Experience immersive dining with the world's smallest chef in Delhi

YS Life was invited to be a part of an exclusive curtain raiser of Le Petit Chef at Delhi's Shangri-La Eros hotel, which will open to the public on June 3, 2023.

Friday June 02, 2023 , 4 min Read

Over the last decade, the culinary industry in India has stepped up its game to offer best-in-class options of global standards. From the sheer variety of cuisine available today to frequent pop-ups by famed Michelin-starred chefs from all over the world, diners are an evolved lot who are ready to experiment and move out of their comfort zones.

That’s probably why it was the right time for Le Petit Chef to debut in India's national capital, New Delhi, in the sprawling Shangri-La Eros hotel, after regaling diners in Mumbai before the pandemic.

What’s the hype all about? Well, Le Petit Chef is a fun, immersive dining experience steered by the world’s smallest chef—an animated Frenchman—who is all of 6 cm tall, or let’s say the size of your thumb.

Legend goes that the miniature chef was born in April 2015 in Marseille in France. Ever since, he has become a viral sensation in restaurants around the world, from London to Singapore and Dubai to Kuala Lumpur.

YS Life was invited to be a part of an exclusive curtain raiser of Le Petit Chef at Delhi's Shangri-La Eros hotel, before it opens to the public on June 3, 2023.

An immersive experience like no other

Before the experience commenced, the hosts organised a little ‘ice breaker’ session to help diners get acquainted with each other over a glass of bubbly or a mocktail.

The room had eight tables laid out that could seat four diners each. You could end up with someone you hardly know, but that’s exactly what fosters a spirit of community dining.

On to the visual spectacle–using 3D projection mapping technology created by Belgium-based Skullmapping, the animated chef whips up a gastronomic gala on your table for a duration of 90 minutes.

Your tabletop transforms either into farmland, deep sea, or even a forest, as Le Petit Chef works hard to prepare a meal right before your eyes.

It reminded me of Ratatouille where Remy, the rat, aspires to be a French chef. Fortunately, there’s no rat here, but an animated chef who hops, skips, and entertains you while he does his job!

By now, you must have guessed that all the action takes place on your plate–yes, you feast with your eyes and ears before getting to taste all the food that’s being prepared in the actual kitchen.

The animation on your table is accompanied by music and various sound effects that further elevate the experience.

The experience was led by our charming host, Balraj (a part of the Le Petit Chef team) who entertained us with his top-notch storytelling, adding a dash of humour to every course that was served.

Interestingly, he also changed his outfits after every course to match the vibe of the table!

A culinary extravaganza

It’s a delight to watch Le Petit Chef create a storm with his culinary masterpieces on your table. But does the ‘real’ food match up to the theatrics? Absolutely!

Diners can savour a five-course European menu available in vegetarian and non-vegetarian options. Created with fresh ingredients and prepared with flair, some of the signature dishes include truffle burrata, seafood bisque, Prosecco-infused lobster thermidor, spring chicken roulade, lasagne primavera, and crème brulé.

Before every course, our host Balraj requested us to repeat a few French sayings–from Bonjour, Enchante, to C'est La Vie–and clink our glasses. The atmosphere was rather celebratory, as each table embarked on a culinary journey never experienced before.

Every dish that was brought to the table by the servers was covered with a lid, and was revealed in unison. Moreover, the tabletop also had props that were in tune with the landscape being showcased!

While I enjoyed all the courses, my favourite was the lobster thermidor that had a rich and creamy consistency and was cooked to perfection.

Another dish that I can’t help but mention was the cremé brulé that had the perfect crack! Right before I devoured it, the servers lit the edible covering and flambeed it.

A few more details…

The culinary gala is open to the public starting June 3, 2023 – Monday to Thursday (dinners only), Friday to Sunday (lunch and dinner).

The host mentioned that if five or more guests book the experience, they will have to accommodate and have a meal with other guests, since each table can only seat four diners, and the experience is designed in a certain way that cannot be tweaked like on-demand dining.