The World's Smallest Chef Takes You Along the Silk Road in His New Menu

(SPOT.ph) Eating out is as much an experience for the taste buds as it is for all other senses. You see this point in action pretty much anytime you dine out, really—but most especially when it comes to the multisensory affair that is Le Petit Chef. We’re always suckers for good food; add a thrilling storyline plus complelling visuals (that’s hard to resist capturing photos and/or videos of) and you’ve got one heck of a meal—though that’s an understatement of a term, really.

A year after Le Petit Chef made its Philippine debut at Grand Hyatt Manila’s The Peak, they’re back with their second menu. This time around, the “World’s Smallest Chef” takes us on a tour following Marco Polo's travels—and has us noshing on the global flavors that the Venetian traveler might have come tasted, too.

Also read: Here’s What It’s Like to Dine on Steak, Burrata + More By the "World’s Smallest Chef"

Le Petit Chef goes global with its second menu at Grand Hyatt Manila’s fine dining restaurant The Peak:

Quick recap in case you’ve never been: Le Petit Chef is an “immersive” dining affair where a small (roughly six centimeters tall!) animated chef is projected onto your plate via Belgian company Skullmapping's 3D projection mapping technology. The Peak’s IRL host gives a bit of a spiel before a short animation of the tiny chef tumbling, turning, and/or flying is played right in front of you. A course from the menu is then served—and yup, we’re talking actual food prepared by the team of The Peak, led by Chef Mark Hagan.

Whereas the first run of Le Petit Chef depicted the fictional chef himself cooking the food (and risking life and limb in the process), the second “season”—called Le Petit Chef in the Footsteps of Marco Polo (P7,500/head)—involves following the chef around as he journeys through the Silk Road, with meals inspired by the regions traversed by the historic trade route. He doesn’t seem to cook as much, instead discovering classic dishes from the involved regions and having you dig into them with him. But it’s every bit as amusing, with the same eccentric endings (we won’t spoil it but IYKYK) for each animation.

The food, of course, is still spectacular. There’s a wider range of cuisines in this round however, versus the first season’s emphasis on classic French. You begin in Petit Chef’s home base of France with the Chaudière de Poisson or seafood chowder—a no-frills but proper rendition of the French classic with clams, mussels, salmon, and smoked haddock. You’re then led to the Arabian Peninsula by way of the Chargrilled Lamb Cutlet Ras el Hanout—for which you’re asked for your preferred level of doneness for your meat (we got ours medium-rare). The nugget of lamb is flavorful in itself, served atop what seems to be seasoned tahini—but it’s also kept company by vessels of velvety smoked eggplant mousse, hummus, tabbouleh, and a fluffy round of pide bread.

From there, you’re whisked off to the streets of India with the Butter King Prawn, courtesy of Grand Hyatt Manila’s Chef Arum Kumar. There’s no shortage of soulful flavors on this plate, what with juicy prawns in a tomato gravy that’s potent on the spunk (and the spices). It’s wonderful spooned over the accompanying saffron rice—and in between forkfuls you can  dig into its accompaniments of samosa chaat, mint chutney, and crisp-crackly papadum. After a brief trip to Nepal—where we revive our palates with the zingy lemon-lime-mint Sorbet (served with smoking dry-ice action)—we head over to the Middle Empire.

Representing China is the uber-memorable Braised Sea Bass, with lightly breaded fillets of the meaty-succulent fish and supple slivers of 10 head abalone. These two treasures of the sea meet their match in a deeply savory black-bean sauce tinged with ginger. Soon we’re brought back home to France—but not without paying ode to the journey we’d just embarked on. The Trio of Crème Brûlée reflects this, featuring the a small pot each of the dessert in Arabian Coffee, Cardamom, and Ginger flavors. Diversity of flavor profiles aside—the Arabian coffee being robust, the cardamom sweet and aromatic, and the ginger subtly zingy—when nuzzled by the richness of the cream and the toasty-sweet bruleed sugar top, they all make for equally dreamy spoonfuls.

With its whimsical (read: damn fun) nature that has you following and rooting for the nano animated chef, Le Petit Chef has a way of rekindling the inner child—that part of yourself you probably find yourself repressing in the early hours of the day (thanks, adulthood and your many complications), but that ought to be given a treat every now and then. Add the Grand Hyatt kitchen’s penchant for whipping up meals with great flavors and, well, you’ve got yourself a sublime meal you’re bound to remember for the years to come.

Season 2 of Le Petit Chef makes its public debut come April 1. You can make your reservations through the Le Petit Chef website; by giving Grand Hyatt Manila a call at 8838-1234; or by shooting an email at manila.grand@hyatt.com. 

For reservations and more information, visit Le Petit Chef's Grand Hyatt Manila website. You can also contact 8838-1234 or send an email to manila.grand@hyatt.com. For more information, check out Grand Hyatt Manila's Facebook page.

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