Warning: Le Petit Chef May Cause Side Effects of Glee on a Monday Morning

You know how they say, a Sunday well spent brings a week of content?

Imagine spending a Sunday night in downtown Vancouver, on the third floor of a luxury hotel, and dining on a five-course meal paired with libations and entertainment.

You’d wake up to a happy Monday morning too! Unless the way to your heart isn’t paved with laughter, cuteness, and good food… then you’re probably in the wrong place, my friend.

Le Petit Chef - Projection from Hymn to the Ocean

So WTF is Le Petit Chef?

Think immersive exhibit-style, like Imagine Van Gogh or the Da Vinci Experience, but on a smaller scale.

Travel from changing landscapes of tropical islands to snowy landscapes with a thumb-sized, 3D chef! After you watch him take part in a series of animated, whimsical misfortunes on your tabletop, you’ll get to engage your palate in a series of real food, from appetizers, main dish, to dessert.

Combining technology, visual arts, story-telling, and gastronomic delights, the Skullmapping team gives us a new twist on the typical “dinner and a show” date.

Le Petit Chef - Projection from Garden of Eden

Where in the world is Le Petit Chef now?

Available in 50 restaurants worldwide (Paris, London, Tokyo, Shanghai, Dubai, Hong Kong, Berlin…), Celebrity cruises, and now at the Paradox Hotel in Vancouver (circa December 2022).

PARADOX VANCOUVER || 1161 West Georgia Street

I Decided to Surprise WTF Hubby with What I Was Hoping To Be — An Unforgettable Experience!

As I lounged like a starfish on Christmas Eve, exercising my thumb over my Instagram feed, Le Petit Chef popped up!

Literally a pop-up event that I had scrolled past twice, I decided to follow its digital breadcrumbs to a menu and booking page where I thought, “Okay, my pregnant self can eat this on a date night.”

And it cost me $188 per person, exclusive of tax and an automatic slap of 18% gratuity. If Bunbun is 6 and I decide to take her, it’ll be $79 for her kids meal! Fortunately for her being where she is and my bank account, she got to come along to this fancy meal and to McDonald’s afterwards.

Mommy was ballin’ out of control.

I made a reservation for two people, two weeks out, and selected the The Grand Explorer menu (WTF Hubby and I don’t make friends with salad so the vegetarian menu never makes the cut). Before letting me finalize our date night plans, the booking system asked for an $80 deposit.

It assured me that the amount will be deducted from my final bill after the dinner. I committed! There was no going back now.

WTF Hubby and I Get To The Paradox 30 Minutes Early

Where the host of Le Petit Chef said, “You must be Tina", before I gave him my name. Hubby was impressed, and looked at me like I had shot to superstardom.

It turned out that being the only pregnant guest helped!

The host clarified that I had asked for no whipped goats’ cheese on the salad (still following the no soft cheese rule) and my steak well-done (high-five self, for following the hardest rule of them all).

He gestured towards the bar, and suggested we get a drink while we wait. I quietly dismissed the idea, knowing damn well this body wasn’t accepting boozy favourites or virgin modifications of boozy favourites.

Another host found me 10 minutes before the dinner’s start. She wanted to know if I needed to make any additional modifications. I declined but got good vibes about the service before I even stepped foot into Le Petit Chef!

During the the steak course, which was substituted with a tender 48-hr sous vide beef short rib, our server checked in to see whether the dish was okay to which I replied, “Delicious!”

Before this dinner, planning a fancy date was a challenge!

It was tartare this, foie gras that. Torched sushi here, seared wagyu there. Also gorgeous seafood towers?

If any of these words made up most of a restaurant’s menu, it’s likely that WTF Hubby and I haven’t been there in the last seven months.

Which was sadly the majority of my favourite places to eat at!

In sharp contrast, Le Petit Chef was both pregnancy-friendly with their service and menu modifications.

I watched my husband’s face as the lights dimmed, and the first animation came to life.

In Garden of Eden, our tiny chef is seen harvesting vegetables and throwing them onto our plate. He simultaneously targets a garden intruder with a pack of dynamite, but his plans literally blow up in his face.

The projection was greeted by chuckles and WTF Hubby was smiling. “I’ve seen this before!”

Ah Youtube, you beat me to it! Hubby insisted that what he watched was out of context, and he was surprised when the server brought out real food that had been mere projections minutes before!

We ended up being friends with this particular salad and thoroughly enjoyed the time when it made its acquaintance with our taste buds.

My verdict on Le Petit Chef?

Le Petit Chef is worth checking out!

Accompanied by stunning visuals, the storyline for this miniature chef is a delight. It’ll leave you wondering how he’s able to reincarnate after his series of misadventures!

My Petit Chef food journey ranged from good to delicious. If I had to pick a favourite dish from the five offered, it would be a toss up between the seafood coconut laksa soup or the lobster & prawn terrine!

I was impressed with the attentive and timely service. Each course was brought out promptly after the animations, and quality-control was well-thought-out. Case in point? The torched sablefish, mussels, and prawns from the seafood soup were brought out first, and the servers came back with hot pitchers of soup to top off the seafood, ensuring optimal serving temperature.