Chef Shimi
| Chef Shimi | |
|---|---|
 Sprite fromPaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door | |
| Species | Cheep Cheep |
| First appearance | Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (2004) |
| Latest appearance | Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (Nintendo Switch) (2024) |
- “A mystery,you just said? ...And, uh, um, er, exactly... what kind of dish is that?”
- —Chef Shimi,Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Chef Shimi is aCheep Cheep chef who works on theExcess Express inPaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. As such, Shimi is in charge of preparing all the meals for the train's upscale passengers. His first language is "Cheep-Cheep", so he often uses the wrong words when talking to non-Cheep Cheeps (e.g. "You shaved my life!"). He also often speaks in exaggerated metaphors and avoids any kind of abbreviations. Chef Shimi is stated to be quite good at cooking by characters such as thewaitress, although it is a minor running joke that he is unable to cook with anything butMushrooms. In spite of the limitation, Shimi's cooking is so renowned that he was featured on the cover of a gourmet-food magazine found in the bedside table drawer ofHeff T.'s cabin (003), beaming with pride with his blinding smile.
Chef Shimi's name comes from a shortening of "sashimi," the Japanese name for a type of a raw fish dish.
History[edit]
Mario first meets Shimi after boarding the Excess Express, where he assumes the role of a detective to deduce who stole Shimi'spot of stew. Following a trail of spilled stew, Mario discovers the identity of the culprit,Heff T., a gluttonousToad foodie. Mario returns the pot to Shimi, who rewards him with aStar Piece. Despite the inconvenience, Chef Shimi and Heff T. develop a friendship.
Shimi's super-duper speciality is theMushroom Full Course, which features a mushroom bouillon, mushroom mousse, assorted roasted mushrooms, mushrooms in saffron, and mushroom sorbet, served with a side of mushroom coffee. After leavingRiverside Station, Shimi states he is preparing the speciality using mushrooms picked from the station, resulting in Mario's partner questioning if those mushrooms are safe to eat.
At the start of the third day, Shimi, along with the other passengers and staff, goes missing, being absorbed into a hoard ofSmorgs that attacks the train. Mario eventually defeats the Smorgs, causing them to blow away in the wind and allowing the rest of the passengers to arrive safely in Poshley Heights. Shimi remains on the train for the rest of the game, continuing his duties alongside the waitress.
Shimi later posts atrouble in theTrouble Center. For a special meal, he needs aMystic Egg, aGolden Leaf and aKeel Mango. For that trouble, Mario must get the Mystic Egg by playing withPetuni, collect the Golden Leaf behind theCreepy Steeple, and acquire the Keel Mango from a tree inKeelhaul Key. He must then board the Excess Express to bring the ingredients to Shimi for his reward.
In theremake on theNintendo Switch, Chef Shimi is added to the group in Poshley Heights as they shout support into the Crystal Star to aid Mario and his partners during the final battle.
Tattle[edit]
- "This is Chef Shimi, the cook aboard the Excess Express. He cooks for EVERYBODY! I can't figure this guy out. I have no idea if he's joking most of the time."
Gallery[edit]
Concept art of theExcess Express passengers and staff, including Chef Shimi with visible blond hair
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | コック[?] Kokku | Cook | |
| Chinese(Simplified) | 厨师[?] Chúshī | Cook | |
| Chinese(Traditional) | 廚師[?] Chúshī | Cook | |
| Dutch | Chef Speys[?] | Fromspijs ("food") | |
| French | Chef Sushi[?] | - | |
| German | Koch[?] | Cook | |
| Italian | Cuoco del Fasto-Express[?] | Excess Express chef | |
| Korean | 쿡[?] Kuk | Cook | |
| Spanish | Cocinero[?] | Cook |
Notes[edit]
- In the original game's end creditsparade, Shimi's silhouette can be seen with the Poshley Heights characters.
- In the remake, he,Toodles, theExcess Express waitress,Zip Toad,Heff T., and thebusinessman follow behindPennington as he investigates the stage. This is untilGhost T. appears and spooks at them, resulting in them all fleeing in horror as Ghost T. ascends into a bright light.
