There are many restaurant options at Vidanta Nuevo Vallarta, but the Le Petit Chef show at the venue that was previously the Ameca Social House is truly unique. It is an intimate environment with only 4 groups for each sitting. After a somewhat drawn out introduction, the show begins. The meal consists of 5 courses and 6 paired drinks. Each course is accompanied by a 3D show with the 6 inch tall, virtual Petit Chef standing on your plate as the emcee. Le Petit Chef - competition version
An interesting mezcal cocktail started off followed immediately by a crazy appetizer. It was a tomato stuffed with a type of guacamole over a bed of crushed blue corn. Unique is not an adequate term. The tomatoe was accompanied by a sad historical story about the introduction of tomatoes to the new world and tomato acid resulting in lead poisoning back in the Aztec days. It is virtually impossible to describe, so I am including pictures throughout to illustrate. If you have done this one there is also a new
Artist Soup
The soup was easily the most interesting course. Paired with a light white wine, it started with vVarious bright colored edible items decorated a bowl. These were then poured over with an elegant potato/leek cream soup and you are provided with an edible paint brush to customize your soup experience ! You have to appreciate abstract art to enjoy it completely. Thankfully we do and we did.
Salmon Cake
The next course was a salmon cake also paired with a white wine. The cake was dense and nicely spiced. Honestly, this was our least favorite course of the night. Except for friend Mary, who never met a fish she didn’t love !
Where’s the Beef?
The beef dish with dark, rich gravy was wonderfully tender and savory, accompanied by medallions of pureed pumpkin and whipped potatoes. I hope it doesn’t sound to Gringo of me to say that it was a nice break from tacos and enchiladas. Of course, the wine pairing changed from white to red for this dish. It was an unusually full bodied pinot noir. I’m sorry to say most Pinot’s are a bit thin for me, but not this one. If you are a vegetarian, I am sorry you had to miss this course. That was a joke, some of my best friends and one of my sons is a vegetarian. A vegetarian option was provided for this course, but I unfortunately, no one at our table tried it.
Dessert
Dessert was a mix your own parfait. It was topped with a marshmallow cream that they torched to finish it with a flair. Also paired with a good red wine.
Final Assessment
Le Petit Chef is certainly pricey. However, it was, I think, by far the best meal we had on this trip and the show was well done and entertaining. I did have some difficulty understanding the French chef. I think maybe it was a sound system issue. And maybe I am worried that I am getting stodgy, but I wasn’t totally into the chef’s hats handed out for final photos. Overall, however, it was well worth a splurge and I am happy to recommend the Le Petit Chef the next time you rent a week from us at Vidanta Nuevo Vallarta. Our two guests that attended with us totally concur.
4 Comments. Leave new
Great animated holographic show!!!! Not worth the time! Insult to French dining!!! Gastronomical food, but we had to literally wolf down a 5 course meal with 5 different types of alcoholic beverages within 90 minute sitting!!! Sometimes we had 3 glasses of drinks sitting near our plate!! Not an enjoyable evening out! Disappointed…. Will not recommend! We went to the Bistro Bleu for the same price and enjoyed savouring the meal for 3 hrs!
Yes, this is definitely not French dining. This is creative food wrapped in entertainment. We didn’t feel rushed, but we didn’t think of it as leisurely European cuisine.
[…] it’s not the cheapest activity on the resort, Le Petit Chef is a perfect combination of creative and delicious food and high tech entertainment. There are […]
Great idea. YOu can phone 011 52 (984) 206-4003 for the Grand Mayan and they can connect you to get a reservation. Only needs to be a few days before arrival.
Enjoy !