Epic Chef: Beginner’s Guide, Tips & Tricks

by Falagar / Game Guides, General Guides / 14 Nov 2021

A great chef thinks like a scientist, measures ingredients like an accountant, cooks like a grandmother, and decorates like an artist. They bring the soul into a recipe Thomas Keller could only grasp at in a dream state. A great dish is not only about mixing the right ingredients together. Anybody can do that. It’s about achieving that euphoric sensation where flavor and consciousness collide to create unfathomable explosions that leave your taste buds wanting for more. Epic Chef has done a superb job of bringing that experience to the world of gaming.

In this story-driven adventure game, you become Zest, an aspiring young man with humble beginnings who intends to become the greatest chef in all of Ambrosia. The game begins with you landing on the golden shores of Ambrosia. You are given some land, a home, and a pat on the back. From this point onwards, you’ll write your own history. Grow ingredients on your farm and experiment with hundreds of culinary combinations to outperform your competition and impress the judges simultaneously.

Become a part of this magical culinary expedition and rediscover yourself as the cook you’re always meant to be by stepping into the world of Epic Chef.

Farming

Zest can grow his own crops in the Villa grounds. He must first dig a plot using the Hoe and then plant a bag of seeds.

Each plant produces a fixed number of crops, which is displayed above the plant when Zest stands near it.

Once the last crop has been harvested, the plant dies, and Zest must grow a new one by planting more seeds.

Crafting

Zest can craft a variety of things, from Special Ingredients for cooking to Bait used in Fishing.

As long as Zest has the required materials in his inventory, he can craft whatever he needs by selecting the recipe from the Specialist building.

Birch

Birch can be obtained through an optional quest. He can be instantly summoned to Zest’s location and offers extra storage for the all-important ingredients.

If Birch’s stamina is reduced to 0, he will refuse to move. His stamina is replenished by feeding him cooked dishes. Seafood and Meat will upgrade his maximum stamina and speed, so Zest should experiment with various dishes.

Livestock

Zest can raise livestock, but first, he must summon them with an Invoker.

He must feed them with their special foods and ensure their happiness. In return, they will provide him with extra Ingredients or maybe even make the ultimate sacrifice.

Livestock will roam around and eat crops, so Zest must keep them contained with Fences and Gabes.

Ingredients

Ingredients are the foundation of cooking, and they contain both Flavours and Properties that Zest must harness if he is going to get the most out of them and become a successful chef.

Ingredients can be obtained in various ways: farming, planting trees, fishing, rearing livestock, creating new combinations in the Mixer Building, or even just finding them on the floor!

Ingredient Properties

Every ingredient has one property from Land, Sea, or Magic, and one property from Animal Vegetable or Mixed.

Ingredient Properties are used Go activate Synergy bonuses on Ingredients, and this occurs when compatible Ingredients are cooked together.

Chef Level

The Chef Level determines how proficient Zest is with his ingredients. Continually improving the Chef Level unlocks more powerful Synergy bonuses on ingredients.

In order to increase the Chef level, Zest must eat a cooked dish at the Kitchen table. The Dish Score is multiplied with Zest’s Skills and burned into experience points that goes towards the Chef Level.

Synergy

Some ingredients have up to 3 score bonuses on them, activated through Synergy, and added to the Dish Score. There are three ways to activate a Synergy:

1) It is the first ingredient cooked in the pan.

2) Ingredient properties 1 AND 2 on an ingredient match the Synergy conditions of another ingredient.

3) An ingredient is paired with a specific ingredient.

Eating

Zest can eat a cooked dish at the Kitchen table. In order to do so, he must have at least one Skill Level that is greater than x0.

He can only eat one dish per day, so he must ensure that his Skills are maximized as much as possible.

Cooking Battles

Throughout Zest’s adventures, he will encounter many Cooking Battles.

They are fought against one other opponent over 1, 2, or 3 rounds. The contestants take it in turn to cook a dish, and the judge bastes each one. The winner is the chef with the highest Dish Score(s) at the end of the contest.

Judges may have various likes and dislikes, so Zest must figure out how to use these to his advantage when creating his dishes. Use these to his advantage when creating his dishes.

Aroma

Aroma is gained through leaving flavors in the pan and collecting them before they disappear. To obtain a low Aroma score, simply stir the flavors as they appear.

Judges will always taste the dish with the highest Aroma score first. This is useful if the Judge offers one burn-only bonus at the start of a match. Conversely, the Judge may have a negative taste for one burn, so scoring low Aroma will ensure that Zest bypasses it.

Activities

In order to increase his Skills, Zest can take part in various activities around the city, such as Swimming and Studying. Activities give experience points towards his Skills;

Once the Skill experience bar is full, Zest will gain a higher Skill level in increments of 0.5, up to a maximum of 5.

Higher-level Activities can be unlocked by completing Quests.

Fishing

There are many wonderful and varied sea creatures in the Concordian waters, so it would be a waste if Zest did not take advantage.

Zest must first equip his Fishing Rod and then cast the line near the water’s edge. Some sea creatures are harder to catch than others, but these creatures have more Ingredient Flavours and more potent Synergy bonuses.

Bait

Zest can fish without any bait, but the chances of catching something tasty are slim to none. He can use basic Ingredients such as Seaweed or a Crab as bait, but if he is serious about catching top bier creatures, then he must craft specialist bait at the Bait Building.

Zest can select which Bait to use after he has cast the line into the water.

Quests

Zest will be required to go on several quests and help the townsfolk of Ambrosia. He will gain valuable rewards such as Gold and Skill levels by completing various Quests.

He can keep track of active Quests in the Quest Log.

Saving The Game

In order to save Zest’s progress, Zest must sleep in his villa. The earliest time that he can go to sleep is 10 pm.

Tournaments

Tournaments are a series of 10 Cooking Battles that Zest can take part in to show off his culinary skills and gain valuable rewards by winning tokens and trading them in at the Tournament organizer.

Each district has its own themed Tournament, with each Tournament and Cooking Battle more difficult than the one before.

Wardrobe

Zest will pick up many outfits on his adventures, and he can swap his outfit at any time by going into his Wardrobe.

There is one in the villa and several more dotted around the city.

Critic Magazine

Customers will leave their comments here, and Zest should use them to improve the Menu and the Decor. They will give Zest clues about what they would like more/less of, in terms of specific Ingredients and Flavours.

The Prestige level for the Restaurant is also displayed here.

Decor

Aside from having a varied Menu, Zest must also maintain the Decor in his Restaurant. He can craft Decor items from the Construction Menu and place them anywhere in the Restaurant dining areas.

Beware: If Zest removes Decor and does not replace it, this may negatively affect the Prestige level of the Restaurant.

Prestige

When customers are satisfied with the Menu and Decor, they will rate the Restaurant positively, and the Restaurant will gain Prestige.

Prestige is calculated every morning, and an update is given.

Beware; Prestige can also be deducted if Zest changes the Menu or Decor that no longer meets the needs of the regular customers.

Falagar

He is the founder and editor of Magic Game World. He loved gaming from the moment he got a PlayStation 1 with Gran Turismo on his 7th birthday.
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