Welcome to our review of Chef Life: A Restaurant Simulator, a new chef simulator out now on PlayStation, do you have what it takes to be a master chef?
Take the reins of your dream restaurant. Choose and customize dozens of kitchen components (cooking surfaces, food processors, ovens, etc.) to build your dream kitchen! Before firing up your burners, organize your team and manage your suppliers to obtain premium ingredients that would impress the most demanding of gourmets. Track your finances and predict how busy you will be so you are not overwhelmed by the dinner rush!
A menu built around your own tastes. Are you more of a bœuf bourguignon or caccio e pepe type of chef? Build your menu around classic dishes from French, Italian, and international cuisine! Are you looking to go beyond just basic recipes? Improve them and take them to new gastronomic heights! Adapt your menu to the seasons and your customers’ expectations to make a name for yourself.
Chop, grill, bake, mix and more! Your cooking and management skills will be put to the test during each service. Your team will provide invaluable help for satisfying your demanding customers. Manage the cutting, cooking, and all the preparation, right up to plating where you can add your creative touch.
From local café to Michelin-starred restaurant. Learn how to keep your customers loyal and grow your restaurant. Learn new recipes and refine your cooking skills. Do you want to become the neighborhood’s favorite hotspot, or will you pursue fine dining and ultimately earn a prestigious star from the Michelin Guide?
Chef Life: A Restaurant Simulator is a real-life simulator with its focus on the life of a chef in the restaurant of their dreams. In itself, this game is a lot better than what you’d expect. Sure, the game is basic, and it is small in size at just 3 gigabytes, but the real wrecking ball lies in its versatility. From getting a basic fries and steak to learning how to properly season a dish, there is a lot of depth in this game, having been a dishwasher in a Michelin star restaurant in my youth myself, the game does hold some reality to it.
Not that it will present you with a real adrenalin rush, heck, just watching a TV show like Chopped brings more excitement really, but the game is more about the experience and well, once you get into it, it sure delivers. I liked the atmosphere, even though the initial first impression was more of a robotic one. Moving around the kitchen seemed odd and not everything was set up the way I remember. But that is when the game grabbed my hand and I ended up playing more than I originally planned.
Sure, these games are incredibly niche, but I had a fun time. Would I buy a follow-up game? Probably not, despite my love for cooking shows on TV. And that is where games like these fall, a great distraction for a while, not sure how its longevity will be, though I guess the small size it takes up on my hard disk sure is a very big bonus, those 3 gigs might be reserved for this Chef Life: A Restaurant Simulator game for a very long time…
In conclusion, Chef Life: A Restaurant Simulator is niche but fun. If you are into sim games and cooking, do give this one a try, also available on many other platforms which is a bonus!
