We’d think we’d have learned a thing or two about running a successful restaurant given all the hours we’ve watched Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares. The only thing we seem to have picked up is his foul-mouthed tirades after a few hours in Chef Life: A Restaurant Simulator.
On our opening night, we were flipping meats and cutting vegetables. It was a cook-fest. But soon we lost track, turning dishes into barely recognisable gloop, and leaving our customers hungry and annoyed. How do you burn a salad?
Even though it has a somewhat unpolished presentation, Chef Life is still a fun game. It starts with ordering products, and you can prep for the evening’s service. You choose the dishes, and then you cook them.
When you cook, you need to manage your time and use the right analog stick. Stir it in a circular motion before the stir bar fills up. In the same way, flip the steak before one side burns, and take those chips out of the deep-fat fryer before they turn crispy and hollow.
The rewards will be tips if you do well. You can spend your hard-earned coin on new cooking equipment, décor for your restaurant, furniture, and so on. With time, you’ll learn new recipes and tweak old ones. You’ll eventually get more chefs to help you out. You can also lower the difficulty if you’re struggling, making it quite chilled out if that’s what you prefer
Pros:
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It feels good to get a meal right.
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Plating your own dishes.
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Gameplay loops.
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The simple mode makes for chill cooking.
Cons:
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Frequent minor glitches.
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Effortless.
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Where is the lamb sauce?
The score is 6 out of 10