Working in the food service industry is tough, grueling work. But playing a game about working in the food service industry sure isn't. I'm referring to the new cooking adventure Wii game called "Order Up".

So what's "Order Up" all about? Well, obviously it's a cooking game (it even comes with an authentic paper chef hat!) so most of your Wiimote actions will be performing tasks like dicing, slicing, sauteing, baking, grating, boiling, and whatever other -ing words you can think of that relate to cooking.

You take on the role of a rookie chef -as you try to make a name for yourself on Port Abello Island (Haha get it? Like the mushroom? Haha... oh never mind!) An island filled with many different styles of restaurants;.you'll start out flipping burgers in a greasy fast food joint called Burger Face and move on to purchase your own Mexican, Italian, and French-style restaurants. Each has its own list of recipes and its own goals to reach, meaning if you get bored of making burgers you can switch it up by making some guacamole at your other place.

Controls: The controls are very easy to pick up and play almost immediately, you will be flipping burgers and pancakes, stirring pots of pasta, slice and dice tomatoes and other vegetables like a pro. Although all of these tasks are relatively easy, trying to juggle 3 or 4 orders can be hectic, so you may need to pass off some of the chores to your assistant chefs that you can purchase as you get further in the game. Each assistant has their own special ability, so choose them wisely.

SideNote: Contrary to the image on the back of the box, the nunchuk is not used. Weird.

Burners A-Blazin'

But even though cooking is the meat and potatoes of the gameplay, thankfully,"Order Up" has more to do than just cook, it has side minigames which gives it big brownie points over similiar games such as "Cooking Mama". "Order Up" is more engaging; and by that I mean it actually feels like you're cooking for a reason.

For example, you'll not only have to put together all of the dishes but you also must buy ingredients, hire assistants, as well keeping your restaurant clean. Pesky health inspectors come around every so often as well as a minigame which has you flicking rats off your kitchen counter before customers see them! The game incorporates alot of RTS elements such as serving customers (think Diner Dash) as well as RPG elements. Money comes in the form of tips, and you'll quickly learn, is the key to your success. You can't buy new restaurants without it. You can't even get new spices or new recipes without a little dough (the green kind, of course – the other kind is best served with sauce, cheese and pepperoni!)

Since tips are your only source of income, so you'll want to make sure the customers are happy. One way to do that is to properly spice their food. On Port Abello Island ( Haha Port Abello! clears throat -sorry) Island people take their spices very seriously and you'll quickly learn that spice is very important in this game.

If you have a regular customer whose last name is Salty, you can probably figure out what he wants added to every dish. If there is any doubt however, a spice icon purchased for a small fee will show you what the customer wants.But my advice to you is, save your hard earned cash and try figure out what the customer wants on your own; that's all part of the fun.

But cooking is essentially the name of the game here so be prepared to really get your Wiimote greasy as you work your way up to the higher restaurants.

Graphics: The graphics are nice and simple,although they are nothing to go ga-ga about, the animated characters are so cute and charming I will overlook it.

Sound:The music is so-so, but the voice-overs are hilarious. Listen to the customers , their demands are great for a chuckle or two.

In the end I say "Order Up" is a delicious blend of fun restaurant cooking and culinary empire building, all rolled into a light and flaky crust! Yum. Check Please!