Cuisine, Reconciliation & Side Effects
Last updated 2026-05-05
Cuisine, Reconciliation & Side Effects is an Event Commission and part of the main storyline for Chronicle of Simmering Flavors at Lumina Square.
Parts
- Perfect~
- Bye-Bye Meister
Steps
- Chat with Stephen about the tasting experience
- Listen to Stephen's tales from the old days
- Chat with Blaze about her grand opening plans
- Complete Signature Spicy (III)
Gameplay Notes
- Completing step 1 awards the When Opportunities Converge achievement Cooking Meister.
Dialogue
- Stephen: Mmm, switching from frozen meat to fresh really changes things. It's a lot sweeter now... One bite, and it's like I'm on the grassland, reins in hand...
- Nangong Yu: Oh? Didn't expect such a good review... I thought you'd force a bad score...
- Stephen: Of course — standards matter! Mm... chew it slowly and the chili and spice fade, then the beef fat starts to bloom.
- Stephen: That's when the heat kicks in, but it's gentle, not harsh. Warm, comforting... I didn't expect to taste something like my hometown soup here...
- Stephen: The aftertaste keeps building... Did you add fermented rice wine? Smart! Very smart. You really put thought into this soup base...
- Blaze: Hmph. Obviously!
- Stephen: Not just yet, young lady... Let me try the seafood here...
- Stephen: Knife work's solid... the coral grouper slices and pearly-pearly clam — perfect thickness. Tender, but they still soak up the flavor.
- Stephen: Mmm... so fresh and sweet! It's like I'm lying at that boat-shaped drinks stand at Fantasy Resort, and Leblanc just handed me a sea-salt soda. Sunset, ocean breeze...
- (ProtagonistProtagonist): All thanks to Ben for sourcing the seafood, and Senior Yinhu for his incredible knife skills!
- Stephen: The beef balls are done too... Mm... Lively little things, bouncing around in my mouth like those mischievous Blastcrawlers in the Hollow...
- Nangong Yu: What kind of weird metaphor is that?!
- Stephen: And finally, dessert. Mm — hmm?
- Stephen: This rice cake, wow. So chewy. Sticky rice, pounded again and again until it's super springy. Feels like a six-foot-three strong man punching my gums.
- (ProtagonistProtagonist): (That's oddly specific. So this is what a real food critic is like...That's oddly specific. So this is what a real food critic is like... /
That is scary accurate. Is this what a real food critic sounds like?That is scary accurate. Is this what a real food critic sounds like?) - Stephen: Wait, I swear I can hear him yelling while pounding the rice: "Come on! Bro! Together!"
- (ProtagonistProtagonist): (That's ridiculous! You can actually taste that?That's ridiculous! You can actually taste that? /
That's insane! How can you even taste that?That's insane! How can you even taste that?) - Stephen: Mmm... romantic! Truly romantic! What a romantic meal!
- (Talk to Stephen)
Perfect~
Special Event
Perfect~
Story Description: The signature hot pot base Blaze brings back, combined with everyone's carefully prepared ingredients, completely wins Stephen over. Moved by the delicious food, he recalls the past events that has led to his feud with Blaze...
- Stephen: Perfection... absolute perfection... The harmonious soup base, the springy beef, the fresh and tender seafood, and the robust rice cakes!
- Stephen: Even the dining atmosphere is flawless. Although we're outside, the background music is chilling enough to freeze your heart — it just makes you want even more hot pot.
- Stephen: These wonderful feelings remind me of the old days with Meister...
Flashbacks again?- (ProtagonistProtagonist): Huh? Really...? Flashbacks again?
- Stephen: Meister might've been a young lady, but she was more sensible than most adults...
- (SiblingSibling): (Wait a minuteWait a minute /
WaitWait)... So your meister was a lady? - Stephen: My favorite thing to do was petting her whiskers while we savored delicious food together...
- (SiblingSibling): (Why would a young lady have whiskers?!Why would a young lady have whiskers?! /
Oh, she's a lady... and she has whiskers...Oh, she's a lady... and she has whiskers...) - Stephen: Don't worry about it! Anyway. It was an afternoon three years ago. My foodie account was just starting to take off, so I brought her to the newly opened Simmer hot pot.
- (A flashback begins)
- Blaze, Three Years Ago: Uh, sorry, sir, but pets aren't allowed inside the restaurant, including the outdoor dining area...[Note 1]
- (The flashback abruptly ends)
- (SiblingSibling): Wait, hold up... So Meister was your pet?
- Stephen: Who's this kid that keeps interrupting me!? Can you not?
- (Apologize.)
- (ProtagonistProtagonist): Sorry, sorry... It's just... that's a lot of information to process.
- (The flashback resumes)
- Blaze, Three Years Ago: I hope you understand... for hygiene reasons...
- Stephen, Three Years Ago: Alright... Can we get an order of brown sugar rice cakes to go? We're gonna check out that alley over there and come back for it in a bit.
- Blaze, Three Years Ago: Sure thing. Thank you for understanding...
- Blaze, Three Years Ago: Uh, sir, wait! I sprayed disinfectant in that alley, sir, you...
- Stephen, Three Years Ago: Meister...? What happened, Meister? You're scaring me!
- Stephen, Three Years Ago: My super-duper cute little mousey! My precious little Meister!
- (The flashback ends)
- (SiblingSibling): Oh! So Meister... like "mice-ter"?
- Stephen: None of your business! My little squeaker loved that punny name!
- Stephen: So, to avenge Meister! I'm still gonna give you a bad review! Even if it goes against my principles of honest reviewing, even if my heart has to endure the torment of infernal...
- Blaze: Okay, alright, I accept your bad review...
- Stephen: You can beg me, you can blame me... I understand.
- Stephen: Whoa, whoa? Hold on... Your cooking is amazing, and you're not even gonna fight for it? It's not set in stone yet... What if you actually convince me...?
- Blaze: I was actually planning on giving up cooking myself... The truth is, a few months ago, I started losing my sense of taste as a side effect of taking CorruClean to fight Corruption...
- Blaze: I used to believe chasing flavor mattered more than life itself... but I ended up neglecting the friends who've been walking beside me all this time...
- Nangong Yu: Blaze...
- Blaze: I used to think that only people who knew how to cook could find the best ingredients... But it turns out that's not the case...
- Blaze: The herbs in the soup base might be from an old Bangboo in Waifei Peninsula. An Intelligent Construct dreaming of becoming an action star can pound out chewy meatballs.
- Blaze: The seafood might come from a reliable Bear Thiren angler at Port Elpis, and even the dining music might be sourced from the storeroom of some live house...
- Blaze: In the future, I want to meet more people, taste more stories. Even if I've lost my sense of taste, I can still savor the sizzling passion we share as friends who love food...
- Stephen: Perfect! It's so touching! This friendship... is like petals drifting onto a meadow in early spring...
- Stephen: It was the spring of four years ago. She and I were strolling through the park in Throne Quarter...
- Nangong Yu: Uh... can we skip the flashbacks...
- Stephen: Sorry, but I take back what I said before. My review of the reopened Simmer Hot Pot is: Perfect!~
- Stephen: Not just for your delicious soup base or the touching friendship... but for your professionalism in chasing flavor, even if it means losing your sense of taste.
- Stephen: You know full well that spicy, sweet, and greasy food will react with your meds, cause side effects, or even make you lose your sense of taste... but you just love hot pot too much to care...
- What do you mean?
- (ProtagonistProtagonist): Huh? What do you mean about the side effects of spicy food?
- Stephen: Huh? You guys didn't know? This medicine is kinda weird... taken normally, there are no side effects, but if you eat spicy food before or after taking it, you'll lose your sense of taste...
- (SiblingSibling): Huh?
- Stephen: Yeah, eating greasy food can make you lose your mind. You start talking crazy, agreeing to things without thinking...
- Ju Fufu: I understand now. No wonder Blaze agreed to such an unfair challenge on TV...
- Stephen: Eating sweets can also make you irritable...
- Pan Yinhu: I knew it! How could such a cute little lady have such a bad temper...
- Nangong Yu: Oh... She had this temper way before she started taking her meds.
- Blaze: That's enough... My head is a mess right now...
- Stephen: Huh? Wait, seriously? You guys didn't know? Don't you read the instructions before taking medicine?
- Blaze: Uh... I... Oh, come on... I've just been really busy...
- Nangong Yu: Blaze... You... Don't look at me like that... I've always given the medicine straight to you... I didn't look either...
After everything is settled, Stephen leaves the hot pot shop, alone and forlorn. Blaze, on the other hand, happily announces the reopening of Simmer, and among those watching, there are a couple of familiar faces.
- (Idle)
- Blaze: "Simmer" is back in business! All new and returning guests are welcome!
- (Talk to Blaze)
- Blaze: Everyone... I really, truly appreciate all the help you've given me these past few days...
- Blaze: Nangong just filled me in on what went down after I left. Without you guys, "Simmer" would've had to shut its doors for good...
- Pan Yinhu: No biggie. Just remember to read the label before popping pills next time.
- Blaze: Ugh... please... don't bring that up again...
- Blaze: So to show my appreciation, for the whole first month after we reopen, everyone gets free hot pot on the house!
- Blaze: Y'all are more than welcome to try our brand-new upgraded signature spicy hot pot—it's what we all worked together to make happen.
- Nangong Yu: I helped her test out the flavor little by little, y'know! It's super delicious!
- Koleda: Sweet! More yummy food! Huh, this soup base doesn't have a chimney or peanut butter...
- Cissia: Hehe, I totally ditched work too. Officer Zhu Yuan and Seth are gonna swing by and show some support later!
- Blaze: And lastly, I wanna thank Nangong again, and Wise and Belle... Thanks for always believing in me, believing in "Simmer"...
- Nangong Yu: Alright, alright, enough with the sappy stuff! Hurry up and bring out the food! I'm starving over here.
- Yeah, congrats on the grand reopening!
- (Talk to Nangong Yu)
- Nangong Yu: Come grab some hot pot with us, Manager!
Coming! (Enter stage)- Hold on.
- (After completing Signature Spicy (III))
Special Event
- (A cinematic plays)
-
- (All the friends who helped taste test dine together)
- Pan Yinhu: Food's ready!
- Stephen: In a way
- Stephen: Critics can easily think too highly of themselves
- Stephen: We place ourselves above others
- Stephen: Passing judgment on all dishes
- Stephen: It's easy to overlook the stories behind the food
- Seth: Careful! You got heatstroke the last time you stuffed yourself like that!
- Stephen: The chef's ingenuity
- Stephen: The diners' words of praise
- Stephen: And the love and care of family
- Grace: Eat your veggies!
- Koleda: No!
- Stephen: And the quiet understanding shared between friends
- Stephen: It's precisely these stories...
- Stephen: ...That weave together this epic poem of life — day by day, season by season.
- Nangong Yu: Come on! Let's have a toast!
- Everyone: Cheers!
- (Cinematic ends)
Bye-Bye Meister
Special Event
Bye-Bye Meister
Story Description: Dejected after admitting defeat, Stephen walks along the riverside trail, only to unexpectedly encounter a "familiar stranger" who bears an uncanny resemblance to his best friend Meister...
- While everyone is gathered together, on the riverside trail not far from Simmer...
- Stephen: Who would've thought... after all this time, I still couldn't avenge you... Meister...
- Stephen: It's not about letting go of my memories with you. Maybe I just want to let myself off the hook, and leave all these grudges behind... After all, you always taught me to go explore new flavors and experience a new life.
- Stephen: It's a shame that I won't get the chance to experience it with you...
- Stephen: Hmph?
- Stephen: W–Wait a moment...
- Jane: Oh, that Cissia... I can't believe this. How did investigating stolen cargo lead her to a hotpot restaurant? Oh, seriously?!
- Jane: Severian, oh Severian... when are you gonna stop giving me these babysitting jobs...
- Stephen: You're... don't tell me...
- Stephen: Fur color... eye color... it all matches. Even the little nick in the ear is exactly the same place!
- Stephen: Oh, heavens above! Have you truly answered my prayers...? Did you really let my precious little Meister reincarnate as a rat Thiren?!
- Jane: Excuse me? I've had my eye on you for a while now... Mind your manners, or else...
- Stephen: Shshshhh... It's okay, little mousie. It's totally normal for past life memories to be hazy. Take your time, you'll remember eventually. I just wanted to treat you to some hot pot...
- Stephen: No... Ouch! Aaaah! Wait! Stop!
- About ten minutes later...
- Stephen: Don't go! Meister!
- Stephen: Meister! How am I supposed to live without you!
- Stephen: Meister! Take me with you!
- Stephen: Meister!...
- Koleda: This guy is so weird. Why's he handcuffed to the railing, kneeling on the ground and crying...?
- Grace: Don't be rude now, sweet pea.
- Ben: Is this some kind of performance art? This guy's always been a weirdo though... Eh, whatever... Time to get back to the construction site.
- Anton: Yeah, we've been out of work for ages because we ran out of rocks!
- Anton: Now that we've had a hearty meal, let's make some serious noise!
- After returning home and resting for a while, Stephen adheres to his promise and publicly announces his retirement from being a food critic, instead investing in Blaze's hot pot shop. Having heard Blaze's words that day, he says he also wants to try creating something delicious with friends.
For some reason, Stephen willingly offers to pay for all rat Thirens who eat there. This promotional event also helps boost Simmer's popularity.
Notes
- ↑ Actual voice-over: "[...] including the dining area..."
Other Languages
| Language | Official Name |
|---|---|
| English | Cuisine, Reconciliation & Side Effects |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 美食、和解与副作用 |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 美食、和解與副作用 |
| Japanese | 美食、和解、副作用 |
| Korean | 미식, 화해 그리고 부작용 Misik, Hwahae Geurigo Bujagyong |
| Spanish | Gastronomía, reconciliación y efectos secundarios |
| French | Gastronomie, réconciliation et effets secondaires |
| Russian | Мир, дружба, побочки Mir, druzhba, pobochki |
| Thai | อาหารแสนอร่อย การปรับความเข้าใจ และผลข้างเคียง |
| Vietnamese | Món Ngon, Hòa Giải Và Tác Dụng Phụ |
| German | Essen, Versöhnung und Nebenwirkungen |
| Indonesian | Kuliner, Perdamaian, dan Efek Samping |
| Portuguese | Comida, Reconciliação e Efeitos Colaterais |