Dr. Panda Restaurant 3

iPad, Apple TV, Android, Kindle

Teaches: cooking, creativity, storytelling

CTR Rating: 80%

CTR Review

Here's another tasty Dr. Panda app, but it sadly comes with the bad after-taste of IAPs and ads (for other Dr. Panda apps). But it's "free" and with a bit of dancing around, you can get some fun out of the app without making a purchase. While we understand the app store pressure to list "free" content, the placement of tempting items (ingredients, cooking tools and recipes) in front of a curious preschooler is never good practice. In the words of the publisher "Dr. Panda Restaurant 3 is a free educational game for kids offering in-app purchases to unlock additional content. These are one-time purchases which will permanently unlock the content for your account. Check your device settings for more detailed parental options regarding in-app purchases." Like many cooking games, you get to run your own restaurant, with a steady stream of customers. The more you cook, the more coins you earn, and the more items you can unlock. While most of the actual "cooking" is automated, there are some nice touches. You notice that some customers prefer specific ingredients, and the gas stove really looks hot. Content includes 20 ingredients and condiments, recipes for pizzas, burgers and pasta and a nice variety of kitchen tools. Our recommendation is to download this app, but be prepared to invest the $4.99 right away to get the teasing out of the way. This is a good app studio that deserves the income; and your child will most certainly get $5 worth of play out of the app.