We’re all bound to experience those awkward dinners where we have to act like we’re having a great time, when in reality all we really want is to just go home. We could stuff our faces with food and make it impossible to talk, but life doesn’t always work that way.

That’s where this new, brilliant projection mapping project comes into play.

Titled “Le Petit Chef,” this project brings mini-chefs to your dinner table to “prepare” your food right in front of you while you wait for it to arrive. You won’t have to engage in awkward small talk, and you’ll definitely have something to talk about later.

Le Petit Chef was created by Skullmapping, an artist collective in Germany that specializes in 3D projection mapping. This particular project combined 3D animation and motion picture, turning restaurant-goers’ dishes into projected grills.

Your miniature, personal chefs don’t just cook for you, either — they always end up in some sort of predicament, becoming protagonists of their own little comical stories along the way.

And while these little chefs will most certainly be your saviors during even the most awkward of moments, they’ll also make family dinners and dates truly memorable. If only they did this at every restaurant!