Summary
2023 was an impressive year in gaming for indie titles, with multiple releases already gaining global attraction and well-deserved attention. Developers MintRocket added to the incredible roster of indie games with their releaseDave The Diver, which combined an underwater adventure with a restaurant simulator. The game’s title character is a diver by day who catches the very product that is used in the restaurant he helps run by night.
One of the most impressive components ofDave The Diveris its surprising depth in both culinary and aquatic inclusions. There are over 100 fish species that can be caught and used in the game, which equates to even more recipes that can be plated up to impress. Combining fish, home-grown vegetables, and chef Bancho’s culinary skills, these are thetop recipes inDave The Diverthat can be recreated regularly in the restaurant.
Updated on Jul 12, 2025 by Stephen LaGioia:Dave the Diver quickly became renownedover the last few years, with its inventive blend of roguelike exploration, fun action, and satisfying sim gameplay by building the best sushi restaurant possible. Since the restaurant portion of the game is such a deep, integral part of Dave the Diver’s gameplay and progression (and given theteasing of new DLCthat’s sure to add more satisfying content), it seemed fitting to take a revisit and take a deeper dive into this list. It includes a few more of the best, most beneficial recipes (mostly mid-late game) that can be served at Bancho Sushi or its branch location. Sale price will be the main factor here, but also the relative ease and resourcefulness in procuring the ingredients.
Base Sale Price: 375 Gold
Ingredients:
While it may seem to have a laundry list of ingredients, this shrimp-laden comfort dish is usually worth the investment. Hunting all these shrimp may indeed take a bit of time in the middle and late portion of the game, though gathering them with one’s net isn’t particularly tough, at least. Plus, players can milk a heftyseven dishesfrom one set of ingredients.
Busting out this dish can churn out some nice profits by default, but using them for aShrimp Partyevent canreallyhave the gold rolling in — along with several happy customers. Players will need to complete theChinese Cuisine Contestto gain access to this feel-good meal.
Base Sale Price: 400
This complex dish is quite a mouthful in more ways than one, as it requires several items to cobble together. But between the small, weakling shrimp that pose no fight, and the fact that players can grow eggplant at their farm, assembling this meal is simpler than it looks. Just be sure totrain Yusuke to level 15.
Taste-wise, these unique meatballs are more middle-of-the-road, but they do yield great rewards of400 gold(baseline), and an impressive1,480when max-upgraded to level 10.
Base Sale Price: 400 Gold
These tender, delectable fish rolls are somewhat easy to prepare in bulk, as players can simply hunt throughout theBlue Hole (Medium) Depthto gather all three fish needed in the recipe. It also helps that these fish don’t exactly put up much of a fight, aside perhaps for the pointed-nose Rhinochimaeridae.
The end product is a tasty dish that customers will be content enough with — given its400 goldhaul per dish (six can be made for one set of ingredients as a base).
Stingrays can certainly be a pain inDave the Diver, but taking the time to fish for them can really pay off in the end — especially with this dried dish. Just be sure to spend some time preparing for the Blue Hole Shallows and Glacier Zone to procure these exclusive fish.
Players will also need to ensure they’ve trained their employeeCarolina to level 15. Taste-wise, there are slightly better options, though the ability to churn out eight dishes for one set of ingredients proves resourceful. Prepare several of these dishes and watch the big bucks roll in.
Base Sale Price: 105 Gold
Seadragon onigiriis a simple, one-ingredient dish that can bring in a decent amount of money. Since seadragons are easy tocatch with the right loadout, the time and effort it takes to bring this dish to the menu is less than many other options as well.
Since seadragons can be used inseahorse racesin the Sea People Village, players need to make sure that they aren’t accidentally serving up their favorite racers. With a maximum price of 388 gold, this dish is not the highest return on investment in the game, but it is not bad as a low-effort meal that players can lean on when they have been busier exploring than catching new fish.
Base Sale Price: 765 Gold
Hyalonema tuna sashimiis a great dish made from two kinds of tuna and a rare seaweed called hyalonema, which is the slowest-growing plant in the game. Players can grow it in theSea People Villageover four days or find it growing inside the Glacial Seaweed Cave. Given the difficulty of obtaining this key ingredient, it makes sense that players can make a lot of gold from it.
Taking the time to find the tuna and grow or forage hyalonema can make players a good amount of money since it sells for between 765 Gold and 1,683 Gold.
Base Sale Price: 775 Gold
TheTruffle Shark Sandwichis a combination of two different sharks and a truffle. While these ingredients can be difficult to find, particularly the truffle, the work pays off very well. With a base sale price of 775 Gold and a maximum price of 1,705 Gold, players can make a good amount of money from just a few sharks and truffles.
Given the rarity and value of truffles, players may find themselves forgoing this sandwich to save them up for even more expensive dishes. That being said, this dish can definitely boost funds if those other recipes aren’t available.
Base Sale Price: 165 Gold
While 165 gold may not seem like a lot to players who’ve progressed far in the game,Porbeagle Shark Sushibrings in good money for a single-ingredient dish. Porbeagle Sharks can be found in theGlacial Areaand are the easiest sharks in that area to defeat. For players to venture to that zone a lot, Porbeagle is an easy catch to bring home.
Porbeagle Shark Sushi caps out at 610 gold, which is still a great price for a dish with one ingredient. Plus, Porbeagle Sharks are common enough that leveling the recipe up is very easy. There is also a Sea People notice board quest that asks the player to get rid of several Porbeagle Sharks in the Glacial Area, which will help them gather a good chunk of meat.
Base Sale Price: 186 Gold
Another great single-ingredient dish is theGreenland Shark Sushi. Greenland Sharks are the biggest sharks found in theGlacial Area and are usually located near the bottom of the map, just above the control room entrance. Greenland Sharks drop a lot of meat, especially when the drone is used, and it isn’t particularly fast or difficult to defeat.
The fully upgraded Greenland Shark Sushi sells for 688 gold, but selling any shark dishes during the Shark Storm Party will make players an absolute fortune. Greenland Sharks are one of the most reliable sources of meat in the Glacial Area and bring in a good price for little effort.
Base Sale Price: 305 Gold
Going for an alarming 305 per plateat level one, theYellowfin Tuna Steakis a prime example of why Tuna is one of the best fish to keep high in stock inDave The Diver. Combining Yellowfin Tuna, Cherry Tomatoes, and Olive Oil, this dish is relatively easy to acquire and will not require Dave diving any more than 100 meters.
The biggest challenge in putting this dish together is catching the tuna, primarily as they travel in schools of five and are incredibly agile. However, for the patient diver with plenty of storage space, coming across a school of tuna can be a very valuable endeavor. Just be sure to use theSteel Sensor Trap, as it makes this endeavor far easier.
