5 reasons to try part two of Le Petit Chef's 3D dining experience in Riyadh
Get ready to be taken on a whirlwind experience of Le Petit Chef and his travels, paying tribute to Marco Polo…
We first encountered Le Petit Chef early this year when this whimsical 3D dining experience first launched at Le Meridien Riyadh.
This time, it’s back again with part two of its multi-sensory culinary adventure.
For those unfamiliar with Le Petit Chef, it is the journey of the world’s tiniest chef, who follows in the same footsteps as Marco Polo, making numerous discoveries while travelling along the famous Silk Road.
From an inspiring multi-cultural six-course menu to the use of highly innovative technology, here are five reasons why you should try this immersive and must-Instagram dining event.
1. It’s fun dining for the whole family
Suitable for diners of all ages, Le Petit Chef takes you on an adventurous journey like never before. Not only it brings you flavours from around the world, but Le Petit Chef also shares where the inspiration for the night’s meal comes from.
What’s more, it’s a great way to introduce your kids to parts of the world they’ve never travelled to, leaving them with a thirst for adventure.
Parents will be pleased to know that a children’s menu (Marco Polo Kids Adventure, SAR344) is also available for those up to 10 years of age. And who knows, the visual feast from the whole experience may just inspire your little picky eaters to try every dish, too.
2. Speaking of a visual feast, the technology is pretty remarkable
Le Petit Chef offers a cutting-edge dining experience, which comes to life using a brilliant mix of overhead projection, state-of-the-art 3D mapping technology and visual storytelling by Belgian creative agency Skullmapping.
At Le Petit Chef, Marco Polo’s travels are literally brought to life. Think incredibly vivid animation splashed across the walls and tables of Kazo’s dining room, transporting diners across the world and firing up all of your senses at once.
It’s as close as one can get to smelling the multi-coloured spices of India or feeling the icy-cold wind while trekking the Himalayas without actually being there.
3. You get to enjoy flavours from around the world
Go to any restaurant in Riyadh, and you will find that most will likely only focus on a single type of cuisine. But every course served here is inspired by a different country that Marco Polo visited on his travels.
While his real journey ended up taking about 24 years, this dining event takes you on a two-hour expedition to discover the cuisine of Marseille, Arabia, India, the Himalayas, and China.
4. The curated menu is tantalisingly delicious
Le Petit Chef offers two different menus: Marco Polo Journey (SAR574 per person) and Marco Polo Expedition (SAR804 per person). Of course, the latter includes a more premium ingredient for one of the dishes.
Your culinary journey starts in France, where you will experience your first dish – Nicoise salad with sous vide tuna, quail egg, green beans and baby potatoes. We love that the tuna’s texture is delectably firm yet moist and tender.
We find ourselves exploring the Middle East for the second act, which also brings forth our second course – a hearty Harira soup.
Travelling towards India, you’ll be greeted with Tandoori prawns with mint chutney, served alongside tamarind jelly with salad and papdi chaat. If you’re on the Expedition menu, it will feature lobster instead of prawns.
For the uninitiated, Papdi chaat is a North Indian street food snack made up of fried flour crackers, boiled potatoes, yoghurt, and spices. It is absolutely delicious, with crunchy, soft, and fluffy textures and smothered in tangy, sweet and spicy flavours.
After all that spice and rich flavours, it’s time to cool down. At this point, you’ll find Le Petit Chef atop the Himalayas. Your palate cleanser is then served in the form of refreshing lime sorbet.
Next, we’re traversing east towards China. Tuck into slow-roasted beef short ribs glazed with Sichuan pepper sauce, served with fried rice and stir-fried pak choy and shimeji mushrooms. The meaty beef is fork-tender, and the sauce gives the dish some kick without being too spicy.
For the finale, inspiration from all the travels comes together to create a beautiful chocolate and passion fruit mousse with crunchy crumble and berry compote. Such a show-stopping dish.
5. You’ll have an amazing experience, thanks to your entertaining tour guide
This is definitely not your bog-standard hop-on, hop-off, double-decker bus tour. Instead, the highlight has to be the tiny and funny Frenchman by the name of Le Petit Chef, who takes you on a whirlwind experience.
He steals the show with his endearing accent and antics, bravely sailing stormy seas and barely escaping death by a fire-breathing dragon, all while his travellers keep on giggling every step of the way.
Le Petit Chef 2.0 Show, Kazo, Le Meridien Riyadh, Ibn Abdulaziz Road, Al Woroud District, King Abdullah, Riyadh 11544. Book your 6pm or 9pm seating here. Tel: 059 837 0780. @kazo_riyadh
Images: Provided