Review: Why you must try Brisbane’s first Le Petit Chef experience

I was lucky enough to experience the incredible social-media dining sensation, Le Petit Chef, in Brisbane for the first time ever, and it is not to be missed. WATCH THE VIDEO

It’s the language and cuisine of love, and it is truly hard not to fall in love with our sweet little dinner host at internationally viral dinner theatre sensation, Le Petit Chef.

The experience, landing in Brisbane for the first time on its world tour, takes guests through a curated hour and a half long, five-course meal, each course accompanied by cute and quirky animated table projections of the little chef himself.

First brought to life in 2015 by Belgian artist collective Skullmapping, the projections use 3D mapping technology to bring the 58mm chef to life.

As I sit at the table in a little, dimly lit conference room at the Hyatt Regency in Brisbane’s CBD, I know I am in for a treat, having seen clips from the Le Petit Chef experience across my own social media for years.

And yet, surrounded by sweet, playful music and stereotypically French accented reminder to align my plate under the projection and put my phone on silent, I couldn’t have prepared myself for the sweet little chef who stumbled his way across my table and plate.

The opening scene, preparing us for our first course, shows our little host problem solving his way through a field as he rolls a beautifully animated burrata onto our plates, problem-solving his way through the steps to gather the ingredients, far bigger than he is.

The Le Petit Chef experience at the Hyatt Regency, Brisbane. Picture: Richard Walker

When the Le Petit Chef experience heads to a new venue, they are presented with the choice of five different animated storylines, with each of these having their own general menu brief, but the actual menu itself is up to the creative spirit of the venue’s chef.

In Brisbane’s case, Hyatt Regency Brisbane’s Executive Chef Fugi Taukatelata, took the brief and ran with it, crafting her own personal spin on the projected meals plated by Le Petit Chef.

Our first course is a beautifully creamy spin on a caprese salad featuring Byron Bay burrata, ''''nduja jam, confit spicy tomatoes, and a watermelon radish, that is as visually striking as it is delicious.

As someone who is wildly seafood-avoidant, I chose not to participate in eating the second course, but the animation for this saffron broth with barramundi, clams, octopus and mussels, was a standout.

We watched as our sweet chef chugged around the plates in his little boat, catching fish and tossing them over, before battling with a giant octopus-like creature, chopping off its tentacles to form part of the digital soup.

The Le Petit Chef experience at the Hyatt Regency, Brisbane. Picture: Richard Walker

Our lovely host, Hyatt Regency’s Hibiscus Bar and Terrace manager Chloe Smith, who guides the experience on Sundays, said the third course was the most popular of them all - a simple, provincial chicken, mash and green beans, which while a little more “alternate drop” than fine dining, smelt incredible and tasted even better.

Each aspect of the projected dish perfectly wove its way into the physical meal, like the toasted pine nuts the little chef had cooked over a fire straight from a pine cone, and the projection of the whole rotisserie chicken cooking away.

The Le Petit Chef experience at the Hyatt Regency, Brisbane. Picture: Richard Walker

Another simple dish was to follow, beautifully cooked steak and fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth baby potatoes, and the most surprising dish of all, the dessert.

h and unexpected the tropical rice pudding blended tropical rice pudding, combined poached Nambour pineapple with desiccated coconut and creamy rice for a beautiful finish to a sweet meal.

All in all, while the food was, to be fair, quite basic, it was skilfully done, even in a setting where the kitchen is feeding every guest simultaneously, and the experience itself was definitely one to try.

Watching and listening to Le Petit Chef work so hard in front of you, plating a dish much like what you were about to be served, complete with little French exclamations and curses, as the smells of each dish wafted into the room was a sensory experience that just left you feeling delighted.

The Le Petit Chef experience at the Hyatt Regency, Brisbane. Picture: Richard Walker

Children and vegetarian diners were also catered too, with projections specifically tailored to those menus and Chloe told us for those who are there to celebrate a special event, there is even a projection and dish especially for them.

Le Petit Chef won’t be around for long, saying au revoir to the Hyatt Regency after three months in June, but is worth the trip to experience a viral and adorable evening out.