One of the biggest highlights of Dave the Diver In the Jungle DLC isn’t just exploring Utara Lake, but everything Bancho can create with your latest catches. The DLC replaces the familiar sushi-focused gameplay with Bancho Grill, introducing dozens of new recipes inspired by Southeast Asian cuisine.
However, I quickly realized not every recipe becomes available immediately. Some unlock simply by catching a fish, while others require Artisan Flame research, village reputation, or even special VIP guests. Knowing how recipes unlock made it much smoother to progress through Bancho Grill, especially when deciding which upgrades deserved my Artisan Flames first.
Here’s everything you need to know about unlocking recipes in Dave the Diver: In the Jungle DLC.
How Bancho Grill Recipes Work
Bancho Grill recipes unlock through five methods: default availability, ingredient collection, Artisan Flame research, village rank progression, and VIP guest events. Unlike the base game’s sushi-centric menu, Bancho Grill focuses on grilled dishes and cooked meals made with ingredients sourced from throughout Utara Lake and the surrounding jungle.
Recipes unlock through five primary methods:
- Default recipes available from the start
- Collecting ingredients
- Artisan Flame research
- Village Rank progression
- VIP guest rewards
Once a recipe has been unlocked, it permanently becomes part of Bancho’s menu and can be enhanced just like other dishes.
Rather than treating every fish as something to sell immediately, I recommend keeping your first few catches of each species. Almost every fish or jungle ingredient contributes to at least one recipe later in the game.
Default Recipes Available Immediately
These are the first recipes you’ll have access to after Bancho Grill opens in Dave the Diver: In the Jungle. Unlike most other dishes, they don’t require ingredients, Artisan Flames, or progression milestones, making them perfect filler items while you begin expanding your menu.
Although these recipes won’t become your highest earners, they provide a solid starting point until you’ve gathered enough ingredients to prepare more valuable dishes.
| Recipe | Ingredients | Unlock Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Papaya Salad | – | Available by default |
| Coconut | – | Available by default |
| Mango Shake | – | Available by default |
Ingredient Collection Recipes
The largest group of Bancho Grill recipes unlocks simply by collecting ingredients for the first time. In most cases, catching a new fish immediately teaches Bancho its grilled version, while a handful of specialty dishes require collecting multiple ingredients before they appear on the menu.
If you’re exploring every corner of Utara Lake and the Lakebed Sea, you’ll naturally unlock most of these recipes without spending Artisan Flames or increasing your village rank.
Note: Every recipe below unlocks automatically once you’ve collected the required ingredients.
| Recipe | Ingredients |
|---|---|
| Steamed Tilapia with Calamansi | Tilapia, Lemongrass, Calamansi |
| Grilled Kissing Gourami | Kissing Gourami |
| Grilled Chocolate Gourami | Chocolate Gourami |
| Grilled Tilapia | Tilapia |
| Grilled Black Piranha | Black Piranha |
| Grilled Red-Bellied Piranha | Red-Bellied Piranha |
| Grilled Bluegill | Bluegill |
| Grilled Green Discus | Green Discus |
| Grilled Blue Discus | Blue Discus |
| Grilled Brown Discus | Brown Discus |
| Grilled Heckel Discus | Heckel Discus |
| Grilled Electric Eel | Electric Eel |
| Grilled Black Caiman | Black Caiman |
| Grilled Giant Snakehead | Giant Snakehead |
| Grilled Asian Arowana | Asian Arowana |
| Grilled Sockeye Salmon | Sockeye Salmon |
| Grilled Indonesian Tiger Perch | Indonesian Tiger Perch |
| Grilled Largemouth Bass | Largemouth Bass |
| Grilled Walking Catfish | Walking Catfish |
| Grilled Mud Carp | Mud Carp |
| Grilled Armored Catfish | Armored Catfish |
| Grilled Clown Loach | Clown Loach |
| Grilled Horseface Loach | Horseface Loach |
| Grilled Blue-Gray Mbuna | Blue-Gray Mbuna |
| Grilled Piraiba Catfish | Piraiba Catfish |
| Grilled Nile Perch | Nile Perch |
| Grilled Grass Carp | Grass Carp |
| Grilled Orthoceras | Orthoceras |
| Grilled Ammonite | Ammonite |
| Grilled Platinum Alligator Gar | Platinum Alligator Gar |
| Grilled Platyceramus Clam Meat | Platyceramus |
| Grilled Promissum | Promissum |
| Grilled Hensodon | Hensodon |
| Grilled Poreia | Poreia |
| Grilled Eomesodon | Eomesodon |
| Grilled Exellia | Exellia |
| Grilled Wiwaxia | Wiwaxia |
| Grilled Red Sea Lily | Red Sea Lily |
| Grilled Giant Freshwater Stingray | Giant Freshwater Stingray |
| Grilled Clown Featherback | Clown Featherback |
| Grilled Archerfish | Archerfish |
| Grilled Banana Cichlid | Banana Cichlid |
| Steamed Tricolor Discus | 3x Red Discus, 3x Brown Discus, 3x Blue Discus, Coconut Milk |
Artisan Flame Research Recipes
Once you’ve unlocked Bancho Grill’s research system, Artisan Flames become one of the most valuable resources in Dave the Diver: In the Jungle. Unlike grilled recipes that unlock automatically through exploration, these dishes must be researched before Bancho can prepare them.
Most recipes cost one Artisan Flame, although Black Caiman Taco is a notable exception, requiring two Artisan Flames.
| Recipe | Ingredients | Artisan Flame Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Bamboo Shoot Soup | 3x Bamboo Shoot, Egg, King Oyster, Mushroom | 1 |
| Steamed Bluegill with Herbs | 4x Bluegill, Lemongrass, Water Chestnut | 1 |
| Banana Flower Salad | 5x Calamansi, Banana Flower, Cilantro | 1 |
| Steamed Goby Cheek | Giant Goby Meat, 2x Sambal Sauce, Kaffir Lime Leaf, Shallot | 1 |
| Piraiba Catfish Soup | 3x Piraiba Catfish, Lemongrass, Tamarind | 1 |
| Sweet and Sour Pork | 3x Raw Meat, Coconut Milk, Cassava, Tamarind | 1 |
| Black Caiman Taco | Black Caiman, Cilantro, Calamansi | 2 |
| Indonesian Tiger Perch Satay | 3x Indonesian Tiger Perch, Lemongrass, Shallot | 1 |
| Spicy Largemouth Bass Stew | 2x Largemouth Bass, Kaffir Lime Leaf, Fish Sauce | 1 |
| Giant Snakehead Soup | 2x Giant Snakehead, Fish Sauce, Kaffir Lime Leaf, Lemongrass | 1 |
| Fried Egg | 3x Egg, Fish Sauce | 1 |
| Braised Ostrich Fern | 3x Ostrich Fern, 2x Coconut Milk | 1 |
| Mangosteen Coconut Dessert | 2x Mangosteen, Coconut Milk | 1 |
| Stethacanthus Fin Soup | Stethacanthus, 2x Kaffir Lime Leaf, Shallot, Bamboo Shoot | 1 |
| Assorted Snake Soup | 3x Snake Meat, 3x Pit Viper Meat, Lemongrass, Thai Chili | 1 |
| Assorted Hindleg Fry | 3x Frog Meat, 3x Lizard Meat, Sambal Sauce, Cilantro | 1 |
| Herb-Stuffed Sarcastic Fringehead Roast | Sarcastic Fringehead Meat, 2x Lemongrass, Banana Flower, Ostrich Fern | 1 |
| Triple Fried Bananas | 2x Banana Cichlid, Banana Flower, Banana | 1 |
| Clown Featherback Taro Croquette | 2x Clown Featherback, Taro, Cilantro, Shallot | 1 |
Monkey Rank Recipes
Reaching Rank Monkey in the Bancho Grill unlocks another batch of recipes. These dishes still require one Artisan Flame before they become available, so reaching the required village rank is only the first step.
| Recipe | Ingredients |
|---|---|
| Sweet and Sour Gourami | 2x Kissing Gourami, 2x Chocolate Gourami, Pearl Gourami, Sambal Sauce |
| Stir-fried Spicy King Oyster Mushrooms | 3x King Oyster Mushroom, Thai Chili, Fish Sauce, Egg |
| Grilled Mud Carp with Herbs | 3x Mud Carp, Calamansi, Lemongrass |
| Walking Catfish Tom Yum | 3x Walking Catfish, Lemongrass, Thai Chili |
Bird-of-Paradise Rank Recipes
Reaching Rank Bird-of-Paradise (after Monkey) in the Bancho Grill rank unlocks another set of advanced meals geared toward players progressing through the latter half of the DLC. Like Monkey Rank recipes, every dish below also requires one Artisan Flame to research.
| Recipe | Ingredients |
|---|---|
| Piranha Head Soup | 3x Red-Bellied Piranha, 2x Black Piranha, Coconut Milk, Thai Chili |
| Steamed Grass Carp with Bamboo Shoots | 2x Grass Carp, Bamboo Shoot, Fish Sauce |
| Assorted Steamed Perch | 2x Nile Perch, 2x Indonesian Tiger Perch, Coconut Milk, Cassava |
VIP Recipes
Only one Bancho Grill recipe is currently tied to a VIP guest. After serving Bonita, you’ll unlock access to the following dish. Because VIP visitors appear later in the game, don’t worry if this recipe is one of the last missing entries in your collection.
| Recipe | Ingredients | Unlock Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Stir-fried Crocodile Tail | Black Caiman Tail, 2x Thai Chili, Palm Sugar | Bonita VIP Event |
Tips for Unlocking Every Recipe Faster
Completing Bancho Grill’s recipe list isn’t difficult, but it does require paying attention to more than just fishing. I am still discovering new recipes, and this list above contains everything I have discovered so far.
Here are a few habits that helped me unlock nearly every recipe without unnecessary grinding:
- Keep at least one copy of every new fish, herb, fruit, and meat you discover.
- Spend Artisan Flames regularly instead of hoarding them.
- Increase your friendship with Monkey and Bird-of-Paradise whenever new opportunities appear.
- Complete VIP events as soon as they’re available to avoid missing exclusive recipes.
- Gather herbs like Lemongrass, Cilantro, Kaffir Lime Leaf, Tamarind, and Banana Flower whenever you encounter them, as they’re used in dozens of recipes.
- Don’t overlook fruits and vegetables. Coconut Milk, Cassava, Mangosteen, Bamboo Shoots, and Water Chestnuts become surprisingly important later in the DLC.
- Continue progressing through the main story before worrying about full completion, as several ingredients only become obtainable after new regions unlock.
If you naturally combine exploration, village progression, and research, you’ll steadily unlock Bancho Grill’s entire menu without needing to grind for specific recipes at the very end.
How do you unlock Bancho Grill recipes in Dave the Diver: In the Jungle?
Recipes unlock through five primary methods: default availability, ingredient collection, Artisan Flame research, village rank progression, and VIP guest events.
Which recipe requires two Artisan Flames?
Black Caiman Taco is currently the only Bancho Grill recipe that requires two Artisan Flames instead of one.
Do grilled recipes unlock automatically?
Yes. Almost every fish automatically unlocks its grilled recipe the first time you collect that species.
Which village ranks unlock new recipes?
Both Monkey Rank and Bird-of-Paradise Rank unlock additional recipes. These dishes still require one Artisan Flame before they can be cooked.
Are there any VIP-exclusive recipes?
Yes. Stir-fried Crocodile Tail is unlocked after serving the VIP guest Bonita.
Should I spend Artisan Flames immediately?
Generally, yes. Prioritizing versatile recipes such as Bamboo Shoot Soup, Steamed Bluegill with Herbs, and Giant Snakehead Soup helps strengthen your menu much earlier than saving Artisan Flames for late-game recipes.
