AV on the Menu is a new series of articles that dive into the intersection of the culinary world and the AV industry. Whether it’s immersive dishes, projection-mapped tables, or digital menus, this series will not only have you drooling but learning about exciting new tech, too.  

Attention parents who often wrangle their kids from the TV to the dinner table: why not both? 

No, I’m not suggesting you plop your child in front of the 60-inch LED at your local sports bar (though no judgement here). I’m talking about the immersive culinary experience that is Le Petit Chef, a traveling tour of animated gastronomy.

What is Le Petit Chef? 

Le Petit Chef was born in 2015 by the folks at Skullmapping, an artistic collective based in Belgium. It began from a simple idea: adding a miniature, digital chef to diners’ plates. The chef could be used to keep patrons busy during the “dead time” between ordering and receiving their meal. A video of Le Petit Chef was posted on YouTube to present to restaurants, and in no time it had gone viral.  

The experience begins with the six-centimeter-tall chef popping up from your table and proceeding to make a meal through foraging, grilling, and even hacking down a broccoli tree with his mini chainsaw. During your meal, your table could become an ocean, a snowy field, or any other location that contributes to a story based entirely around your meal. 

Diners have a front-row seat to their dish’s creation, while their edible dish is being crafted behind the scenes in the kitchen. The show lasts somewhere between one and a half to two hours and it is recommended for diners aged six and up. Don’t worry, there is a kid’s menu for le petit eaters.

What’s on the menu? 

Speaking of the menu, the food offerings are based on the restaurant you visit. So in the U.S., for instance, the mini chef in Kansas City offers you a strip steak, while your petit pal in Nashville serves up a filet mignon. Though the courses vary, the fixed price for the show includes a four- or five-course meal and there is always a vegetarian option.  

The choices are anything but bland, so if you’re worried the chef is sacrificing quality for novelty, rest assured that there are dishes for the true gourmands. Le Petit Chef at the Hotel Hofmatt in Switzerland will prepare you a rosewater and wasabi chocolate tart. Previous showings have been hosted by the Culinary Insititute of America where your meal is not only prepared by an animated chef, but a classically trained one as well.  

How does Le Petit Chef work? 

Le Petit Chef starts with an idea that is carefully planned like any animated production. Each scene is tested with an animatic, or an animated storyboard, to plan each of the chef’s movements. The movements are then acted out and recorded via motion capture and eventually lighting and texture are added for realism. The finished animation is then projection mapped to your restaurant table. Projection mapping is a technique that essentially turns any surface into a display, like buildings or theatrical stages. In this case, a blank white table acts as the tiny chef’s digital canvas.  

Projection mapping can be either 2D or 3D. In the case of Le Petit Chef, the show is projected in 2D and relies on optical illusion (anamorphosis) to simulate a little chef moving in what appears to be 3D space. The viewer must be perfectly situated above the projected image for the illusion of 3D to work, as the wrong vantage point will display a long, distorted image. Panasonic projectors are thoughtfully placed above the tables to ensure a perfect mapping and uphold the illusion that a little man is wandering around your table.  

Restaurant Projection Mapping: What to Consider 

There are a few things to keep in mind when adding projection mapping to a restaurant.  

Lighting 

Restaurant lighting can vary based on the ambiance the owners are trying to create, but if you’re projection mapping, you need to have total control of the lighting in the room. So obviously no sun-soaked spaces and if you’re projecting outdoors, you’ll want to wait until after dark. If your diners will be eating during daytime, adequate window shades are a must. 

Size and location of projectors 

To preserve the magic of your projection-mapped meal, projectors need to be discreet, yet perfectly located.  The smallest projector possible for an immersive dining experience is preferred, and the location is important for keeping your diners focused on the table. The moment your audience is distracted by your equipment, you’ve probably lost them. 

Resolution 

High resolution projection is extremely important when working with miniature elements. Your audience is very close to the screen (aka your table) and you don’t want them to be able to see pixels in what is meant to be perceived as an aquatic landscape.   

Where can you experience Le Petit Chef? 

If you’re now intrigued and wondering where and when you can catch a show, you may be in luck. The concept can now be found in over 50 restaurants worldwide, and the list continues to grow and migrate each year. You can check out the full list of participating restaurants on the Le Petit Chef website and take a look at the full experience in the video below.