MANILA -- Grand Hyatt Manila takes cartoons, comedy, and cuisine to a whole new level by welcoming Le Petit Chef, the smallest chef in the world, to the towering height of the Peak.

This 6-cm chef, created through a collaboration between 2spicy Entertainment, GmbH, and Skullmapping Studios, is a technological spectacle that uses projection mapping.

The table becomes a kinetic canvas that explodes with animation and color as the little chef scampers and scurries around the table and your plate, assembling ingredients from whatever adventure he’s currently in. Dazzling and comedic, these little vignettes are a blast to watch to whet the appetite for what’s coming.

For now, this experience is only available for dinner with two seatings at 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. We’d recommend coming in early to breathe in the spectacular view at the Peak’s balcony waiting area.

THE EXPERIENCE

Guests are ushered into the darkened Veranda Room with just the plates illuminated, adding a bit of intrigue to the evening. They are then invited to settle down as the dinner host gives a quick briefing of what’s to come.

Think of the experience as a masterful display of tag team storytelling -- from that evening’s dinner host, theater veteran Juliene Mendoza, providing quick bites of what Le Petit Chef is up to; to the mini movies projected on the tables with matching background music and sound; to Grand Hyatt executive chef Mark Hagen and his culinary team putting in the last piece of the puzzle with their interpretations of Le Petit Chef's dishes through their culinary craftsmanship. Everything just comes together for an immersive multi-sensory experience of sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste.

Guests first meet Le Petit Chef gathering greens for a salad. The Italian Burrata with Cherry Tomatoes and Arugula with a bit of balsamic vinegar from the Grand Hyatt Kitchen was a great start to the meal.

Le Petit Chef next goes off-shore to gather scallops, fish, clams, and prawns for his Bouillabaisse. In a case of the chef adding heart to the story, Chef Mark Hagen included the memory of learning to cook this seafood soup when he went to the south of France to cook at the Cannes Film Festival.

"I went to this old lady's house, and she could bouillabaisse the fish was fresh on the sea. The experience was just amazing, had the proper rouille and the cracker and saw how it's eaten by the old French fishermen," recounted Hagen.

The little chef then goes off camping in the outer wilds amid gigantic mushrooms for the third course, an upscaled chicken dish with a generous chunk of foie gras in the center served with beetroot tuile, and mushroom duxelles. Best to have everything in one bite to get the best balance of flavors from this dish.

On to the main course where the small chef transforms the diner’s plate into a fiery grill, with the intoxicating aroma of steak waiting in the wings. The char-grilled Australian Tenderloin was nicely seared and tender with broccoli puree, roasted carrot, and a potato galette on the side. That's a lovely pairing with some red wine, particularly the Pinot Noir that was offered that night. Soaking up remaining jus and brandy pepper sauce with a bit of the crunchy-on-the-outside, mushy-on-the-inside potato galette was an added treat.

Guests were treated to a whirlwind trip to India and China to collect ingredients for the first dessert. Be sure to dip your spoon to the bottom of the teacup to get some of the rice pudding and berries in the Mascarpone Crème Brûlée.

Lastly, Le Petit Chef braves the frozen wilds for the Homemade Chocolate Vanilla Baked Alaska made with Italian meringue and raspberries, which was a cool sweet way to end the meal.

The classic Le Petit Chef experience is priced at P5,800 per seat with more premium sets at PHP 6,300 to upgrade the steak course to Austalian Wagyu, and PHP 6,800 for the premium steak and an upgrade to lobster bouillabaisse. They also have a menu for kids from ages 5 to 12.

Bookings will be open to the public starting March 1, 2022. Only 16 slots are available per seating. For more details, call (02) 8838-1234, email manila.grand@hyatt.com, or visit the Le Petit Chef website.