My name is Beverly Soloveichik and, like most kids, I enjoy going to restaurants. But with so many kosher options in Teaneck, how does a kid choose where to go? I thought it would be useful and fun to explore the possibilities. And so, I decided to write a restaurant review for kids.
I called up Estihana, an Asian restaurant on Cedar Lane in Teaneck. It took a little courage for me to call because I am not used to speaking with adults on the phone who I don’t know. But when I spoke with Tzvi, the manager, he was nice to me and told me I could come in whenever I wanted. I arrived at Estihana on Wednesday evening, accompanied by my mother.
The restaurant’s environment was calm and pleasant. The waiters and waitresses were very friendly. I especially liked the head server, Lauren. She was welcoming, kind, and made sure all customers had everything they needed. She told me that she likes working at Estihana because “everyone who has worked here has been here for a long time. I enjoy the employees that are working here, and we are all very close.”
Lauren handed me a menu, which was extremely kid friendly. It was on an iPad, and included pictures of the food. Pictures are especially helpful for kids because if they don’t know what a food is, they can see what it looks like. The food at Estihana was so delicious. I started with an order of Shredded Crispy Beef. It is shredded slices of beef with a sweet and spicy sauce, and it was so good. Tzvi told me it is Estihana’s best seller. Another good appetizer for kids is the Chicken and Beef Satay. The reason is because it is always fun for kids to eat food on a stick. Also, I highly recommend the strawberry daiquiri drink for kids, because it comes with a fancy umbrella and has a refreshing taste. For my entrée, I enjoyed the Thai Special Steak, which is cubes of beef marinated in a special hoisin sauce and served with string beans. It came with a choice of brown or white rice — I recommend the white rice for kids. Last, I had the Toll House dessert, which is a tasty runny chocolate chip served warm layered with chocolate ganache, finished with a chocolate fudge center.
I really recommend that you dine at Estihana. If you don’t have time to enjoy a relaxing meal, there is also a takeout option. And don’t forget to grab a fortune cookie on your way out the door. Mine said: “Don’t forget to check out the Jewish Link this week!”
By Beverly Soloveichik
