Restaurant Story Adventures: 2014

Saturday, 27 December 2014

A Christmas showcase

I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas! On Christmas Day I presented a tour of The Garlic Tree decked out for the festive proceedings. Such a tour is something I like to post for the special events, but this Christmas I also wanted to do something a little different.

Today I'd like to offer a peek at the delightful designs some of my neighbours have come up with this season. In particular I've picked out five players (and that in itself was hard work!) who have not only been loyal to me in the game but have also been excellent contributors to the blog.

So without any further ado, let's take a look, and I do encourage you to click on the images for enlarged versions!

We start at the home of my first regular blog contributor, Fat Bear.

Far Bear

Christmas at The Garlic Tree

Merry Christmas everyone! On this most lovely of days my restaurant, The Garlic Tree, remains open for business, so do come along and enjoy your festive fill!

When you enter into the foyer section, you'll be met with the fine sound of the Carolers hitting all the high notes.

Foyer section of The Garlic Tree

They and their Lyrics Sheet Stand are stationed at the door to give the customers a hearty welcome. A Christmas tree is obviously a must in this area, so the Snowy Holiday Tree is positioned in the corner, despite having a dusting of snow which makes it more of an outdoor piece. To go with this the walls have been coated in the Illuminated Trees wallpaper, and topped with a number of Carnival Lights. None of these features are new this year; in fact the Carnival Lights isn't even a Christmas item having been included in one of the Carnival updates in the Summer of 2013.

Game update: 24/12/14

It's Christmas Eve! Santa is on his way so there's nothing more you can do to grab his attention with your funky Christmas decorating. Instead it's time to turn to New Year celebrations!

Notification for New Year update

That's right, for the first time in the game's history, we've got a New Year themed update before Christmas is even upon us. This gives a whole week to ready our restaurants for seeing in 2015 in the grand manner. Here's the usual list of all the new content, which is available from level 21:

Christmas 2014 sale analysis

Santa has gotten his dates mixed up! That or he's feeling extra generous as there's a special Christmas sale popped up in Restaurant Story late on Thursday!

Christmas 2014 sale notification

I near enough begged for such a sale over the Christmas period in last Saturday's Suggestions Box, and now it's become reality! The special offers are around for a good while too, with an 18 day timer attached to all the goodies. This is fantastic - assuming TeamLava have learnt from their mistakes on Black Friday, there's no need to rush into any decisions with regards to purchases, plus there's time to accumulate some extra gems before everything vanishes if you're running short.

As ever when we get a major sale like this, I like to include a graphic with all the items up for grabs:

Restaurant Story 2 launched around the world

The time has come my friends! Nearly nine months after Restaurant Story 2 was first launched on the Thai App Store, the game is now available around the world.

Title screen for Restaurant Story 2

In truth I don't really know exactly when the sequel game was released worldwide. I only became aware of the worldwide release after a tip-off from one of my fine neighbours, Creme. The latest update came yesterday, so it could be as recent as Wednesday that RS2 hit stores globally, but in reality it has probably been kicking around for a good few weeks.

Game update: 17/12/14

The Christmas decorating is almost done, but there's still time for a few final touches!

Notification for latest Christmas update

There's a wealth of new content this week, so without any further ado, here's the comprehensive list:

Christmas 2014 goals content report

The countdown to Christmas is well and truly on, and consequently the players have been getting busy decorating for the occasion. A new set of goals alongside last week's update has really helped get everyone into the Christmas spirit, and this is where we take a look at some of the content which is unlocked via the goals.

But before that a few thoughts about the goals themselves. They've proven to be much more challenging than most of the recent sets, primarily thanks to two brand new parts required for building the appliances.

New parts for Christmas 2014 goals

The Holiday Screwdriver and Snowflake caught out a lot of us who had been trying to stock up on the number of festive parts from yesteryear which were still in the gift list.

Suggestions Box (Dec 2014)

Every month I list five things I'd like to see added, altered or abolished from the game. Because even though my long time of playing Restaurant Story clearly shows I love it, that doesn't mean it's perfect. Some of the ideas I'll air will be significant game changers while others will be low-key and irrelevant in the eyes of many of you readers.

In no particular order, here are this month's entries...

Christmas 2014 goals (in full)

Please note that this set of goals expired on Monday 12th January 2015.

Christmas is the order of the month, and to help spread the joy in your restaurant this December, you can complete a new set of goals.

With this week's update, the goals are the only way to gain access to three floor decorations, two appliances and six recipes. You've got 34 days to get it all done, so Monday 12th January 2015 is the likely cut-off date. But who wants to be celebrating Christmas in mid-January?!

Here is the complete list of goal steps:

Game update: 10/12/12

Let it snow, let it snow, let it SNOW!

Notification for Christmas 2014 goals update

Christmas is only a couple of weeks away, and there is a new set of goals to give everyone the perfect opportunity to deck the halls. Before we get too overexcited with the presents, let's take a look at the list of new content:

The complete collectibles guide

Among the various methods of harvesting gems in Restaurant Story is through obtaining collectibles. There's also an opportunity to claim a number of other prizes, including some extra coins and XP.

There are five different collections to work on, with each containing four collectibles. When you have one of every collectible in a collection you can redeem the prize for that collection. By doing so the mastery meter, much like with recipes, moves up, and when you top up to the end of a level there's a gem reward.

So how do we get hold of all the collectibles? Some are much easier to discover than others, so let's go through each of the collections in turn, using information that has previously been published on the TeamLava Blog.

Floral Bouquet

Floral Bouquet collectibles collection

Game update: 03/12/14

With the dust settling on an infamous Black Friday, there's a dusting of snow in Restaurant Story. Winter is here!

Notification for Winter 2014 update

There's a chilly outlook to this week's update! Here's the list of new items, all of which are unlocked before level 10:

Black Friday 2014 analysis

Black Friday has landed! The pandemonium sweeping the globe is being replicated in Restaurant Story, where a large assortment of items have been brought back for a short time at discounted prices.

As usual on Black Friday, there's a 40% off gems sale to tempt your palette.

Limited time 40% off gems offer

This was the ideal opportunity if you planned to buy gems, as this sale doesn't usually happen at any other time of year (with the possible exception of Cyber Monday). The sale is now gone, although some of the items up for grabs are still in the market following something of a fiasco. Before we get to that, let's take a look at the 20 strong list of decorations included in the Black Friday bonanza, with the prices they had for the majority of Black Friday:

Black Friday is on!

Moments after posting this week's update post, I stumbled across this beauty of a teaser:

Black Friday teaser

Considering the amount of bigging up of Black Friday I have done on this blog over the last few months, I must admit I am somewhat relieved to get confirmation that the event will be hitting Restaurant Story this weekend.

Presumably we can expect old LTOs, high-placed box prizes and removed items to be brought back for one day only, along with a 40% off gems sale to boot.

Game update: 26/11/14

It's Black Friday week, and some of the goodies have arrived early!

Notification for Summer update

The notification above is for a new box, the Bonfire Crate, which is available for 24 gems. This isn't something which sets the pulse racing, but the remainder of the update should make up for that. Here's the full list of new stuff:

The expansion summit

When starting out in Restaurant Story, your diner is 7x9 in size and the first expansion costs 5,000 coins. It's the start of a rather imposing mountain, as we all continually strive to find the necessary footholds to grow our places outward.

I started playing in August 2012, and only now over two years later can I finally proclaim to be a member of that elusive club which has reached the summit. That's right, this week I made that momentous tap to initiate the final expansion!

Expansion to 23x26

App update: 20/11/14

Out of the blue there's an app update available on iOS.

Restaurant Story app update on iTunes store

This is seemingly a Christmas themed update. However usually seasonal editions are completely separate apps from the main game, whereas this one is just an update to 1.7.3 of the usual version (note the name is simply 'Restaurant Story' with no mention of the festive season). It just happens to have all the bells and whistles of Christmas in both the thumbnail and the accompanying screenshots.

Game update: 19/11/14

We waited long enough for Autumn, and now there's a second consecutive update for the season.

Notification for latest Autumn 2014 update

Unlike the goals last week, this one is a regular update, with a range of content across the categories available for a mixture of coins and gems. Here's the list of all the new items:

Autumn 2014 goals content report

Last Wednesday was a big day. It was the day we got a new set of goals revolving around the many rich colours of Autumn. A number of the new items available could only be unlocked through the goals, so didn't get the full treatment from me at the time of release, but that's about to change with this report.

I'm going to start with the two fresh appliances. The first thing I really want to rave about is the fact that both of the cookers offer the option to be rotated in four ways. The Basic appliances have this same property but otherwise it's a trait which is a rarity. Many like myself have their ovens set up in a kitchen section and appreciate being able to rotate them. After all Action Chef Lee's got no business working on the rear of a stove! So thank you TeamLava for that - it obviously requires more work from the design team and doesn't go unnoticed by the players!

Focusing on the Thankful Oven, the first of the two appliances to unlock, it looks nice. The colouring doesn't really put me in mind of Autumn what with the slate grey interior. But that needn't be a bad thing - it gives this oven a realistic touch much like some of the other recent appliances, such as the Fish Stand and Wood Burning Stove. Plus the tea towel with maple leaf is a clever inclusion which makes sure the Thankful Oven has its own unique identity.

Beyond the aesthetics, we have to take a look at the recipes the Thankful Oven has to offer.

Suggestions Box (Nov 2014)

Autumn 2014 goals (in full)

That nippy chill in the air means it's definitely Autumn, but you can soon warm up with a new set of goals which came with this week's update.

The Autumn 2014 goals are the only way to unlock five items, namely two appliances and three floor decorations. There are 27 days allocated for finishing all the tasks (seven less than usual), meaning that Monday 8th December is likely to be the cut-off date.

Without any further ado, here's the complete list of goal steps:

Game update: 12/11/14

Autumn is in full swing, and this Restaurant Story update brings new goals apt for the season!

Notification for Autumn 2014 update

It's the theme a lot of players (myself included) have been waiting for, and with it coming in a goals week that means there's not a gem in sight. Here is your full list of all the new content, which kicks in at level 12:

Countdown to content removal 2014

This time of year is all about Autumn, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Christmas. It's a busy period, but there's one not so exciting event also falls in this part of the year, and that's the dreaded content removals. Here I'll try and provide some guidance on what a content removal consists of and what we can expect.

If you've not experienced a content removal before, it basically consists of an in-game notification alerting of a poorly described removal to come in the next week, which is swiftly followed by pandemonium as the community erupts with protests.

Notification for 'winter holiday items' content removal

When the deadline passes, you get to retain any of the removed items you already purchased but won't be able to buy any more.

Everlasting eyeballs!

Among the treats in last week's Halloween update was the return of the Eyeball Stew with a 'supercharged' XP gain. It was only made available for a limited time, and was removed from the Basic Stove on Tuesday.

But Halloween is about tricks as well as treats. And my faithful neighbour Fat Bear has made a remarkable discovery - the Eyeball Stew may be gone, but it isn't rotting! Here's a shot of the stew ready to serve on one of Fat Bear's appliances:

Everlasting Eyeball Stew at Fat Bear's

This image was taken yesterday and at the time of writing the situation is unchanged - this 5 hour recipe remains in its serving state. Of course being the revolting dish that it is, the thing looks spoilt at all times, but the flies are staying away.

Game update: 05/11/14

We're into November and taking a trip on the train...

Notification for Railway update

This update is not a goals update as many may have expected for the first Wednesday of the month. Instead there's a range of railway themed content, along with a couple of nice surprises. Before we get to those though, here's the list of new stuff:

Halloween at The Garlic Tree

Yesterday evening the streets were full of all manner of mutants and monsters as people around the world celebrated Halloween. And in Restaurant Story this event provides a great excuse for some seriously spooky decorating. My place, The Garlic Tree, is among the many diners which have taken on a scary outlook for Halloween, and I'd like to share some of the wicked features currently on display...

We start the tour at the entrance, where the foyer section has been completely overhauled.

Foyer section of The Garlic Tree

As is the case throughout my restaurant, there's a range of Halloween items from several years. The Headless Horseman is a 2012 goal prize, and is standing guard over the door in case any unsuspecting customers try to exit!

Game update: 29/10/14

Halloween is on Friday, and there is an update just for the occasion today.

Notifications for latest Halloween updates

As you can see above, this isn't an update just offering some new Halloween items to complete your spooky decorating - it's also a shopping window for a load of stuff from previous Halloweens! This means there's a heck of a lot of content to look at - here's the comprehensive list:

Recipe ratings (1 day)

Information in this post is correct as of Saturday 25th October 2014.

Here it is then, the end of a long and winding road which has seen more than 400 recipes placed under the microscope. There's only one slot in the Hall of Fame remaining, and it will go to the leading all-rounder among the 1 day dishes.

Before we hit the stats, I should point out that the 1 day recipes are actually not that at all - they take 22 hours to prepare, and their 'per hour' numbers used to compare with foods of differing durations are calculated accordingly. The same fate befalls the 2 day dishes, which in reality take 46 hours to brew.

Recent recipe rating posts

11/10/14 16 hours
27/09/14 12 hours
13/09/14 10 hours
30/08/14 9 hours
18/08/14 8 hours

Sticking with the 1 day offerings, there are 23 have found their way into the recipe lists in all. Of these the Gnocchi (Basic Stove) and Mummy Pizza (Basic Oven) have been removed, while the Prime Rib (Basic Oven) is only accessible to players who completed the Christmas goals in 2011. Fortunately none of these three are stellar challengers.

Game update: 22/10/14

The Halloween famine is in full swing, but the recipe famine is OVER!

Notification for latest Italian update

It's an Italian themed update this week, making it the third of 2014. The new content unlocks at level 15. Here it is:

Suggestions Box (Oct 2014)

Game update: 15/10/14

It's the second week of October and that means more Halloween fun. Oh, wait...

Notification for latest Summer update

So Halloween seems to be over, more than two weeks before the actual event. That's just plain wrong in my book. Before I embark on a crusade of disappointment and wild speculation, let's do our duties and have a look at the new content.

It comes in the shape of the Firefighter Crate, for 24 gems. The TeamLava Blog has an image showing eight of the prizes up for grabs:

App update: 13/10/14

Here comes the shortest post I've ever made!

Yesterday we had the relative novelty of an app update on iOS.

Restaurant Story app update
on iTunes store

Unlike the last update for iOS, there aren't any notable new features in version 1.7.2, with the only changes being 'iOS 8 Bug fixes'. This is understandable considering that iOS 8 is less than a month old - no doubt there are a few gremlins in the system. Indeed I'd expect another app update with the same purpose before the year is out as issues are continually being ironed out in the early days of a new operating system generation.

Halloween 2014 goals content report

Last Wednesday not only saw the first Halloween update of October, but also a fresh goal set for your playing pleasure. Within the goals there were a range of decorations, appliances and recipes to uncover, and here I shall inspect each of them.

We begin this probing with the final goal prize, the Trick or Treater. This is a 4x4 item, and stands tall in my outdoor section:

Trick or Treater in The Garlic Tree

I'm not sure what to make of this decoration. The characters in their variety of costumes are cute, the large tree is good, and the flying bats are clever. But I'm not too fond of the mailbox, nor the white fencing. These serve to restrict the scope of how you can realistically place the item as it effectively renders it a product of the front garden. I'd rather have it without the mailbox and fencing - then we could have it situated in any outdoor set-up.

Recipe ratings (16 hours)

Information in this post is correct as of Saturday 11th October 2014.

Our recipe rating journey is approaching its climax! The 16 hour dishes are the penultimate duration to feature, with the 1 day offerings to close us out in a fortnight.

In total there are 29 recipes of 16 hour length have honoured us with their presence in the game. Of these all but three are still fully active - the Toad in a Hole (Basic Oven) and Pudding with Currants (Basic Oven) are both removed foods and the Egg Bread (Egg Stove) is situated on a removed appliance.

Recent recipe rating posts

27/09/14 12 hours
13/09/14 10 hours
30/08/14 9 hours
18/08/14 8 hours
02/08/14 7 hours

So there has never been a 16 hour goal recipe. It is the only duration to feature in the recipe ratings not to have had a goal dish - TeamLava should definitely fix that for completeness!

Halloween 2014 goals (in full)

Please note that this set of goals expired on Monday 10th November 2014.

The initial Halloween update comes with a new batch of goals for your playing pleasure.

There are three floor decorations which only the goals can unlock, as well as two appliances (and thus six recipes). There are 34 days from release to finish the goals, so the likely end date is Monday 10th November.

Here's the complete list of goal steps:

Game update: 08/10/14

Boo! Halloween has landed in Restaurant Story!

Notification for initial Halloween 2014 update

As anticipated we're opening up the spooky proceedings with a goals update, so much of the new content is locked until you work your way through the goals. Here's the full list nevertheless:

A seasonal preview

With Halloween goals expected next week, now is as good a time as any to look forward to the selection of seasonal updates that we're all anticipating with glee in the coming months. There are several exciting themes which should be in the pipeline, so let's take a look at each of them...

Halloween

One of three main pillars of the Restaurant Story year (along with Valentine's Day and Christmas), the game's developers are going to have their work cut out to match the heroics of last Halloween. In 2013 the initial update was packed with new content, ranging from the apparatus of a twisted scientist to spidery decorations.

There was an update last year featuring graveyard decor, but it wasn't too well executed, especially when it came to price. I'd like see something similar but more affordable released this time round, as it would be the perfect fit for my outdoor zone. Otherwise I could be scraping the barrel when it comes to finding something spooky to place out there.

Game update: 01/10/14

October has landed, but there's no Autumn or Halloween content to be seen!

Notification for latest Summer update

I'm not entirely sure what the theme of this update is except that it's an outdoor outlook. If I had to attach a season I'd go for Summer, which is rather disconcerting on the first day of October!

The new stuff is unlocked at level 14 (with the exception of the LTO which is available to all) and here's the usual list:

Recipe ratings (12 hours)

Information in this post is correct as of Saturday 27th September 2014.

In the recipe ratings journey, attention now turns to the 12 hour dishes.

There are 29 recipes of this duration have appeared in the game. Four of them are either removed foods or are based on a removed appliance so aren't currently available to cook, while another eight are goal recipes. That leaves 17 dishes which are accessible to all.

Recent recipe rating posts

13/09/14 10 hours
30/08/14 9 hours
18/08/14 8 hours
02/08/14 7 hours
19/07/14 6 hours

This time we're going to kick off with the portions factor. The leader in this variable is the Chicken Tenders (Basic Oven) with a very tasty 2,900 portions for each batch. This places it high on the portions per hour table which covers all recipe lengths. The only recipe of longer length which performs better is the 16 hour BBQ Chicken from the Basic Grill.

The re-release referendum

I touched on this in yesterday's update post, but wanted to expand on it. On Tuesday a community manager from the TeamLava Forum created a thread complete with poll which allows players to vote for which items they'd like to see return for a limited time.

There are 11 items which are included in the poll, although suggestions have been encouraged, so you can always ask for something else as well. And you can vote for as many of the nominees as you wish. The content in the poll is as follows:

Item	Origin
Swan Pond	First prize in Magic Bouquet
Koi Pond	First prize in Take Out Box
Ice Cream Machine	Prize from World Games goals
Action Ice Cream Maker	Prize from Asian goals
Action Chef Stove	Prize from Asian goals
Popcorn Maker	Prize from Carnival goals
Chinese Dessert Oven	Prize from Chinese New Year goals
Action Chef Lee	Prize from Asian goals
Crystal Fountain	Second prize in Crystal Gift Box
Reflecting Pool	First prize in Woodland Box
Lava Girl	Removed

The thread this vote is situated on infers that this is an opportunity to see benched content return, yet the list above includes four box prizes which are still active, even if they are very difficult to obtain.

Game update: 24/09/14

Here we are again, convening for the weekly update.

Notification for latest update

This update apparently takes us to the treetops, although I'm fairly sceptical about that. Here's the full list of new content:

Suggestions Box (Sep 2014)

Game update: 17/09/14

Ever wanted to design a really cool kitchen area in your restaurant? Now you can!

Notification for latest update

This week's update is all about a box - the Classic Kitchen to be precise - which contains a variety of kitchen themed content. It costs 24 gems to buy the box, but there are some terrific items to win. Remember that purchasing the box only results in the awarding of one item at random, with the bigger and better pieces the most difficult to obtain.

The TeamLava Blog has got a picture with all the Classic Kitchen's goodies:

Recipe ratings (10 hours)

Information in this post is correct as of Saturday 13th September 2014.

There are just four recipe rating posts to go, with this edition focusing on the 10 hour dishes.

There are 19 recipes of this duration up for discussion, with 12 of these freely available to all players. Five of the remainder are goal foods, so are only accessible to those who completed the relevant goals when they were around. The other two dishes are removed.

The 10 hour recipes are pretty useful for those with busy lives. I'm sure there are many who set them off on their appliances in the morning before they leave for work or school and then serve the food upon arriving home in the early evening. So it's a big recipe length to be the best in!

Game update: 10/09/14

It's been a Summer of culture, with trips to Egypt and Italy, and we're now headed for France!

Notification for French update

This French inspired update includes a number of new items, all of which are unlocked at level 74. Here's the details:

Pizza goals content report

Last week's update brought with it a new set of goals with an Italian theme. Pizzas in particular were being cooked, and since I've now unlocked all the goal items, it seems only right to take a look at them.

We start with the three floor decorations accessible only by completing the goals. The Pizza Display is a cabinet with a selection of pizzas within. It uses the same shape as the many display cases over in Bakery Story, yet is only the second such decoration Restaurant Story has had after the Sandwich Display. I like it although do harbour concerns about the pizzas themselves, which seem to be slightly oval-shaped rather than circular. I suspect this is a result of the game's developers trying to implement some perspective as the shelves of the display are sloping, but I think they've gone a little overboard.

Regardless it's a nice piece, as is the Pizza Delivery Bike. There's nothing too flamboyant about the bike - it's just a typical looking delivery bike - and that's fine by me. The versatility of it is a real positive as it can be placed not only in a pizzeria setting but also in an outdoor area.

On the edge of mastery

Time for an update on my progress in the great path to mastering all the recipes the game has to offer.

I last posted on this subject at the start of the Summer, when I'd already completed my mission on the Basic Stove and had made a start on the Basic Oven. Now I'm pretty much done, with both the Basic Oven and Basic Grill's meters topped up!

Cookbook for Basic Oven

Cookbook for Basic Grill

Pizza goals (in full)

Please note that this set of goals expired on Monday 7th October 2014.

At the heart of the latest update is a new set of goals revolving around a pizza theme.

Once again there are three floor decorations, two appliances and six recipes to be unearthed, and it's only via these goals you can do so. The timer is giving 34 days to complete the goal set, so make sure you're done by Monday 6th October.

Here's the complete list of goal steps:

Game update: 03/09/14

It's goals night, and this time it's also pizza night!

Notification for Italian themed update

Pizza is the theme, and here is the list of new items available:

Recipe ratings (9 hours)

Information in this post is correct as of Saturday 30th August 2014.

We're past the halfway point in the recipe rating contests, and this week the 9 hour dishes are the ones being placed under the microscope.

There are only seven 9 hour recipes in the game, making it the smallest pool that is being dissected for the Hall of Fame. Since the duration is so sparse in foods, here's a list of all the recipes being examined:

Caramel Apples - Basic Stove
Peruvian Loin Sautee - Basic Stove
Pirate Cupcakes - Basic Oven
Beef and Rice Patty - Basic Grill
Roasted Parsnips - Vegan Stove
Jack'O'Apples - Condiment Lab
Boiled Crab - Crab Grill

The latter two dishes in the list are goal recipes, and such aren't available to players who didn't unlock them at the time of their respective goals. But don't worry if you haven't got them - I can tell you right now that they're both well inferior to the rest!

Game update: 27/08/14

Who doesn't want to have a meal out on their birthday? Now we can make that special customer's special day even better with a birthday party themed update.

Notification for Birthday Party update

This is a box update, so the only addition is the Birthday Box for 24 gems. Opening it will result in one of nine floor decorations being awarded, with the biggest and best ones being the rarest. Over on the TeamLava Blog there's an image with most of the box's contents previewed:

Suggestions Box (Aug 2014)

Game update: 20/08/14

We're into the dying embers of Summer, and this week there's a bright and cheerful outdoor update to prolong the nice weather for as long as possible.

Notification for latest Summer update

The content is all unlocked at level 14, which is much lower than we've seen of late. That's good as it means that most of the playing community can get involved in the update. However Android users may have to wait as I believe there could be a new version coming your way with the fresh content.

Update: 'Restaurant Story: Summer Fun' is now available on Google Play.

Let's take a look at the list of all the new items:

Recipe ratings (8 hours)

Information in this post is correct as of Monday 18th August 2014.

Apologies for the lateness of this post (usually I release these on Saturdays, but have been away this weekend). Once again we're delving into the recipe ratings, and it's a mighty competitive duration of dish we're dealing with.

The 8 hour recipes are the second most populous in the game after the 4 hour efforts, with a grand total of 51. Of these, 18 are goal recipes and are not available to newcomers, while another four have been removed at some point, so are not available to anyone.

Recent recipe rating posts

02/08/14 7 hours
19/07/14 6 hours
21/06/14 5 hours
07/06/14 4 hours
24/05/14 3 hours

Game update: 13/08/14

Wednesday has swung around once again, and we're polishing the glass with the latest update.

Notification for Glass update

That's right, glass is the theme, with all the new content unlocked at level 73. Here's the customary list:

Ancient Egypt goals content report

Having just completed the Ancient Egypt goals today, it's about time I cast my thoughts upon the items which were discovered via the goals.

First to be unearthed was the Sphinx Fountain. What with the Infused Water Fountain and Coconut Fountain as well this year, the game's developers do seem to like including a drink maker as the first goal appliance. This is fine by me - drinks are very under-represented in the game in comparison to the mounds of food available.

Appearance-wise the Sphinx Fountain looks nice enough, although the way the head statue on top is designed leads me to question whether the drinks have been diluted with King Tut's spittle! No such debate with the other new appliance, the Ancient Sands Stove. It's a bit more plain with a sandy colour used all over. Some insight into the quality of the recipes on these two appliances is coming later.

The iPad verdict

Up until April I had always played Restaurant Story on a third generation iPod Touch, which I've owned for a very long time in Apple's world! But then I bought myself a second generation iPad Mini and have played the game via this shiny new device for the last few months.

So what's the verdict? How superior is the iPad compared to the iPod? Well, the obvious difference between the two is the screen size. With the iPad I can see much more of my place at once than on the iPod, and without having to zoom out substantially. This is great because it means less scrolling around is needed to search for tips around my diner.

However there are teething issues. The default level of zoom on the iPad is far too much. So much so in fact that a lot of content is grainy due to being too enlarged.

It has become automatic for me to give the screen a pinch to zoom out a little to what is a much more playable level of zoom, although it would be nice to be able to not do this at all (how lazy can you be?!)

Ancient Egypt goals (in full)

Please note that this set of goals expired on Monday 8th September 2014.

Included with the first update of August is a new set of goals, with Ancient Egypt the theme.

You can acquire five items exclusively through these goals, along with six recipes. And don't worry - there's plenty of time to get them done, with a deadline 34 days from release. That's likely to be Monday 8th September.

Here's a list of the goal steps:

Game update: 06/08/14

It's goal week, and this August we're going back in time to Ancient Egypt.

Notification for Ancient Egypt update

It's a theme many have asked for over the years, and it's finally been delivered! Here's the list of new content:

Recipe ratings (7 hours)

Information in this post is correct as of Saturday 2nd August 2014.

It's recipe rating time, and this week's edition will be a short one.

That's because we're covering the 7 hour dishes, of which there are only 11 from close to 400 in total. And of these four are goal recipes so won't be accessible to a lot of players.

Recent recipe rating posts

19/07/14 6 hours
21/06/14 5 hours
07/06/14 4 hours
24/05/14 3 hours
10/05/14 2 hours

So what's what with the recipes themselves then? Well the table topper for both profit and portions is the Pork and Persimmons (Basic Stove). Here's it's scores:

Game update: 30/07/14

This week's update puts us up with the clouds, as we take in a cloud theme.

Notification for Clouds update

Here's a list containing all the new additions, which are unlocked at level 72...

Suggestions Box (Jul 2014)

Game update: 23/07/14

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!

Notification for Ice Cream update

This is a box update with the delicious theme of ice cream. The only new item is the Ice Cream Crate, a 24 gem purchase which when selected will provide you with a lucky dip. What you get depends on how lucky you are (or perhaps how rich!)

So what could you win? Well the the TeamLava Blog has a glimpse of all the new content:

Recipe ratings (6 hours)

Information in this post is correct as of Saturday 19th July 2014.

It's back to the recipe ratings trail this weekend with the 6 hour dishes under the spotlight.

Firstly some general information. There are 34 recipes of 6 hour length in total. However of these 13 are goal recipes and six are either removed or on removed appliances. That leaves only 15 dishes which are standard recipes available to all.

Previous recipe rating posts

21/06/14 5 hours
07/06/14 4 hours
24/05/14 3 hours
10/05/14 2 hours
26/04/14 1 hour

Getting into individual foods then, we'll start with the profit and portions factors. In the case of the 6 hour bracket these two variables come hand-in-hand as only the Burritos (Basic Stove) doesn't offer 4 coins per plate. There are two dishes which rise to the top, and by some margin:

Game update: 16/07/14

This week we're hitting the pool table to pot some balls!

Notification for Pool update

Here's a comprehensive list of new content:

Riverboat goals content report

Last week saw the release a new goal set. The theme was a riverboat trip, and there were some goodies to unlock by completing the goals. So let's take a look at all the prizes...

As always, two of the focal points of the goals were the pair of new appliances. The Riverboat Oven and Fish Stand are integral to the goals, and so justify some discussion. The Riverboat Oven was the first to be unlocked - and here comes the first TeamLava error in this update - it didn't need parts for construction. This is unusual, although not unheard of. But shortly after the goals went live the Riverboat Oven did require construction. So a drop of the ball by the game's developers there.

Meanwhile the Fish Stand is a 2x1 sized appliance. It is nice to get a bit of variety in the appearance of the cookers in the game, but the larger appliances are a real problem to me as I can't really fit them into my restricted kitchen section. The end result is that I've not got much space for anything other than the Fish Stands, and so with fewer appliances bubbling away my counters empty quickly.

You can't have your cake and eat it

The information in this post holds only for when the Technicolor Cake is prepared on the EASY Oven - thanks to Black Pepper for that detail!

A couple of weeks ago the Technicolor Cake was added to Restaurant Story.

It is no ordinary recipe. At the time of writing, the cake yields 258 XP for 6 hours of work. But only 123 XP is given when the cake is served. The remaining 135 XP is rewarded just for preparing it!

Technicolor Cake

I'm almost certain that this is an error on TeamLava's part and that it will be fixed eventually. But while this flaw exists, let's have a think about the implications...

Riverboat goals (in full)

Please note that this set of goals expired on Monday 11th August 2014.

With the latest update comes a new set of goals.

There are five items from the Riverboat update which can only be obtained by working through the goals. You've got 34 days to complete the goals, so the likely end date is Monday 11th August.

Here's the complete list of goal steps:

Game update: 09/07/14

It's goals time again! And these goals revolve around a trip on a riverboat.

Notification for Riverboat update

Of course lots of the new content can only be unlocked via the goals, but here is the obligatory list nevertheless:

Tables:

Riverboat - locked by goal

A farmers market from the 60s!

I'm back in business, and there's lots to discuss from the last couple of weeks.

There were two updates while I was away on a break. The first was a Farmers Market theme released on Wednesday 25th June:

Notification for Farmers Market update

The items added were the Organic Table, Organic Stool, Fresh Produce wall decoration, Farmers Market Stand, Vegetable Display, Organic wallpaper and Organic counter. It's all unlocked at level 72.

Reduced service at The Garlic Tree

Tomorrow Action Chef Lee and myself are heading to sunnier climbs for a couple of weeks, and the Swedes are being left in charge. They work hard in the Kitchen, but they're not known for interacting with the neighbours and leaving tips. However they have promised to try and send gifts.

In all seriousness, I'm going away on holiday tomorrow for a fortnight, and as a result there won't be any blog posts for a couple of weeks.

I'll still be playing Restaurant Story while away (it's an addiction!) but won't be visiting my neighbours to leave tips. Instead I'll be shoving some 2 day dishes in the oven and relying on food gifts to keep the customers from leaving in a huff.

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