Cupid Bistro!! (2000)

Taking place in a fantasy cooking world, Cupid Bistro asks: what really is the difference between cooking and alchemy? The answer, apparently, is very little; in this world, cooking delicious meals can produce fantastical effects and grant magical powers to their eaters. The player takes on the role of a restauranteur with the dream of becoming a Master Chef - the world’s most powerful magical chef. Gameplay combines business management with RPG adventuring and visual novel storytelling. In the restaurant mode, players view their restaurant from an isometric layout; they’re able to customize the layout as they please while choosing what to make. Players can also research new original dishes, or even expand their empire with extra floors or new restaurants entirely. Players can also venture out of the restaurant itself into town, where they can engage in dialogue with other characters or go shopping for restaurant supplies. Characters they meet can become workers in the player’s restaurant and, if their relationship is good enough, they can even participate in research to come up with unique new dishes. In the adventure mode, players can explore the wilderness with up to two allies while bringing their best magical food with them to support them in battle. Defeating enemies not only grants experience points, it also grants money and special items that can’t be bought in the city. Players can also romance any of twelve different female characters, with unique plot branches and endings based on their choices.