Children, up to the age of seven, visiting any Mainland China address in Kolkata can now order from a special menu curated for them and also take home an apron, all for free.
Dining out with children often becomes a matter of concern because of the spicy and spice-filled food options. Keeping this in mind, Mainland China, the flagship brand of Speciality Restaurants, has come up with a unique and delightful initiative — Kids Eat Free. Kids dining at any Mainland China outlet in Kolkata, can opt for options from a specially curated menu. The menu is free for two children up to seven years old per table, and they have to be accompanied by their guardians.
Items on the menu include dishes like crispy fried chicken or vegetables along with rice, noodle and gravy options
The scrumptious menu has items like Sweet Corn Soup, Crispy Fried Chicken or Vegetables, Sweet and Sour Chicken or Vegetables, Butter Garlic Noodles and Butter Garlic Vegetable Fried Rice. For dessert, kids can enjoy Honey Noodles with Ice Cream.
Anjan Chatterjee, the restaurateur spearheading Speciality Restaurants, launched the initiative at the banquet hall of Mainland China on Gurusaday Road on August 4, where a bunch of young children also joined in the fun. Chatterjee said the specially curated menu will not be spicy at all. “We use olive oil, butter, sweet and sour sauces and include a lot of healthy vegetables. The food will be wholesome, non-spicy, yummy and healthy.”
Many kids under the age of seven were present at the launch
“We do have non-spicy food items on our main menu but we thought of coming up with a special menu for kids. So we thought of this initiative, where we have a small menu they can order from and will not be charged,” said Chef Indranil, the main chef behind the initiative.
Chatterjee said the children will also be gifted an apron each on ordering from the menu.
“Recognising that kids have always been the biggest brand ambassadors of Mainland China, our chefs have curated a special menu for our little fans and loyalists. The menu comes with some choices of vegetarian and non-vegetarian items and it is yummy. This is a humble gesture straight from the heart and will be accompanied with our compliments,” Chatterjee added.
Chef Indranil is the main chef behind the initiative
Mainland China has always had the tradition of inviting children from less privileged families to the restaurant on special occasions. “We invite underprivileged children to our restaurant on Eid, Children’s Day and Christmas. We take up this endeavor every year,” Chatterjee said.
“Launching this initiative for kids had been on my mind for a very long time but there were some operational logistics that had to be worked on. Now things have happened in a flow. All the chefs have participated in this initiative,” he added.
Kids will also be given a free apron when they order from the free menu
A special recipe from the Mainland China kitchen
Sweet and Sour Vegetables/Chicken
Ingredients
- Fresh tomatoes
- Canned pineapple
- Onion
- Capsicum
- Broccoli, cabbage and other veggies can be added according to likes and dislikes.
- For a non-vegetarian option, chicken or prawns can be added.
- Ginger (fine slices)
- Oil 1 teaspoon
- Tomato ketchup 4 tablespoons
- Water 8 tablespoons
- Salt a pinch
- Vinegar: 1/2 - 1 teaspoon
- Sugar as per taste
- Cornflour: 1/2 teaspoon
Method
- Heat oil and add the ginger slices. Saute just for a few seconds and add all the vegetables and chicken.
- Saute the vegetables and chicken/prawn until the chicken/prawn is cooked, and then add ketchup and water.
- Add vinegar, sugar and salt and continue to mix together, and add the water
- Make slurry with some water and cornflour and add to the mix. Stir for some time before taking off the flame and serving hot