Dave the Diver In the Jungle Bancho Grill Guide
A practical Dave the Diver In the Jungle Bancho Grill guide for players who need to unlock Bancho Grill, build the Modest Grill, cook skewers, handle 3D service, stop monkeys, earn Doni and Artisan's Flame, raise Rating, get Yasuto, use the fan upgrade, and clear Bonita's The Taste of Fish VIP route.
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Quick Answer
Bancho Grill is the new restaurant system in Dave the Diver: In the Jungle. Unlock it after the Chapter 1 food route, then build the Modest Grill through Bancho, Peneb, Perak, bamboo chunks, pickaxe, and stones. After that, the restaurant becomes an isometric service floor where Dave runs between tables, serves drinks, cooks skewers, stops monkeys, earns Doni and Artisan’s Flame, raises Rating, unlocks staff such as Yasuto, and handles VIP routes like Bonita’s The Taste of Fish.
Bancho Grill Route Summary
Use this route map if you want the restaurant progression spine.
| Stage | What unlocks | What to do next |
|---|---|---|
| Opening food route | Bancho proves Utara fish can work | Catch Tilapia, finish Calamansi and Lemongrass, serve the chief |
| Bancho Grill opens | New isometric restaurant loop | Learn table movement, drinks, Doni income, and local customers |
| Skewer Grill request | Bancho wants a proper skewer setup | Talk to Peneb the carpenter |
| Pickaxe route | Stones are required, but Dave needs a pickaxe | Help Perak with bamboo chunks and get the pickaxe |
| Modest Grill crafted | Skewer Grill furniture becomes available | Mine stones, return to Peneb, and place the grill |
| Skewer service begins | Customers can order skewers | Watch yellow skewer bubbles and green cooking markers |
| Restaurant results | Doni, Affinity, Rating progress, Artisan’s Flame | Use the closing screen to plan upgrades and recipes |
| Rating route | Rank Up adds recipes and progression | Check Popularity and Potential Customers goals |
| Staff and upgrades | Yasuto, later staff, fan upgrade | Reduce table pressure and grill bottlenecks |
| VIP route | Bonita’s The Taste of Fish | Prepare Black Caiman Crocodile Tail, Thai Chili, and Palm Sugar |
How to Unlock Bancho Grill
Bancho Grill starts from the village food problem.
The opening route proves that Bancho can fix the muddy taste of Utara’s freshwater fish. You catch Tilapia, then the route adds Calamansi and Lemongrass before Bancho serves the village chief. Once the meal works, Bancho Grill becomes the village restaurant system.
| Requirement | Where it fits |
|---|---|
| Tilapia | First lake objective for the Jungle Chef route |
| Calamansi | Local fruit used to balance the muddy freshwater taste |
| Lemongrass | Herb step that finishes the opening dish route |
| Village chief meal | Proof that Bancho’s local dish works |
| Bancho Grill | Unlocks after the chief accepts the dish |
What Makes Bancho Grill Different
Bancho Grill is not just Bancho Sushi with a jungle background.
The biggest practical change is the service floor. In Bancho Sushi, Dave mostly works along a single horizontal lane. In Bancho Grill, Dave moves through a wider isometric-style restaurant space, runs between tables, handles drinks, cooks skewers, reacts to monkeys, and serves villagers in different positions.
| System | Bancho Sushi habit | Bancho Grill habit |
|---|---|---|
| Movement | Mostly left-right service flow | Run around an isometric-style restaurant floor |
| Customers | Standard restaurant guests | Utara villagers can become diners through relationship progress |
| Food type | Sushi-focused menu | Fully cooked freshwater and jungle-themed dishes |
| Manual tasks | Serve food and drinks quickly | Serve food, drinks, and manually cooked skewers |
| Service threats | Wrong timing or slow service | Long walking routes, drink orders, skewer burns, monkeys, and weak staff coverage |
| Progression | Menu value and staff strength | Doni, Affinity, Rating, Artisan’s Flame, customers, staff, and village routes |
Build the Skewer Grill and Modest Grill
The Skewer Grill is the first big Bancho Grill upgrade chain.
Do not summarize this as “get materials.” The route has concrete blockers: Peneb needs stones, Dave needs a pickaxe, and Perak needs bamboo chunks before the pickaxe route moves forward.
| Step | NPC / place | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bancho | Bancho says local ingredients are better suited for skewers |
| 2 | Peneb | Ask the carpenter about making a skewer grill |
| 3 | Peneb request | Peneb needs 3 stones |
| 4 | Blocker | Dave needs a pickaxe before he can mine rocks |
| 5 | Perak | Find the blacksmith near the furnace |
| 6 | Bamboo route | Bring 3 bamboo chunks to help Perak get the furnace going |
| 7 | Pickaxe reward | Perak gives Dave the pickaxe |
| 8 | Stone mining | Use the pickaxe to mine rocks around the village |
| 9 | Return to Peneb | Give Peneb the 3 stones |
| 10 | Craft result | Craft the Modest Grill |
| 11 | Restaurant placement | Place the Modest Grill at Bancho Grill |
How Skewer Orders Work
After the Modest Grill is active, customers can order skewers.
Watch for the yellow skewer bubble above a customer. When it appears, Dave needs to go to the grill, choose an available skewer ingredient, cook it, wait for the green marker, then serve it before it burns. The ingredient choice matters because different ingredients can sell for different Doni values.
| Skewer detail | What to do |
|---|---|
| Order signal | Look for a yellow skewer bubble above the customer |
| Where to go | Move Dave to the grill |
| Ingredient choice | Use an available skewer ingredient; different ingredients can have different sale value |
| Cooking timing | Wait until the green marker appears |
| Serving step | Bring the skewer to the correct customer |
| Failure state | Leaving it on the grill too long burns the order |
| Service priority | Finish active skewers before slower drink or table tasks |
Drinks and Coconut Orders
Bancho Grill service can include drink orders while food and skewers are active.
Early service can show customers asking for a coconut beverage or a generic drink. Treat drinks as quick table tasks. They are usually less dangerous than a skewer already cooking, but they still affect service flow because Dave has to move around the restaurant floor.
| Drink situation | Best response |
|---|---|
| Customer asks for a coconut beverage | Serve it quickly if no skewer is near burning |
| Drink and food overlap | Clear the closest quick task first |
| Drink and skewer overlap | Watch the skewer first if it is already cooking |
| Long walking path | Plan your route so you do not cross the restaurant twice |
| Future drink UI appears | Add exact controls only after the drink prompt is captured clearly |
Monkeys Stealing Plates
Bancho Grill can also throw small disruptions at you.
Monkeys can enter the service flow and steal or disturb plates. This is one of the reasons Bancho Grill feels different from Bancho Sushi: you are not only serving a counter, you are managing a floor with moving problems.
| Monkey problem | What to do |
|---|---|
| Monkey appears near plates | Move toward it quickly |
| Plate is being stolen or disturbed | Prioritize stopping it before the service chain gets messy |
| Skewer is cooking at the same time | Check the skewer timer first if it is close to the green marker |
| Multiple table tasks stack up | Clear the monkey disruption, then return to drinks and food |
| Staff is weak | Hire and train staff once the restaurant starts feeling too busy |
Doni, Artisan’s Flame, and Results
Bancho Grill uses Doni in the In the Jungle economy.
At closing, the results screen shows your night performance: Doni income, Affinity, restaurant rating trend, preferred menu item, and Artisan’s Flame. Doni is the money you use in the jungle economy, while Artisan’s Flame supports recipe research and restaurant progression.
| Result item | What it means |
|---|---|
| Doni income | Your night revenue from Bancho Grill service |
| Affinity | Village relationship progress through restaurant guests |
| Rating / score | Restaurant quality trend and rank-up direction |
| Preferred menu item | Which dish carried the night |
| Artisan’s Flame | Recipe research and restaurant progression resource |
| Unsold food | Sign that your menu may be too broad or badly priced |
Rating and Rank Up
Bancho Grill has a visible rank-up checklist.
One early rank screen shows Current Rank: Mouse-Deer with Popularity 15/15 and Potential Customers 7/7. When the goals are complete, you can press Rank Up.
| Rank-up condition | Confirmed example |
|---|---|
| Current Rank | Mouse-Deer |
| Popularity | 15/15 |
| Potential Customers | 7/7 |
| Action | Press Rank Up after conditions are complete |
| Reward type | New recipes and restaurant progression |
| Rank Up recipe shown | Visible values |
|---|---|
| Sweet and Sour Gourami | 46 Doni, 23 quality, 5 ingredient marker |
| Stir-fried Spicy King Oyster Mushrooms | 40 Doni, 20 quality, 3 ingredient marker |
| Grilled Mud Carp with Herbs | 46 Doni, 23 quality, 3 ingredient marker |
| Walking Catfish Tom Yum | 45 Doni, 22 quality, 3 ingredient marker |
Bancho Grill Staff Names
Bancho Grill has its own DLC employee pool.
This page should not become a full staff tier list, but it should name the staff pool so players know what to look for. A full staff guide should rank employees by Cooking, Serving, Procure, Appeal, skills, training value, and route timing.
| Employee | Why players search them |
|---|---|
| Yasuto | Early staff unlock tied to the UFO / mystery club route |
| Martin Tweed | Crossover staff candidate with strong kitchen interest |
| Rover | Crossover / VIP-related staff candidate |
| Om Nom | Dining-area staff candidate |
| Charlie Bonnet III | Dining-area staff candidate |
| William Longbottom | DLC staff candidate |
| Mita | DLC staff candidate |
| Udo | Photographer NPC tied to a village side route; follow his questline if you are collecting Bancho Grill staff |
| Sato | Marinca Bloom-related staff candidate |
How to Get Yasuto for Bancho Grill
Yasuto can join Bancho Grill after his UFO / mystery club route.
This is useful because it shows how the DLC handles employees: not every staff member comes from a normal hiring menu. Some characters join through side routes, village stories, requests, or special events.
| Staff detail | What to know |
|---|---|
| Employee | Yasuto |
| Restaurant | Bancho Grill |
| Route type | UFO / mystery club side route |
| Why he matters | Shows that DLC staff can come from side-route progress |
| Best next step | Check his employee screen before deciding where to assign or train him |
Fan Upgrade
The fan upgrade helps things cook faster at the grill.
This is useful because skewer service becomes one of the first hands-on pressure points in Bancho Grill. The safe way to write it is simple: the fan helps the grill cook faster, which makes skewer service smoother.
| Fan point | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Source | Comes from a village route, not a normal restaurant purchase |
| Effect | Helps things cook faster at the grill |
| Best use | Reduces pressure during skewer service |
| When to care | When skewers start slowing your nights |
| Pair with staff | Faster cooking plus staff support makes busy nights easier |
Recipes and Artisan’s Flame
Bancho Grill recipes come from several sources.
Do not treat every recipe as a simple default menu item. Some are default grilled dishes, some come from Rank Up, some need Artisan’s Flame research, and some come from VIP routes.
| Recipe source | How to treat it |
|---|---|
| Default grilled dishes | Basic cooked freshwater dishes unlocked by ingredients |
| Ingredient collection | Some recipes appear after you collect the right fish or item |
| Artisan’s Flame research | Spend Artisan’s Flame to research restaurant recipes |
| Rating rewards | Rank Up can add new recipes |
| Villager routes | Requests and Affinity can lead to customers and food routes |
| VIP routes | Special guests can force a specific ingredient plan |
| Efficiency page later | Doni-per-night and ingredient efficiency deserve a separate page |
Bonita VIP Route: The Taste of Fish
Bonita’s route is the first VIP-style Bancho Grill problem worth tracking.
After service, Bonita complains about the fishy smell. Bancho promises a dish based on an aquatic creature that is not fish. This route is commonly tied to The Taste of Fish and points toward Black Caiman Crocodile Tail, Thai Chili, and Palm Sugar.
| The Taste of Fish item | What it means |
|---|---|
| Bonita complains about fish smell | Starts the VIP-style food challenge |
| Aquatic creature, not fish | Bancho plans a non-fish dish |
| Black Caiman Crocodile Tail | Dangerous lake ingredient target |
| Thai Chili | Buy or obtain through the village ingredient route |
| Palm Sugar | Buy or obtain through the village ingredient route |
| Two-day promise | Plan the next dive and shopping route before service |
| Better weaponry needed | Black Caiman is not a casual first-day catch |
Bancho Grill Troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Skewer Grill route stuck or stones cannot be mined | You have not finished the pickaxe route | Talk to Perak, bring 3 bamboo chunks, get the pickaxe, then mine 3 stones for Peneb |
| Skewer order appears but nothing happens | You have not moved Dave to the grill | Go to the grill and start the skewer manually |
| Skewers keep burning | You walk away after starting them | Stay near the grill until the green marker appears |
| Skewer income feels low | You are using low-value ingredients or wasting time | Use better ingredients once your service timing is stable |
| Drink orders distract from skewers | You treat every order as equal priority | Finish a cooking skewer first, then clear quick drink handoffs |
| Monkey steals or disturbs plates | You are ignoring floor disruptions | Stop the monkey quickly, then return to normal service |
| Night service feels chaotic | Menu is too broad or staff is weak | Use fewer dishes, add staff when available, and chase upgrades |
| Low Doni income | Weak menu value or too much unsold food | Use stronger dishes with reliable ingredients |
| Low Affinity | Not enough village relationship progress | Finish requests and bring villagers into the customer loop |
| No Rating upgrade | Rank-up goals are not complete | Check the visible Rating checklist |
| Bonita route feels impossible | Black Caiman is too dangerous for your setup | Upgrade Jungle Gun, filter, oxygen, and healing first |
What to Read Next
| If your next blocker is… | Read this |
|---|---|
| DLC start trigger, Skip to Jungle, or Dr. Bacon | How to Start the DLC |
| Chapter 1, Tilapia, and Purification Filter | Beginner First Day Guide |
| Jungle Gun forms and lower-lake combat | Jungle Gun Upgrades |
| Basu, Walking Catfish, Piraiba Catfish, and Fishing Rod | Fishing Rod & Piraiba Catfish Guide |
| Future staff ranking and employee stats | Bancho Grill Staff guide after employee screens are complete |
| Full DLC route selection | Dave the Diver In the Jungle Guide Hub |
What This Page Leaves for Later
Bancho Grill has enough depth for several follow-up pages.
A full Bancho Grill Staff page should compare all nine employees by stats, skills, unlock timing, kitchen value, dining value, and training cost. A full Recipe and Artisan’s Flame page should compare recipe unlocks, Doni value, ingredient cost, and research priority. A full Doni efficiency page should test which dishes and skewers give the best return per night once more data is available.
FAQ
How do I unlock Bancho Grill in Dave the Diver In the Jungle? +
Finish the Chapter 1 food route: catch Tilapia, add Calamansi and Lemongrass, serve the village chief, and let Bancho prove the local dish. Bancho Grill opens during the Chapter 1 closing sequence.
How is Bancho Grill different from Bancho Sushi? +
Bancho Grill uses a wider isometric-style service space. Dave runs between tables, serves food and drinks, handles skewers at the grill, and reacts to disruptions instead of only moving left and right behind a sushi counter.
How do I build the Skewer Grill? +
Talk to Bancho, ask Peneb about the grill, get the pickaxe route from Perak, bring three bamboo chunks to help Perak, use the pickaxe to mine three stones, return to Peneb, craft the Modest Grill, then place it at Bancho Grill.
How do skewer orders work? +
When a customer wants a skewer, a yellow skewer bubble appears. Go to the grill, choose an available skewer ingredient, cook it until the green marker appears, then serve it before it burns. Different ingredients can sell for different Doni values.
What currency does Bancho Grill use? +
Bancho Grill uses Doni in the In the Jungle DLC economy. Night service earns Doni, and village systems such as upgrades and requests also use Doni.
What is Artisan's Flame used for? +
Artisan's Flame is a restaurant progression resource earned from Bancho Grill service. It is used for recipe research and should be treated as one of the main reasons to run strong nights.
How do I raise Bancho Grill Rating? +
Use the visible Rating checklist. One early rank-up screen shows Mouse-Deer rank with Popularity 15/15 and Potential Customers 7/7 before Rank Up becomes available.
Who can work at Bancho Grill? +
Bancho Grill has its own DLC staff pool, including Yasuto, Martin Tweed, Rover, Om Nom, Charlie Bonnet III, William Longbottom, Mita, Udo, and Sato. This page covers the system; a full staff tier list should be a separate guide.
What is Bonita's The Taste of Fish route? +
Bonita's VIP route asks Bancho to make a dish from an aquatic creature that is not fish. The route points toward Black Caiman Crocodile Tail, Thai Chili, and Palm Sugar.
Do monkeys affect Bancho Grill service? +
Yes. Monkeys can interfere with restaurant service by stealing or disturbing plates, so treat them as an active service problem alongside food, drinks, and skewers.