There is something about a professional chef that is truly fascinating. They have to maintain an appearance of composure towards guests while managing the chaos that is the kitchen during the dinner rush. People love chefs to the point that there have been dozens of shows dedicated to master chefs and the art of cooking.
RELATED: The Best Cooking Games Available On The Switch
But video game chefs are in a tier all their own. Sure, their methods may be unorthodox (some aren't even human) but their results are truly something else. So whether they're a filet mignon or a dubious foodstuff, these are the most memorable chefs in gaming.
11 Ox - PO'ed
PO'ed tells the story of Ox, a chef on a spaceship transporting space marines. After the ship crash lands on a planet, all of the marines are killed and Ox is left with just his butcher knife and frying pan to defend himself and get himself home to his mom.
Not many people played this game and it got middling reviews at best, but it cannot be denied that the chef on the cover of the game is awesome. A jetpack, machine gun, AND a frying pan? That's the perfect recipe for a badass.
10 El Fuerte - Street Fighter 4
One of the best tropes in fighting video games is the fighting chef. Not only are they a master of the culinary arts, but they're also a master of martial arts! And Street Fighter 4, Capcom finally gave players El Fuerte: The Hurricane Of The Gulf Of Mexico.
El Fuerte is a luchador on a quest to perfect his fighting and cooking skills. However, it is clear that he is much more skilled at the former than the latter. Opponents are often seen tasting his food and acting either disgusted or apathetic. Maybe when he finally makes a return, he'll have made some progress.
9 Chef Kawasaki - Kirby
The Kirby series is known for its plethora of adorable characters. And amongst the ranks of Waddle Dees and Dedede, there's Chef Kawasaki. Introduced as a mid-boss in Super Star, Chef Kawasaki is now one of Kirby's best allies.
RELATED: Times Food Bit Back In Gaming
However, it is shown in the show Kirby: Right Back At Ya! that Kawasaki is rather incompetent as a chef. Also, there is the question of what exactly Chef Kawasaki is. However, given his resemblance to a McDonald's chicken nugget, it can be safe to assume that Chef Kawasaki is, indeed, a sentient chicken nugget.
8 Bravo Peperoncine - Chaos Code
Another fighting chef, Bravo Peperoncini is a master Italian chef who loves Chinese cuisine more than anything. He loves it so much that Bravo actually traveled to China in order to find the Chaos Code, this game's macguffin, and save his dying restaurant/prove to his teacher that Chinese-Italian fusion cuisine works.
As seen with El Fuerte, the goals of fighting game characters can be pretty ridiculous, but the idea of a chef seeking out an immensely powerful item in order to make someone who trained you to like Italian-Chinese Fusion is unbelievably specific. That being said, Bravo Peperoncine looks particularly impressive for someone who only eats Italian and Chinese food.
7 Gourmand - Power Stone 2
The Power Stone series is one of the most underrated series in Sega's library. Not only is the fun party combat perfect for couch co-op, but it also has a ton of fun and surprisingly dark characters. One of those is Gourmand, a head chef on a luxurious airship.
His full title is "Evil Chef Gourmand" because he is secretly ravenous and his sole goal is to consume rare delicacies. Oh, and he can also transform into a Tyrannosaurus Rex. Yeah, the game really buried the lede on that one.
6 Quina Quen - Final Fantasy 9
On a list that includes a guy that can turn into a T-Rex and what seems to be a sentient chicken nugget, Quina Quen from Final Fantasy 9 is easily the weirdest character. Quina is a Qu and is out on a quest to consume new cuisine. With their voracious and strange appetite, that happens quite a lot.
RELATED: Weirdest Cars In Video Games
What makes Quina Quen especially unique is the way they utilize their Blue Magic. Instead of using an item or just learning new abilities, Quina has to eat an enemy when they are at a quarter health or below. All this strangeness makes Quina Quen one of the most unique and best comic relief characters in all of Final Fantasy.
5 Chef Saltbaker - Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course
When most of the characters in your game are based on utensils and food, a chef can be truly terrifying. And while Chef Saltbaker from the Cuphead DLC appears kind and helpful at first, he definitely fits the bill as an evil chef.
A sentient salt shaker, Chef Saltbaker originally says that he wants to make a Wondertart to bring Ms. Chalice back to life. However, it's revealed at the end of the game that one of the main ingredients of the Wondertart is a literal soul from one of your friends. What follows is an epic battle that is as difficult as it is gorgeous. But what else would you expect from Cuphead?
4 Peter Pepper - BurgerTime
Back in the 1980s, video games were as strange as they were simple. This resulted in some classic arcade experiences like Centipede, Q*Bert, and BurgerTime.
BurgerTime tells the story of chef Peter Pepper as he avoids sentient food in order to make burgers. Naturally, the way these burgers are made is by walking on top of the various ingredients and making them fall onto the burger. Sanitary issues aside, this made for an iconic game that is arguably the first food game ever made.
3 Meowscular Chef & Grammeowster Chef - Monster Hunter World
Monster Hunting is hard work. Your sword is big and the monsters you're hunting are even bigger. So when you get back to camp, you're gonna want to rest up and eat some delicious food to raise your strength. That's where the Meowscular and Grammeowster Chefs from Monster Hunter World come in.
RELATED: The Best Cats In Video Game History
The Meowscular Chef is a buff Felyne and is the former Palico partner of the Admiral who is obsessed with gains. After breaking his sword, he trained with the Grammeowster Chef and opened his own canteen. In the Iceborne DLC, the Grammeowster Chef takes on the role of her mentee and started serving food at Seliana's Canteen. Both are adorable, hilarious, and arguably the best thing to come out of Monster Hunter World.
2 Mama - Cooking Mama
It's hard to talk about cooking in video games without talking about Mama from Cooking Mama. She's basically the symbol everyone thinks of whenever they think of the food game genre. And who doesn't love that face? Mama almost always has a big smile on her face and is constantly offering support even when you're really messing up.
Easily the most knowledgeable chef on this list, Mama has been around since 2006 making all kinds of dishes from jambalaya to samosas. Mama is basically the Martha Stewart of video games.
