Tales of Vesperia Part #134 - The Cooking Coliseum

Part 134: The Cooking Coliseum

Next thing on our agenda: Cooking! I probably mentioned that before in some sidenote, and it's not really important for most things, but you can actually get some new recipes by cooking recipes you already have with certain characters certain amount of times. It's not exactly interesting to watch, so just trust me that I did that for every recipe that can be obtained that way.

Once we have all but one recipe, the Wonder Chef will show up in Nordopolica.

My eyes have not deceived me. All of you are now worthy to stand atop the stage of glory!

Huh?

Before long, a cooking battle will be held, in order to promote goodwill between the Empire and the Guilds. I'd like to nominate you to represent the Guilds.

A cooking battle, eh? Why not enter, yourself?

We chefs have our own competition against the chefs of the imperial court. The competition you will be appearing in is an exhibition match.

Ya say ya compete against the imperial chefs every year? 'Sfirst I ever heard of that.

In the kitchen, we chefs act with fairness and equality. Our interactions with the imperial chefs have always taken place behind closed doors.

With the recent cooperation between the Empire and the Guilds, it's become possible for you to do a public competition.

It's a chance to improve our guild's reputation...but it would be terrible if we lost...

Uhh... I don't know about this...

Fear not! Your opponent is an amateur. And what's more, with what I'm about to give you, victory will surely be within your grasp. I present to you now...the ultimate dish!

If you use that dish, along with all of my recipes that you've mastered so far, surely nothing will stand in the way of you becoming first-class chefs! Now go! Waste not a single moment! Your training awaits! I'll be waiting for you on the stage of glory, in Dahngrest's Cooking Coliseum!

Wow, a cooking battle...

Promoting goodwill between the Empire and the Guilds is important!

Well then, it sounds like we'll need to pay a visit to Dahngrest sometime soon.

We now have all recipes in the game. For completion's sake, here's the full list:

Out of those, the Skewers, Steak, Fisherman's Hotpot, Beef Stew, and Seafood Stew are PS3-exclusive. All of them except the Fisherman's Hotpot actually have their text data in the 360 version as well, though I have never tried if they would work properly if you hacked them in.

As mentioned, we need to head over to Dahngrest. One character in our party, doesn't matter who, should have Mastered most of the recipes before entering this cooking battle.

...Ah, the guild representatives? Excellent. Once inside, you will not be able to withdrawal from the match or leave until it is finished. Have you made all the necessary preparations?

Yes.

Your entry has been accepted. I'm terribly sorry, but for sanitary reasons, your canine friend will unfortunately be unable to enter the Cooking Coliseum.

I'm sorry, Repede. You'll have to wait for us outside.

Wooo...

So, which of you will be competing?

Okay, here's the deal: This scene has a total of twelve variations, two for each character minus Repede: Winning and losing. The PS3 version adds another four thanks to Flynn and Patty.

To make this easier, we'll first do Yuri's Winning scene, then go over the changes in the other variations afterwards.

I guess I'll do it. It should be interesting to fight in a battle where I don't have to be slicing up monsters.

In order to keep the judging fair, we will also be having one member from each team participate as a judge. Judges will be chosen during the battle itself. Now then, let me show you to the cooking arena.

Ladies and gentlemen! This is the event you've all been waiting for! The first annual Fortune's Banquet exhibition match is about to begin!

Doesn't that little prince have anything more important to be doing?

Competitors must impress the judges with the flavor, arrangement and overall composition of their chosen dishes! And now, to present the challengers. From the Guilds, a proud member of Brave Vesperia, Chef Yuri Lowell! And representing the Empire, hailing from the Imperial Knights, Chef Flynn Scifo!

W-why is Flynn here?

This doesn't seem like the sort of thing he'd be into.

I'll bet he got suckered in by all that stuff 'bout promotin' goodwill between the Empire and the Guilds.

At least this time we won't have to pull any punches.

And now, without further ado, let the first annual Fortune's Banquet exhibition match begin!

I'm glad they got to settle their differences so peacefully like this.

Yeah, it kinda warms this old man's heart...

Three judges from our sponsors and two judges chosen from the two competitors' teams will evaluate the dishes. And now, the tasting and judging will commence! First, our guild challenger, Chef Yuri.

Mmm... This is...truly delicious. It blows the food in the knights' dining hall out of the water.

It's not bad. I might even pay for it.

A delicate taste with a hint of adventure. This might even be better than the castle chef's cooking. Fantastic.

Yummy, yummy, in my tummy! ♪ I love your cooking, Yuri!

I know how to choose a good chef!

It seems that Chef Yuri's dishes left a favorable impression on our panel!

Next, the dishes of our challenger from the empire, Chef Flynn!

This is art...with the plate as the canvas.

It's not every day that I see food so beautiful that I hesitate to bite into it.

That man has mastered the essence of cooking. He is a culinary force to be reckoned with!

Mmm...uck?!

Ick...

Wargh?!

...It appears I've made the wrong choice.

It wasn't to your liking? I'm sorry... I thought that I did a good job, too...

Did Flynn poison that food or something?

You know, I was watching him as he cooked, and I think he might just have no sense of taste. No one with a normal set of taste buds would've seasoned that food like he did.

But how can ya season somethin' so badly that all the judges keel over? That's impressive!

Bad cooking can be a formidable weapon.

...The Guilds! Chef Yuri is the winner!

Tough luck, Flynn.

Yuri's too good to lose to cooking like that!

I admit defeat. Good job, Yuri.

If you'd followed the recipe more closely, it could've just as easily been my loss.

Sodia, no offense to the acting commandant, but I believe that's simply too dangerous.

Congratulations!

And this brings the first annual Fortune's Banquet exhibition match to an end! See you all next year!

Okay, that was Yuri's win. Winning with any character gets you all cooking titles, losing gets you none. You win by having a certain number of recipes mastered with the character you enter, though I'm not sure how many exactly.

The scene is mostly the same between winning and losing, all that's different is the judge panel's reaction to your cooking:

Hmph, it's good enough to eat, I suppose.

The taste is all right. I'd eat it if someone else were paying.

Ahh, so this is what the common people eat...

Meh, I've had better...

Could it...could it be that I erred in my chef selection? No, it cannot be. It simply cannot!

Could this mean the end for Chef Yuri?!

As well as the winning announcement:

...The Empire! Chef Flynn is the winner!

Thank you.

Damn it. I guess I got beaten in the appearance and composition categories.

We'll be looking forward to giving the Guild's team a chance to redeem themselves next year!

Now, the other characters. Just a warning, this is gonna be a bit of a clusterfuck.

I've made a small table to show how certain elements within the scene change:

code:

CONTESTANT  OPPONENT  GUILD JUDGE      GUILD AUDIENCE
Yuri        Flynn     Karol            Rita   Judith  Raven   Estelle
Estelle     Flynn     Karol            Rita   Judith  Raven   Yuri
Karol       Flynn     Estelle          Rita   Judith  Raven   Yuri
Rita        Flynn     Karol            Judith Estelle Raven   Yuri
Raven       Flynn     Karol            Rita   Judith  Estelle Yuri
Judith      Flynn     Karol            Rita   Raven   Estelle Yuri
Patty       Flynn     Karol            Rita   Judith  Raven   Yuri
Flynn       Witcher   Karol      Raven Rita   Judith  Estelle Yuri

In case Flynn's row is confusing, Raven is a fifth member in the Guild audience, kinda standing to the side.

So let's look at what changes between scenes by comparing Estelle's scene with Yuri's:

First, a few lines change before entering, when you register the contestant.

Me? You don't mind?

No, of course not. Good luck, Estelle!

O-okay! I'll do my best!

Obviously, the name and description of the contestant changes.

From the Guilds, the gourmet-recommended cuisiniere, Chef Estelle!

Then, since the party members in the audience are different, the dialogue here changes a bit too.

I'll bet he got suckered in by all that stuff 'bout promotin' goodwill between the Empire and the Guilds.

And the conversation between the contestant and Flynn.

Let's both do our best. Good luck, Princess.

After the contestant and Flynn start picking ingredients and preparing the dishes, there's a conversation in the audience, usually about Flynn's cooking skills.

He's good. His cooking looks very nice, so these rules might give him an advantage. His only problem is that he bases his cooking style on his own tastes...

W-what is he doing...?

After that, if your party member cooks well, Karol's (or Estelle when Karol is cooking) reaction to the dish.

Wow, Estelle! You're really good at cooking!

If Estelle (and only Estelle!) cooks badly, Ioder's reaction is different here.

I'm at a lost for words...
(In-game typo, that's almost certainly supposed to be 'loss'.)

Then later, after the judges taste and are shocked about Flynn's food, another conversation in the party member audience.

The panel's goin' ta hell in a handbasket...

Did Flynn poison that food or something?

Something's the matter with his sense of taste, isn't it?

Yeah. Flynn's got practically no sense of taste at all. If he sticks to the recipes, he can make food that'll put a pro chef to shame. But when he goes by his own tastes, well...you saw what happens.

So he was trying to use his own judgment and make it taste better than the recipe...

Obviously the winner announcement if you win.

...The Guilds! Chef Estelle is the winner!

I won...

Not bad, Estelle!

It seems that you've learned a lot since you left the castle. I didn't think that I would lose.

Yes, I never thought I could possibly win against you.

And if you lose, the reaction of the contestant.

Thank you.

Looks like the rules were just in his favor. Oh well.

Phew. Now the same for the rest! These are the scene differences compared against Estelle's version, since, except for Ioder's line change, it seems to be the most "standardized" one. So any lines I don't call out here should be identical to Estelle's version.

Karol:

Uhhh...all right. The reputation of all the Guilds is on the line. I'll do my best!

From the Guilds, a proud member of Brave Vesperia, Chef Karol Capel!

So you're my opponent. I don't plan on going easy on you.

Fine by me. The reputation of the Guilds is on the line. I won't lose!

Delicious, as always. You did a great job, Karol.

Ahh, so this is what the common people eat...

The same taste as always. You gave it your best, Karol.

...The Guilds! Chef Karol is the winner!

Whoa, really?! I did it! Everyone, I did it!

A fine performance from Brave Vesperia's big cheese-in-training.

Not bad, not bad at all. It takes courage ta go out there and give it yer all.

Congratulations. I thought that I was going win, but it appears your skill was too great for me.

Y-you thought you were going to win...?

I lost to Flynn's terrible cooking? How...?

Rita:

What?! No way! Pick someone else.

Oops... I already registered Miss Rita as the competitor. ...As per our rules, entrants' names cannot be changed once they're registered in the system.

Hold on, you gotta be kidding me! But it's your fault for being so registration-happy!

From the Guilds, the gourmet-recommended cuisiniere, Chef Rita Mordio!

What's an acting commandant doing in a place like this?

I'm here on Master Ioder's orders.

What a bunch of clowns...

Wow, Rita, that was so good I couldn't believe it!

...The Guilds! Chef Rita is the winner!

Wow, I didn't think anyone could be worse than Rita.

Come on, Judith baby. That's a little harsh...

Wow, you did worse than me... You're beyond help.

I can't say I'm surprised. Why was I picked to be in this circus, anyway?

Raven:

A representative for all the Guilds? Sounds like you're the man for the job, old man.

A showdown against the Empire, eh? Could be interestin'. I'm in.

From the Guilds, the gourmet-recommended cuisinier, Chef Raven!

I always wanted to go up against you in battle at least once.

Is this the sorta battle you were imaginin'?

Wow, Raven, your cooking is surprisingly good.

This is about as bad as it always is, I guess.

...The Guilds! Chef Raven is the winner!

I really thought the old man would have slacked off more than he did.

I have to hand it to you. There is still much that I must learn from you about both the culinary arts and the sword.

I use a bow, you know...

Judith: (this one has a lot of differences for some reason)

I think you're the best cook out of all of us, Judy.

Just leave it to me. We can't lose.

You seem pretty sure of yourself.

In this scene only, Yuri has a realization before the cooks show up.

Wait, if Leblanc's on the judge's panel, then that would mean...

And now, to present the challengers. From the Guilds, a proud member of Brave Vesperia, Chef Judith!

And representing the empire, hailing from the Imperial Knights, Chef Flynn Scifo!

Ah, a knight, just like I thought. But what's Flynn doing here...?

I'll bet he got suckered in by all that stuff 'bout promotin' goodwill between the Empire and the Guilds.

Oh, you're my opponent? This should be a fun match.

Yes, I'm looking forward to it. Good luck.

Judith, I don't think I could go on living without your tasty cooking!

Judith gives a short comment on everyone hating Flynn's cooking.

Oh my.

Master Ioder, what do you think?

...It appears I've made the wrong choice.

Did Flynn poison that food or something?

No. Flynn's just got a terrible sense of taste. If he sticks to the recipes, he can make food that'll put a pro chef to shame. But when he goes by his own tastes, well...you saw what happens.

Bad cooking can be a formidable weapon.

...The Guilds! Chef Judith is the winner!

That's our Judith!

I don't think cooking is your bag, baby.

Urgh... No matter what I say, I'll just sound like a sore loser. I'll hold my tongue.

My cooking was worse than Flynn's...?

For the PS3 scenes, do note that Flynn stays outside when you enter the competition, so he can still show up as the Empire chef.

A match between the Guilds and the Empire? I better sit this one out. I'll be waiting outside with Repede.

Patty:

Aye. Betting on me is as safe as boarding a large ship!

From the Guilds, the Gourmet Banquet recommended cuisiniere, Chef Patty!

Sorry, but I'm the real deal.

I'm not going to pull any punches if you're taking their side!

That's fine by me.

Patty is a culinary genius.

Huh? Something in here tastes strange.

Your sense of taste is as messed up as ever.

If you had just followed the recipe it would have turned out fine. Why do you always try to stir things up?

You created this fiasco when you tried to improve the recipe by bringing out more flavor. What a pain!

...The Guilds! Chef Patty is the winner!

I may be a chef of the sea, but that doesn't mean I'll lose to some landlubber!

I'm really no match for you...

Don't feel down. I'll help you out by taste testing any time!

Oh, I must be dreaming. What a terrible nightmare...

Any finally, Flynn's variant is way different from everyone else's, so let's do that one in full.

Me? I'm a knight devoted to the Empire. I can't represent the Guilds.

Come on. Can't ya pitch in as a form of goodwill from the Empire to the Guilds?

You're... right, Raven. This will better the Empire's future. I will cook to the best of my ability.

The first annual Fortune's Banquet exhibition match is about to begin! This event is brought to you by His Royal Highness Ioder, the Guild Union, and our generous co-sponsor, Fortune's Market!

Doesn't that little prince have anything more important to be doing?

First, I'll explain the rules. The competition will be divided into three dishes: an appetizer, a main course, and a dessert. Competitors must impress the judges with the flavor, arrangement and overall composition of their chosen dishes! And now, to present the challengers! Representing the Empire, the blastia researcher, Chef Witcher! And representing the Guilds, the Gourmet Banquet recommended cuisiniere, Chef Noble Sparkle!

In case you can't tell, they gave Flynn sunglasses so that the Empire people wouldn't figure out who he is. It clearly didn't work.

Don't be nervous, Witcher. Let's both give it our all and have a good match.

Y-yeah...

And now, without further ado, let the first annual Fortune's Banquet exhibition match begin!

They're stunned in their seats over there.

Well, of course they are.

Do you think they've figured out Flynn's identity?

I'd be surprised if they hadn't.

Three judges from our sponsors and two judges chosen from the two competitors' teams will evaluate the dishes. And now, the tasting and judging will commence! First, the dishes of our imperial challenger, Chef Witcher!

About amateur level.

So this is what the common people eat...

I guess it just tastes normal.

Pah, average!

It is unbecoming to make excuses, sir.

Next, the dishes of our challenger, from the guilds, Chef Noble Sparkle!

Wow, this looks so nice...

This is art, with the plate as the canvas.

It's not every day that I see food so beautiful that I hesitate to bite into it.

That man has mastered the essence of cooking. As expected.

Mmm... This is...truly delicious. It blows the food in the knights' dining hall out of the water.

It's not bad. I might even pay for it.

A delicate taste with a hint of adventure. This might even be better than the castle chef's cooking. Fantastic.

Looks like we got lucky today. Thank goodness.

I know how to choose a good chef!

It seems that Chef Noble Sparkle's dishes left a favorable impression on our panel!

And now! It's time for the verdict! The judges have chosen...

...The Guilds! Chef Noble Sparkle is the winner!

Thank you.

It looks like he actually followed the recipe this time.

Splendid.

Whose side are you on?

They're our enemies!

In recognition for your victory, we're awarding you the prestigious title of Mysterious Chef. Congratulations!

And in case you lose:

Mmm...uck?!

Ick...

Wargh?!

Flynn's anti-personnel weapon strikes again. Yuck.

The judging panel seems to be in a state of pandemonium. Are they all right?

I'm grateful that I wasn't selected to be a judge. I'm sorry, Karol.

Thank you!

You're far too great for me to take on. I hope you continue to pursue the path of culinary perfection.

But I'm a mage...

I never expected Witcher to win.

Whose side are you on?

They're our enemies!

We'll be looking forward to giving the Guild's team a chance to redeem themselves next year!

After the competition is done, the Wonder Chef complements the contestant. As far as I can tell he says the same thing no matter whether you won or lost.

Cooking is in the heart. Do not get too caught up in physical results.

Yuri:

I have nothing left to teach you. Let us meet again once you have reached the next step in your path to culinary perfection.

Sounds good to me.

Estelle:

It's essential to follow a recipe, but it's even more important to experiment with new possibilities.

Y-yes, I understand.

Karol:

Your sense of taste is still very underdeveloped. As you grow, you'll find that your culinary skills will follow suit.

Th-that's easy for you to say...

Rita:

You...already know what I'm going to tell you, don't you?

What do you mean?

Without a proper love of cooking, you will never master the path of culinary perfection!

Meh, who cares? It's all the same mush once it hits your stomach, anyway.

Bl-blasphemy...

Raven:

Your style is tough and rugged, like yourself. But the path to culinary perfection is not an easy one. You still have much hard work ahead of you.

This culinary perfection stuff bores me...

Judith:

Such amazing skill... At long last, the next Wonder Chef has been born... Here, you may take this knife. May it serve you well.

No thanks, I'll pass. Can you imagine hiding in a cacti patch or a ice cream cone until someone came and found me? Hah hah!

Urgh...

Patty:

I've got nothing more to teach you. You're welcome at my guild any time.

If you want to steal my techniques, I'll allow you to be my apprentice!

S-steal...?

Flynn:

You alone must never season food to your own tastes. Your palate, it is far too dangerous.

I don't quite know what you're getting at...

These few lines only happen if you won:

As I was saying...! The perfect dish is the result of the exchange of harsh critiques. Only then, can perfection be achieved! In other words, cooking is not based on the effort of one, but the result of many. For that, I shall grant you all titles!

And the rest is said either way.

At any rate, it was a fine tournament. I look forward to the day we meet again! Farewell!