Introduce your kids to the joys of sushi

On discovering that she is pregnant, a sushi-loving woman may find herself at first elated, then panicked: How long until she can eat raw fish again? She may refrain for nine months or guiltily savor a few bites, planning months in advance for her next uninhibited visit to a favorite sushi restaurant.

When my daughter was nine days old, she went with my husband and me to Mashiko in West Seattle, but we have since discovered that doing sushi with a kid can be a little challenging. Unwilling to give up the habit or reserve it for nights when she's with a sitter, and hoping that she too will one day enjoy the stuff, we have found ourselves looking for new things on the menu that will appeal to her.

With or without children in tow, Mashiko's staff is ready with suggestions, and the place is often full of families. Even the wait can be fun if your child is one to gaze lovingly at fish tanks, and if you're really lucky you might get a tankside table. The restaurant has one high chair and one booster seat, but they're often both in use. Alas, there isn't much of an option for diaper changing.

Some of the little ones who come here are sushi connoisseurs, while others, like my daughter, stick to more familiar flavors. Don't skip the miso soup; the savory broth is richly flavored, and miso with tempura crunch ($2.50) offers a little something extra. Our daughter enjoyed eating her edamame ($4) with the soup.

The shrimp and vegetable tempura ($10) is also popular, and at Mashiko you can order it a la carte, selecting just a couple of pieces of your favorite vegetable ($2.50), which is great for little appetites.

When sushi time comes, order some inari ($3), marinated tofu pouches stuffed with sticky rice. Dipped in soy sauce, their salty-sweetness excites. If your child is interested in following your lead in the sushi department but isn't quite ready for fish, order a cucumber and avocado roll ($5.50). If you want to introduce your child to a fish selection that isn't raw, consider the Electric Eel roll, made with freshwater eel and grilled with a sweet barbecue sauce, tempura onion and spicy mayo ($9).

Of course, not all children are culinary skeptics, and allowing youngsters to try a bit of everything may introduce them to something they never thought they'd like. Who knows? The daughter who turns up her nose at maguro (red tuna) may have a weakness for tako (octopus).

Our waiter said that many children who visit Mashiko have a special fondness for the tobiko (flying fish roe). Maybe it's the crunch or the dish's garish neon orange color, but even our choosy toddler was fascinated by it.

If all else fails, Mashiko offers several noodle bowls and hot plates that include grilled meats with rice ($7-$11), as well as a variety of tempting desserts. Mochi balls, chewy rice dough filled with ice cream, are strangely fun to eat, and the Husky Deli-made coconut ice cream is terrific.

If you're looking for a fun atmosphere as much as good food, head over to Blue C Sushi, which has locations in Fremont and University Village. The Toyko-style restaurants offer sushi by way of conveyor belts that circulate around the room. Tables and counter seats allow customers to grab whatever looks enticing as it glides by.

Plenty of high chairs and booster seats make both Blue C outposts great places to go with friends who have little ones. The women's restroom sports a changing table, and the restaurants offer beginners' chopsticks to kids.

I have vague memories of visiting a similar place in California with family friends when I was about six, and the whole concept seemed thrillingly futuristic and cool; the hip décor and clientele at Blue C may have a similar effect on young diners.

Blue C's menu is more abbreviated than Mashiko's, and so are the prices. Every plate on the conveyor belt is color-coded and named for a line of the Tokyo subway system; the plates correspond with a price list on the table, and most selections cost less than $5.

The tamago nigiri (sweet omelette on rice, $2.25) has some of the same salty-sweet qualities that make inari popular, while the simple kappa maki (cucumber roll, $1.50) is a refreshing bite. If you're looking for a cooked item, the spider roll ($4), with fried soft-shell crab and avocado, is delicious.

The Philly Roll features the more familiar flavors of smoked salmon with cream cheese and avocado ($3.25), and a little plate of Spicy Sesame Noodles ($2.75) sated my daughter's appetite, but she insisted on dunking each bite into her miso ($1.50).

At the end of your meal -- or in the middle, if you prefer -- grab one of the tasty cream puffs made by local baker Tokyo Sweets ($2.75). In vanilla, chocolate or green tea, they are a sure-to-please sugar fix.

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