside the dining space, you can also find the café area and a shop selling charming handicrafts from Indonesia.
5. Lei Garden
For a proper family gathering, most people stick to Chinese restaurants. The giant round table with a lazy Susan in the middle is a familiar sight ingrained to our memories. To expose your kids to the way of traditional conviviality, MICHELIN Plate restaurant Lei Garden in Central is the ideal spot.
This reputed Cantonese establishment has an approachable setting that gives you the impression that you are eating at home. Children can be seated on high chairs. In terms of the dishes, don’t miss out on its crispy roasted pork, deep fried rice in superior soup and blanched geoduck in seafood broth.
This article was written by Joe Chan and translated by Vincent Leung. Click here to read the original version of this story.
