THE PINT-SIZED PALATE – A KID’S TAKE ON NEW YORK FOOD

One Farm, Two Farm, RedFarm, Blue Farm

By Churchill Stone

RedFarm, 529 Hudson St. (at Charles St.)

A few weeks ago (on a school night) my mom picked me up from ballet and said, “Hey, let’s go out for dinner. Where do you want to go?”

It was almost 8 p.m. so I was a little surprised. “Hmm,” I said, and then it popped into my head, “RedFarm!” I knew the restaurant had finally reopened six months ago after they had a fire.

When we arrived, it was very full. They have an upstairs and a downstairs – both with a bar and very long tables in the middle of the room. Each room is very nice. After 20 minutes, two seats opened up at the bar so they put us there. Is a 10-year old allowed to sit at a bar?

Actually, it was fun sitting at the bar. It’s not easy because you’re very high up and your feet dangle. You have to look sideways to talk to the person you’re with. And there are other people sitting near you – some look bored, but some can be fun and funny. Plus, you get to watch David and Roberto (the bartenders) making all these cool drinks, cocktails and mocktails. My mother said she wanted to come back sometime to try their cocktails because they looked so good. The bartenders, who were super nice, are your servers and they are always right there if you have a question or want something.

I asked for a Shirley Temple. A few moments later, they asked me if it was okay to use cherry juice since they did not have grenadine. Honestly, it tasted the exact same if not much better. Next time, I will ask for a Basil Peach Cobbler mocktail (they have other ones too.)

RedFarm has Chinese food. I think the name is probably from the Chinese flag which is red and their food is super fresh, like it just came from a farm. But RedFarm is not like a normal Chinese restaurant in Chinatown—it is kind of its own thing.

So, first, we had Five Flavor Chicken Dumplings. OMG, they are so good. I think they might be one of my favorite dishes there (and they have a lot of good dishes!) The dumplings came looking like a salad so my mom and I got worried. But we soon realized that the dumplings were simply under lettuce. Whew!

The Spicy Crispy Beef was also amazing. It was not too spicy at all, just sweet which I think is very kid friendly. My mom said it tasted like candy, but she ate as much as me, so apparently, she liked it just as much as I did. I think my grandma and little sister would love this dish, and maybe even my baby brother!

Next, we had the Pan-Fried Pork Buns. Another incredible dish. The bao bun was so soft and fluffy and the pork on the inside was sweet and delicious with just the right amount of tasty sauce. Also, my mother agreed that it goes perfectly if you are drinking a Shirley Temple.

Now, my mom wanted a rice dish, so we got Applewood Bacon and Egg-Fried Rice. I will admit, it had a lot of vegetables – carrots, broccoli, onions, etc., but they were easy for me to eat. It looks like something kids would never try, but I think they’ll love it like I did.

Now, it was so late that we couldn’t even stay for dessert. But I hear RedFarm has Key Lime pie (which I love), chocolate cake, and their own ice cream sandwiches. I cannot wait to try all of them.

RedFarm is my very first four-star review! I want to bring my whole family to show them how truly good it is. If parents want a place they will love and the kids will love too, RedFarm is it!

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