Jenny Phetxayrat and Quentin Zimbalist are adding to Philadelphia’s culinary scene with their own Thai – Laos influenced pop up dinner series, ‘Objects: In Dinner.’
The concept is simple—everyone seated is served each of the four courses at the same time, allowing each person to experience and bond over each dish simultaneously.
The duo started out by hosting dinner parties for friends. From there, Zimbalist and Phetxayarat had the idea to reach out to different venues to attempt to offer this experience on a larger scale, as well as promote their commitment to fostering community through dining.
“Our shared passion for cooking for friends creates a strong foundation,” said Phetxayrat. “Our styles compliment each other, elevating the dining experience. Through collaboration and mutual inspiration, we harmoniously blend our techniques.”
The duo recently hosted a pop-up dinner at Triple Bottom Brewing, and are now ready for seconds. On Saturday, Sept. 16, they will be hosting their second dinner pop up at Forin coffee and wine shop in East Kensington. Following dinner, there will be a dance party with DJ Baejawn.
Phetxayrat grew up in a Laos and Thai household learning various recipes and culinary concepts from her mother. She often calls her mother about recipes, ingredients and instructions on how to recreate specific dishes. This translates to dinner guests experiencing that cultural history.
Phetxayrat further told Metro that in the process of recreating these dishes, Quentin is the one who will usually throw his own twist on the dish. However, the goal is to maintain the cultural integrity for all dishes.
“We both just love to cook. We love experimenting and refining our craft, and we are definitely both still learning every day,” Zimbalist said.
To attend the ‘Objects’ pop up dinner, one must reserve seating through the Resy platform when the dinners are announced via their Instagram page. The ‘Objects in Dinner’ pop ups seat around 60 individuals. The chefs prefer to have the seatings in incremental time slots, so everyone in attendance gets each meal off the 4-course menu at the same time, and can share the experience of each course.
“As we grow, our core values will remain. We’re aiming to have a memorable presence in Philly, while also spreading our concepts to innovation with a bigger audience,” said Phetxayrat.
While the series is relatively young and continues to grow, they’re still refining the process.
That being said, the duo are very interested in teaming up with locals in the community, mixing ideas, adapting to different concepts, and fostering connections along their journey. Their vision currently is about crafting food and giving a culinary experience that hits home for all.
For more information, visit the @objectsindinner on Instagram and visit resy.com
