Youngsters tuck into the kids’ menu. The restaurant also reached out to students of NGO Ektara to join in their celebrations. Pictures: Rashbehari Das

Young mothers walked into Smoke House Deli on Children’s Day with their little hungry monsters in tow. Their rumbling tummies were soon put to rest with a complimentary dish and milkshake from the kids’ menu that packs in sugar and spice and all things nice.

“This age group is vital for any eatery because parents like to go to places that cater to their children,” chorused Abhilasha Sethia and Manjri Agarwal of Smoke House Deli, Quest mall. The menu was decided on the basis of “a child’s dream menu”. What’s that? “Pizza, burger and pasta have to be the three main dishes which can then be categorised on the basis of their fillings and toppings,” said chef Fatik Mir.

A child with Jack Sparrow’s Treasure Chest, one of the pop picks along with Grilled Stretchy Cheese Sandwich and the Swiss Pancake Rolls.

Presentation and naming of the dishes play a big part in getting a child to eat their meal. Case in point: Jack Sparrow’s Treasure Chest, where a child can pick his/her burger (cottage cheese, chicken or lamb) sandwiched between crunchy, juicy, fresh vegetables; the Grilled Stretchy Cheese Sandwich, which comes in steel tiffins; or starters Cheddar and Veggie Bombs which are plated in firecracker boxes. The Picolla Margarita is served on a dartboard, while the pasta sauces are poured out of test tubes!

Even the menu at Smoke House Deli is designed like an activity book where children can stick images of their orders or turn into li’ Picassos, thanks to the colouring book at the back of the menu. “And yes, they are allowed to make a mess,” smiled Manjri.

Do children today decide what to eat or do the parents? “I like penne pasta (yes, they know the difference between penne, spaghetti and shell!) with mushroom, corn, no broccoli,” specified Navya, all of eight. Her mother piped in: “She’s such a big foodie. I never have to run after her to make her eat, she never troubles me, in fact she suggests dishes for me to try sometimes!” On the next table, seven-year-old Deven made it very clear: “I will eat pizza, cheese pizza” before passing on the complimentary juice to his mother and ordering his favourite Strawberry Smoothie. “Kids have a very strong mind of their own these days. My son (Deven) knows what’s healthy and what’s not. I try to influence his thinking but can’t take any decision for him,” said his mother.

The desserts are served in jam jars. t2’s favourite is Pancake Swiss Swirls, served in colourful coffee mugs — fresh and spongy with a generous amount of chocolate and fruit jam filling.

In fact, children will only take help from parents if they can’t decide between Sticky Pudding and Swiss Pancake Rolls, or Strawberry and Chocolate Smoothie.

The reason for this, says young mother Avanti Murarkaa Jhunjhunwala, is “the new generation of iPad and smartphones”. “They keep clicking away all day and Instagram is full of food pictures. They all watch so many food shows, go to so many places, they are way smarter than we were as kids,” said the mother of five-year-old Hridaan.