Channeling your inner celebrity chef or your absolute worst cook is now possible in the virtual realm of video games, courtesy of Big Cheese Studio's Cooking Simulator. It's a food-making simulator game that offers a generous serving of over 80 recipes to try across its many DLCs, with all the pressure, mishaps, and stress that come with food preparation for restaurants.
It sets out to test your skills in cooking and patience against the backdrop of a highly demanding restaurant kitchen environment. Stir in rude customers that think your food stinks and the disasters bound to occur in the kitchen, and the vibe drastically changes from your childhood memories of Cooking Mama. Some recipes in the game are exceptionally exquisite, however, and are more likely to impress.
10 Lemon Chicken Breasts
Herbaceous and citrusy lemon chicken breasts are sure to impress the customers on any occasion. This classic option involves juicy roasted chicken bathed in a sauce of white wine, garlic, and herbs. It’s a less risky entrée to attempt as it only requires two time-essential cooking methods: simmering the sauce and baking the chicken.
The dish can bring in a potential of 55 in profit, 26 in fame, and a maximum of 14 cooking points. Just don’t overdo the chicken in the oven, miss any ingredients in the sauce, or spill it all over the place.
9 Penne In Salmon Sauce
Pasta and seafood are a match made in heaven, particularly this recipe - a salmon filet seared in butter and then drenched in a creamy sauce of sour cream, chives, and onion topped on pasta. As with the lemon chicken breast, this one also calls for two different cooking processes: boiling the pasta and panfrying the salmon.
Penne in salmon sauce can give you 58 points in profit, 28 in fame, and no more than 17 cooking points. If your pasta is too al dente or your salmon undercooked, your customers will make it known.
8 Chicken Tikka Masala
Chicken tikka masala is a traditional Indian recipe packed with a ton of flavor, a spicier offering for daring diners who don’t mind a bit of heat. However, be aware that bringing lots of flavors comes with lots of ingredients. Some you'll have to gather include garlic, ginger, tomato, milk, fenugreek, Serrano pepper, bell pepper powder, and milk.
The cooking process for the masala is a lot more intense as it requires four different components to be on the stove at varying cook times. If you’re up to the task, the dish can bring you 64 profit, 47 fame points, and 24 cooking points.
7 Sausage And Egg Muffin
It can't get any more classic than the sausage and egg muffin sandwich. A savory pork sausage smothered between a layer of egg and cheese makes the perfect breakfast. This meal can be cooked and plated pretty speedily, but remember that the sausage, egg, and muffin each must be cooked to their required times.
If your sausage gets scorched and your egg is missing, then prepare to get rebuked. If all goes well, your reward for making a superb sausage and egg muffin will be a generous 73 in profit, 23 fame points, and 14 cooking points.
6 Italian Home Fries
Cooking Simulator offers food items from around the world, and this one transports restaurant goers to Italy. Here you have a warm bed of garlic-infused sausage cooked with red bell pepper, seasoned with Italian herbs and spices, and plated with crispy potatoes. It's a delicious pairing of meat and potatoes with all the aromas of Italy, which hopefully your picky patrons will appreciate.
Making this crowd-pleaser can be a tedious process as there are a lot of components in play, so make sure you pay close attention and carefully look over the recipe instructions. A successful preparation racks in the same amount of profit as a sausage and egg muffin sandwich but earns you 46 fame points and 24 cooking points.
5 Kung Pao Chicken
This dish is packed with signature Asian flavor and is a takeout classic. It features crispy fried chicken breast pieces tossed in a kung pao sauce of balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, Sichuan pepper powder, and red chili flakes. It’s another spicy treat for heat lovers with an extensive ingredient list to bear in mind.
The fiery Kung Pao will get you 75 in profit, maximum fame of 37, and a total of 22 cooking points. So long as you don’t go off destroying taste buds with crazy amounts of chili flakes and soy sauce.
4 Brussels Sprouts With Pancetta And Chicken Wings
Brussels sprouts with pancetta and chicken wings is a health-conscious choice for those that love their veggies and desire fewer calories. The recipe features crispy brussels sprouts cooked in the same oil as the pancetta bacon and served with crispy chicken wings.
There are a lot of components to juggle when making this delectable dish, such as boiling the brussels sprouts, panfrying the pancetta, then panfrying the brussels sprouts, and separately baking the chicken wings. You will be rewarded a generous 84 in profit, 38 fame, and 22 cooking points.
3 Lemon Tart
This decadent item is one of 15 desserts offered in Cooking Simulator across its Food Network and Cakes and Cookies DLCs. The lemon tart calls for a blended custard of coconut milk, honey, and brown sugar, which makes it an excellent option for the non-dairy crowd. The custard gets transferred into a tart shell and mixed with a variety of fruits, including strawberries, bananas, oranges, and lemons.
As long as you don’t dump the entire bag of brown sugar or burn the tart shell to ashes, this dessert can make you a high 94 in profit, 25 fame, and 14 cooking points.
2 Grilled Buffalo Wings
Wing lovers rejoice because Cooking Simulator is putting its own spin on a classic buffalo wings recipe. Instead of a traditional buffalo sauce, the key ingredients used here are barbecue sauce, wine vinegar, and honey. Once the sauce simmers, the seasoned wings are coated and baked with the sauce.
And when the wings come out from the oven, they are placed on the grill to gain an added charred flavor. This dish collects 112 in profit, 30 max fame, and 20 cooking points.
1 Grilled Swordfish Provencal
This fish entrée worthy of a Michelin star restaurant takes you back to the Mediterranean, inspired by the flavors of the French region of Provence, bordering Italy. The delicate swordfish is grilled to perfection and drenched in a broth of onion, red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, garlic, white wine, anchovies, and spices.
It’s perhaps the most challenging plate of all here, with upwards of 13 ingredients and five different cooking elements, but also one with the most reward. If beautifully prepared, you will receive a whopping 121 in profit, 59 maximum fame points, and 34 cooking points.