Every now and then, Bangkok welcomes foreign organizers looking to allure local foodies and thrill-seeking diners by hosting gimmicky dining experiences. (Remember the exhilarating eating experience provided by Dining in the Sky or the white-washed Diner en Blanc, which turned out to be similar to a fake wedding?) This year, Dinner Time Story, the same organizer who brought those hyped meals to Bangkok, brings a one-of-a-kind dining extravaganza to Embassy Room at Park Hyatt Bangkok, but in the form of a “bedtime story.”
The story unravels with the help of Le Petit Chef, a miniscule, tech-enhanced culinary figure who embarks on a journey along the Silk Road right on the dinner table. Along the way, the “world’s smallest chef” invites you to indulge in five courses, each one inspired by the destinations he visits.
You would know what we’re talking about if you’re deep-pocketed enough to have dined at Ultraviolet by Paul Pairet in Shanghai. The experience at Embassy Room follows a similar high-tech approach created by Skullmapping that involves 3D projection, video, light and sound to stimulate the senses while dining. Throughout 90 minutes, diners follow the journey of the 3D-projected Le Petit Chef as he traces the route taken by Marco Polo from his hometown in Marseilles, France to the Middle East, India and China—on a hologram map displayed just on the edges of your plate.
You’re not there just for the show—there’s food that’s waiting to be enjoyed along with Le Petit Chef’s story. Embassy Room’s chef de cuisine, Pierre Tavernier, delivers an appetizing five-course dinner to complement the audio-visual gimmickry. The meal he’s prepared starts off with a French-style amusebouche, followed by three Arabic dishes— smoked eggplant, herbs and pomegranate; lamb skewers with cumin and bulgur; and grilled prawns with fattoush salad. A stop in India introduces you to a Madras curry with scallops, butter chicken and red lentil soup, while a main course of steamed seabass with bok choy and ginger represents China’s gastro offerings. The meal ends on a high note with a crème brûlée that incorporates distinct ingredients from each of the three lands Le Petit Chef journeys to.
Is the experience worth it? It is, although it doesn’t come cheap. You can pay B3,299 for the “regular” meal or fork out B3,999 for an option that’s elevated by luxurious ingredients such as lobster and caviar. The food is delicious and executed brilliantly, even if the interpretation of each traditional cuisine is a little too literal, but it’s all the innovative and immersive technology that makes multi-sensory dinner one that’s hard to forget.
