Le Petit Chef Is a Cutting-Edge Dinner-and-Movie Prix Fixe

Le Petit Chef, a first-in-Hawai‘i experience, turns your table into a canvas where a tiny animated chef cooks a five-course dinner right onto your plate. Its debut at Romer House Waikīkī in March is Petit Chef’s nineteenth U.S. venue; more than 100 others stretch from Bangkok to Dubai to London. The brainchild of Belgian artist collective Skullmapping and Germany’s 2Spicy Entertainment, it uses cutting-edge mapping technology and vivid, vibrant artwork that screams to be posted on Instagram.

Photo: Laura Dornbush

The prix-fixe menu is crafted with Hawai‘i ingredients by Romer House executive chef Brad Dodson. Think bouillabaisse with mahi mahi and Kaua‘i shrimp, lobster with a miso-ginger-scallion sauce, Prime New York strip steak with mushroom purée and ‘ulu, and crème brûlée with coconut and macadamia nuts. The regular offering is $169, there are vegetarian ($139) and kids’ ($89) menus, and wine pairings are $45. A cocktail pairing is in the works too.

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Knowing Romer House is adults-only, I feel odd bringing my 9-year-old son, Duke, but the dinner is family-friendly. In fact, that’s the main draw for my husband and me: Entertain our son so we can relax and enjoy a nice meal. As it turns out, all of us are enchanted.

Photo: Laura Dornbush

The dining room is through an unmarked curtain inside 855-Aloha, making it feel like a speakeasy. Dark like a theater, the intimate space seats 28. There’s something different about the otherwise normal table settings—our plates are illuminated with the restaurant’s logo from a projector mounted above the table.

The show begins. Each course is preceded by an animated story that brings the dish to life. As the first act begins, a recorded narrative by Lanai Tabura of Cooking Hawaiian Style notes local ingredients used. His “broke da mouth” comment adds local flair.

Photo: Laura Dornbush

Our white tablecloth and plates light up with a garden scene. We watch as Le Petit Chef (he’s 2.4 inches tall) harvests vegetables and places them on our plates, all while battling a disruptive mole. The comical ending receives a collective laugh from the diners, especially Duke, who thinks it’s hilarious. Servers immediately bring out an heirloom tomato salad with whipped ricotta, mimicking the garden storyline we just saw.

My favorite storyline and dish duo is the third course. Here, lobster is plump and juicy—fittingly luxurious for our special night out. The bouillabaisse’s rich, complex flavor, enhanced with fennel and saffron, is the highlight for my husband.

Photo: Laura Dornbush

The kids’ menu stretches Duke’s picky palate with grownup selections such as ube gnocchi, but hits home with comfort foods like tomato soup with grilled cheese sandwich and steak and fries.

The evening has a magical quality that’s almost Disney-like. Throughout the two-hour show, each time the table transforms, we are transported into a fairytale where the little chef can do big things. Yes, it’s a pricey meal, but when you factor in the entertainment, it’s perfect for a special occasion.

Photo: Laura Dornbush

Here are a few things to know before you go:

• Reserve online in advance with a $30 per person deposit.
• There are two nightly seatings at 5:30 and 8:30 p.m.
• Arrive 30 minutes early, so you can get seated and order a drink before the show starts.
• Romer House offers complimentary validated three-hour valet parking, but it can fill up. The backup is complimentary validated self-parking at the Hyatt Centric a couple of blocks away.
• You’ll need a minimum of two people to book a reservation. Heads-up: You may be seated at a table with another group because of the technology.

Le Petit Chef, Romer House Waikīkī, 415 Nāhua St., Waikīkī, lepetitchef.com, @le.petitchef  

Laura Dornbush is a regular contributor to HONOLULU Magazine and HONOLULU Family. @ldornbush