Where is the Chef in Monster Hunter Wilds?

You shouldn’t exercise on an empty stomach. You also shouldn’t hunt giant, horrific monsters without eating, either. Meals have always been important in Monster Hunter, and the same goes for Monster Hunter Wilds.

Even gamers who haven’t played the Monster Hunter series know of the legend of the cooking cutscenes from the franchise, featuring little kitty chefs cooking up incredible-looking dishes for you to enjoy before you head out to slaughter something higher on the food chain.

In Wilds, however, cooking has changed a bit from previous entries like World and Rise. Here’s everything you need to know about the chef and how to cook meals in Wilds.

Is there a Chef in Monster Hunter Wilds?

Unfortunately for players, there is no chef in Monster Hunter Wilds, but it’s for the better. We’re not sure if the previous felyne chefs got fired from their roles in previous games for always having hair in their dishes, but there are no chefs to visit in the game.

“It’s not like previous titles, where you had to go somewhere specific to eat,” Wilds executive director and art director Kaname Fujioka said to IGN First. “You’re able to eat in lots of places, whenever you want.”

In MH Wilds, you are your own chef, and you cook all of your own meals. Thankfully, there are still those delectable, mouth-watering cutscenes from the franchise for players to look forward to.

How to cook meals in Monster Hunter Wilds

To cook a meal in MH Wilds, you must enter your tent. This tent can be at your base camp or any pop-up camp around the map. Once in the tent, select “Grill a Meal,” and here you will find a menu of options to choose from when it comes to whipping up your favorite dish.

Much like with the chef in previous entries, you can choose what to grill, what buffs to give yourself, and more, all with several different items and ingredients you can find or farm throughout the world, including animals and plant life.

Cooking a big meal is crucial before you head out on any hunt, whether alone or in a group. The buffs and increases you get to stats like health, stamina, defense, and elemental resistance can be the difference between finishing off a fight or being brought back to camp by your palico, battered and bruised.

Try experimenting with different ingredients, or cook only with rations if you’re headed out on a simple or low-level quest. Either way, be sure not to leave camp on an empty stomach, or else the monsters in the wilds will have a field day and feast on you instead.