The four ingredient sources
Every dish on your menu needs ingredients, and the game gives you several ways to get them. Independent impressions from Cozy Escapism describe buying at the market, fishing and growing produce as the main routes. The official Steam listing also names fishing, farming and gathering as parts of the restaurant and exploration loop.
- Market purchases. The fastest option for your first menu.
- Fishing. Catch fish yourself once you have a rod.
- Farming. Plant seeds in garden beds and harvest crops.
- Gathering. Collect resources while exploring, following on-screen prompts.
Each route trades money for time in a different way. Early on, buying is simplest because you can stock a small menu in one trip. Fishing and farming take longer to set up, but they reduce how much you need to spend once they are running.
What the market sells early on
The market is your first stop on day one, because the opening checklist asks you to buy groceries. In the September 27, 2026 NAC Games session, at about 06:42, the player visits fish and vegetable market stops. The items shown include catfish along with carrots and tomatoes.
That selection is enough to try simple early dishes such as catfish sashimi. Buy only what your planned menu needs, since unused ingredients are money that is not yet earning anything. Our recipes guide explains how to read the cookbook so your shopping list matches your menu.
Vendors in older builds
Older footage shows a slightly different picture of the vendors. In a November 12, 2025 session, LadyShelab discusses seed, produce and fish vendors at around 1:05:43 and again between 2:12:46 and 2:13:19. That build predates the 2026 patches, so its stock and prices need rechecking in your own game.
Treat older vendor lists as a hint of what kinds of shops exist, not as a current price list. Stock may also change over time, and a fixed vendor rotation has not been verified. If a shop does not carry an item you expected, check the other ingredient routes before assuming it is missing from the game.
Fishing for your own seafood
Fish do not have to come from the market. Once you get a rod from an NPC named Croc through the introductory quests, you can catch fish at recognized fishing spots. The fishing rod guide explains how that unlock works in the September 2026 build.
In an older January 2026 build, LadiesGamers places fishing access around the shore and docks. Exact fishing coordinates and a full list of species by location have not been verified, so this page does not publish a fish map. The fishing guide covers how catching works once you reach the water.
Growing vegetables in the garden
Farming gives you a steady supply of produce without returning to the market. In the September 2026 footage, between roughly 55:34 and 57:06, the player receives tools, seeds and guidance for the garden. Carrots are the crop shown being planted in both recent and older sessions.
LadiesGamers' older build places the farm area near the restaurant, which keeps harvests close to the kitchen. The basic loop is to plant seeds in garden beds, water them with a watering can and harvest when they are ready. Read the farming guide for the full starter routine and the common shovel mix-up.
Gathering while you explore
Gathering is the fourth route, and it works through interaction prompts in the world. The September 18, 2026 demo patch improved resource-gathering prompts, so the game now signals more clearly what you can collect. Follow those prompts rather than assuming that every plant you see is harvestable.
Gathering is confirmed as a feature, but specific spawn points are not. This page does not list spots for items such as mushrooms, because no verified map of gathering locations exists yet. Explore the area around town and watch for prompts while you travel between the restaurant, the market and the water.
Why older guides disagree
Ingredient advice from 2025 does not always match the current game. The October 1, 2026 patch updated recipes and added one new recipe, which changes what some dishes need. An ingredient list copied from an older guide may therefore send you shopping for the wrong items.
The September 18, 2026 patch also changed how gathering prompts appear. Footage recorded before those patches can show different prompts, vendors or quest timing than you will see now. When a video and your game disagree, trust the current cookbook and the prompts in front of you.
Planning a shopping route
A simple routine keeps your mornings efficient. Decide on the daily menu first, check the cookbook for what each dish needs and then visit only the stops you require. Combine trips where you can, for example buying vegetables at the market on the way to the water. A short, planned loop leaves more of the day for cooking and serving.
As your garden and fishing improve, you can shift some purchases to your own supplies. Cozy Escapism notes that growing and catching ingredients can reduce reliance on buying them. That does not prove a specific profit gain, but it gives you more control over what you spend.
Ingredients in co-op sessions
Gathering ingredients is one of the easiest jobs to share with friends. PAO PAO supports online co-op for up to four players, so one person can shop or fish while others prepare the kitchen. Older co-op impressions describe players dividing restaurant tasks in exactly this way.
Agree on the menu before anyone leaves so the right ingredients come back. A clear plan avoids duplicate purchases and empty shelves at opening time. The co-op guide explains the player limit and recent online fixes.
What is not confirmed yet
Several details players ask about could not be verified before Early Access. There is no confirmed complete ingredient list, no respawn schedule and no fixed vendor rotation. Precise map coordinates for ingredients have not been published by the developer either.
This page will grow as the full version is documented. When a location or vendor detail is confirmed by official notes or consistent footage, it will be added with its source and date. Until then, use the four routes above and the prompts in your current build.
Sources and further reading
- PAO PAO Feels Like Overcooked, But With More Charm — Cozy Escapism
- PAO PAO — Steam store
- Just a Cozy Lil Guy Running a Chaotic Restaurant! — NAC Games
- Farming, Fishing, Questing, and Running a Restaurant In this Adorable Town!! — LadyShelab
- PAO PAO Demo Impressions — LadiesGamers
- PAO PAO DEMO Patchnote
- Pao Pao Second Patch is Live!
- Pao Pao free demo is now available to play! — Dreland