An Italian Restaurant Experience: Welcoming Our Young Diners
Preschool
June 3, 2019
Although this report is rather overdue, CGK has planned food education activities every year since the 2017 school year with Suzuki, owner of the French restaurant Le Salon de Legumes. Through Suzuki’s introduction, the Italian restaurant Primo also began supporting us in the 2018 school year. We made pasta in July and enjoyed an Italian restaurant experience in February.
Held in February 2019, this was our second annual Italian restaurant experience. As before, we reserved the restaurant exclusively for our event.
A total of 63 people from 24 families participated across three sittings.
To make this an authentic restaurant experience, we asked the staff to greet the children with, “What name is your reservation under?” The unfamiliar atmosphere made some children nervous. Some shyly gave their names, while others hid behind their parents.
Because the restaurant was reserved for us, the staff reassured us that a little noise was fine. In return, they asked families not to show videos on smartphones to settle restless children. Manners matter, of course, but enjoying the meal is at the heart of food education. We shared this message with parents, who kindly cooperated.
The restaurant suggested beginning with a toast, so owner-chef Suwaki welcomed everyone and led the toast before the meal began.
When dishes such as bean soup and an onion dish were served, staff showed the ingredients before cooking and explained the food. For the unusual medal-shaped corzetti pasta, they brought out uncooked pasta and the stamps used to make its patterns. Children could touch the ingredients before eating.
The menu was created especially for this CGK event, but its flavors were not simplified for children. As Chef Suwaki explained, food that tastes good to adults can taste good to children too. The children happily ate a full-course meal with portions only slightly smaller than the adults’ portions.
We saw children trying ingredients they usually disliked. Others remembered their school lessons about where to place a knife and fork during and after a meal, and used the appropriate positions. Dining in a new place and atmosphere, but alongside familiar friends, made this an enjoyable and worthwhile experience.
The Primo team also shared a lovely message: “We were looking forward to this event. We had a wonderful time today, and the children gave us energy.” We hope to keep organizing events that both the children and the restaurant team can enjoy.
Our heartfelt thanks go to everyone at Primo for making this event possible.
Held in February 2019, this was our second annual Italian restaurant experience. As before, we reserved the restaurant exclusively for our event.
A total of 63 people from 24 families participated across three sittings.
To make this an authentic restaurant experience, we asked the staff to greet the children with, “What name is your reservation under?” The unfamiliar atmosphere made some children nervous. Some shyly gave their names, while others hid behind their parents.
Because the restaurant was reserved for us, the staff reassured us that a little noise was fine. In return, they asked families not to show videos on smartphones to settle restless children. Manners matter, of course, but enjoying the meal is at the heart of food education. We shared this message with parents, who kindly cooperated.
The restaurant suggested beginning with a toast, so owner-chef Suwaki welcomed everyone and led the toast before the meal began.
When dishes such as bean soup and an onion dish were served, staff showed the ingredients before cooking and explained the food. For the unusual medal-shaped corzetti pasta, they brought out uncooked pasta and the stamps used to make its patterns. Children could touch the ingredients before eating.
The menu was created especially for this CGK event, but its flavors were not simplified for children. As Chef Suwaki explained, food that tastes good to adults can taste good to children too. The children happily ate a full-course meal with portions only slightly smaller than the adults’ portions.
We saw children trying ingredients they usually disliked. Others remembered their school lessons about where to place a knife and fork during and after a meal, and used the appropriate positions. Dining in a new place and atmosphere, but alongside familiar friends, made this an enjoyable and worthwhile experience.
The Primo team also shared a lovely message: “We were looking forward to this event. We had a wonderful time today, and the children gave us energy.” We hope to keep organizing events that both the children and the restaurant team can enjoy.
Our heartfelt thanks go to everyone at Primo for making this event possible.
Author Profile
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Reiko - Services and Community Coordinator Japan
Reiko joined CGK’s founding team in 2016, bringing seven years of experience in licensed nursery schools in Japan and six years across two international preschools. She has also volunteered at a daycare in Canada and has held preschool leadership roles at CGK, including Principal and Vice Principal.
A qualified nursery teacher and holder of a Class 2 kindergarten teaching license in Japan, Reiko values each child’s interests and strengths. Drawing on her experience in multicultural early childhood settings, she supports an environment where children can explore new interests through hands-on experiences and express themselves in their own way.