"Can we go eat at a restaurant with chopsticks?"

Amara found some disposable chopsticks somewhere in the house on Sunday and has been asking when we can go to a "Japanese sit on the floor" restaurant. On Tuesday we decided to have a family dinner out at take the girls to their first Thai restaurant. At least this would be there first time actually eating there. They have been several times as babies and toddlers but not eaten anything more than perhaps some sticky white rice. This time both girls ordered their own dinner. Annika wanted chicken. When there was not chicken nuggets, she decided to order just chicken. It came steamed. White, paste-y, limp looking dead chicken flesh sitting in a bowl. I thought for sure she would be grossed out. But she was starving and excited about chicken.. she ate it plain! Then she tried dipping it in soy sauce and mild peanut sauce to her delight. She muddled through some pineapple fried rice but mostly ate chicken. Samir did his best to help her with chopsticks but she was not really interested. Her best comment of the night was, "Dad, how can you eat octopus? That is so gross". I answered with but Annika you eat fish and chicken? Her answer, "But that is because I like to eat it and it tastes yummy".

Meanwhile, on the other side of the table, Amara decided to teach herself how to use chopsticks. We look over and there is Amara with a piece of baby corn in her chopsticks chomping down. This was her second feat. The first was when Samir's seaweed salad came and she took a huge chuck and starting eating the seaweed with her fingers like spagetti. She picked up a few different ones slightly confused and kept asking, "I can eat this? Is this a plant? ". She was mesmerized with Samir's fish sushi and even decided to take a bite of raw salmon and tuna. "Its so pretty and looks yummy". She was not that happy with taste though. She ploughed through several of my veggie sushi rolls and loved eating the "wrapper" by dipping it in soy sauce.

In the end everyone was happy and tired after a great evening of laughing and appreciating a new cuisine palatte for the girls. Perhaps next time it will be Korean. Be Bhim Bop - Here we come!