You don't have to go out to order!

[thesimslover828]

If you have a chef's station, you can hire a chef, you can order food just like you can at a restaurant. Full menu included, even the new experimental foods. You can't order drinks from the chef, but you could just make drinks or hire a mixologist! I wonder if you could order for guests through the menu interaction, I could order for my Sim, just as if he was at a restaurant.
Edit: No you can't order for guests, or even other playable Sims.

[Caterina]

Nice! 

I was wondering how the chef's station would work at home. 

Do you know if your sim can cook at it?

[FrancescaFiori]

My sim can make the experimental foods on his chef station as long as he has learned them already by eating them at a restaurant. I think that's the only way to learn the special recipes.


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[CuriousSim]

Basically, the Chef Station functions as an oven. You can make about anything at it. However, it is the ONLY place, you can make experimental foods.

[thesimslover828]

My sim can make the experimental foods on his chef station as long as he has learned them already by eating them at a restaurant. I think that's the only way to learn the special recipes.


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My Sim ordered a experimental food, and learned it, after the chef left, I clicked the station and he could make the food he learned. Pretty neat you can learn them at home, I think.

[FrancescaFiori]

Very cool! That will make completing the experimental food photo collection easier, too!


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[oshizu]

When you prepare experimental food, does it level up Gourmet Cooking or Homestyle Cooking?

Sorry for the lazy question--I'm not able to actually prepare experimental food in my current game...


Edited to add: I just bought a chef station in game and note that "Cook an experimental meal" is an entirely separate category.
I'll need to do more research, I guess.

[Caterina]

I was wondering the same thing Oshizu.  Does the chef's station level a cooking skill?  I wonder if it is in the guide...

[oshizu]

I was wondering the same thing Oshizu.  Does the chef's station level a cooking skill?  I wonder if it is in the guide...

@Caterina
All I really know is that my sims need to have at Level 5 Homestye Cooking or know Gourmet Cooking in order to learn any experimental meal at a restaurant.
(The guide focuses on running a restaurant..)

[Caterina]

Thanks!  I might hop into an old game file and try it out.  My founder in my immortal dynasty is a wannabe master chef.  I thought the chef's station would look nice in her skilling kitchen when I build her one but I was hoping she would be able to use I to raise her skills.  Even if it was just for the experimental food, I would probably still do it.

[oshizu]

Thanks!  I might hop into an old game file and try it out.  My founder in my immortal dynasty is a wannabe master chef.  I thought the chef's station would look nice in her skilling kitchen when I build her one but I was hoping she would be able to use I to raise her skills.  Even if it was just for the experimental food, I would probably still do it.

You and I are probably the only ones not in the know, lol. I just checked the chef station and it says "+Cooking skill," so it does level homestyle cooking. I just got confused because its menu of dishes the sim can prepare also lists the Gourmet Cooking level. So Gourmet Cooking level determines which of the dishes the sim has tasted can actually be prepared. hmmm, hmmmm.

[Caterina]

I tried it out in a test file.  It appears like it would level cooking skill and probably gourmet cooking as you are allowed to choose both.  It was fun to have it in the household.  Your sims can get a meal cooked to order.  It was a bit expensive for chef, $800.  Also, I don't know how long they stick around for.  My game froze during my trial which was a little odd.  I think I will add the pre-designed kitchen that came with Dine Out to my dynasty house.  I wonder if caterers would man the chef station at a party.  So many things to try out!

[CuriousSim]

It seems to add to Gourmet Cooking. One of my Sims went to the next level in Gourmet Cooking, after using the cooking station.

[coolsim9999999]

It seems to add to Gourmet Cooking. One of my Sims went to the next level in Gourmet Cooking, after using the cooking station.

That's awesome, @CuriousSim!