My train's here.
Alrighty, I'mma get going.
Megumi, you're really going, huh?
And you've only just turned 13!
Gramps, don't worry.
Yeah!
Megumi's cooking's the best deal around here!
It's good enough for Tokyo, too!
Here, a good luck charm to help you stay focused and study.
Okay.
Megumi!
Congrats on a Good Catch!
Megumi can be shy.
Thanks, guys.
I'mma come back a real chef for sure!
Charm for Academic Success
Chinese Cuisine I: Evaluation (E)
Fail
Final Notice
3rd-Year, Junior High School Division Tadokoro Megumi Should the student named above receive an E or a non-passing grade in class, in accordance with school policy, the student shall be EXPELLED.
Totsuki Teahouse Culinary Academy
High School Division Opening Ceremony
Tadokoro Megumi (15)
My name is Tadokoro Megumi...
It's the spring of my first year in high school,
and I'm on a knife's edge.
That Chef Never Smiles
We will next present the new students with their class badge.
Incoming valedictorian, Nakiri Erina.
Here!
Nakiri Erina (15) High School Division, First-Year
Ah, Erina-sama...
Exquisite as always.
Beautiful and at the top of her class...
She is perfection incarnate!
If I could go on a date with her for even a single day,
I'd die happy.
Idiot!
Watch your mouth!
You'll get kicked out of the academy!
Yeah.
She's the daughter of the don who heads the food industry mafia!
Well, sure, but...
We now welcome our keynote speaker:
the director of our Totsuki Academy,
Nakiri Senzaemon-sama.
Nakiri Senzaemon Totsuki Academy Director
H-He's terrifying!
He has the entire Academy... no, the entire Japanese food world... under his thumb!
He's the ultimate gourmand!
Calling him a mafia don is an understatement!
He's the Devil!
The Devil of food!
Greetings.
Congratulations on your advancement to the high school division.
During your three years in the junior high school division,
you have obtained a basic skill set in cooking
and deepened your understanding of each ingredient.
In addition to the cooking practicum,
you attended classroom lectures on a variety of topics
including culinary theory,
nutrition,
public health,
introductory agronomics,
and management.
Now, you're finally standing at the entrance to the high school division.
The challenges you'll now face are not about your skills or knowledge,
but whether you have the wherewithal to survive as a food professional.
99 percent of you...
...are meant to be sacrifices for honing
the remaining 1 percent!
He called them sacrifices.
He's got quite the speech going, Bro.
Yeah, you're right.
Of the 812 students who entered our high school division last year,
only 76 advanced to the second year!
Incompetence and mediocrity will be mercilessly excised from our student body.
A thousand first-years will be whittled down to a hundred by next year,
and we can count those who'll advance to graduation on one hand.
Aspire to become one of the small handful of those professionals!
It should be you!
Hone yourself!
That is all.
All right!
I'm going to do this.
This academy only has such strong name recognition
because of the intense competition
allowing only a select few to complete their education.
Should one succeed in advancing to actual graduation,
their stardom in the food world is assured for their remaining lifetime.
But I pity those of you who're in the same generation as me.
You have been destined to fight over who gets to be
second place since the time you were born.
The pinnacle of Totsuki Academy, and of the Japanese food world,
belongs to me, Nakiri Erina!
Finally, we'd like to introduce one transfer student
who'll be joining your ranks today.
So one student made the cut in a different exam?
Yukihira... Soma...
Go away!
Stay away, I say!
Hmph!
Just the mere memory of it makes my blood boil.
Never mind all that.
Oh, sorry to be talking to y'all from up here.
I'll never have to see him again.
Just be quick about it, please.
I'll keep it short and sweet, then.
Just a couple sentences.
Uh, I'm Yukihira Soma.
To be honest,
this academy's just a stepping stone for me!
I wasn't expecting to transfer here,
but I don't plan on losing to folks who've never actually served customers.
Anyway, what I'm getting at is...
Basically, now that I'm here,
I'm gonna take the number one spot!
Looking forward to being with y'all for the next three years!
You little...
Hey!
I'mma kill you!
Die!
Wait a minute!
Phew, I managed not to bite my tongue.
Oh... hey! You're the one from the exam!
Uh, Nakiri, right?
Man, that was nerve-wracking.
It's not like I've ever had to stand up there to get awards or stuff like that.
How was I?
Was I weird?
Who cares about that?!
Yukihira-kun!
Why are you here?!
Huh? Why?
Letter of Acceptance
Wouldn't you come if you got an acceptance letter?
How?!
Man, you had me scared shitless.
You said it was disgusting.
If it was good, you shoulda just said so.
No!
That's not it! That's not it!
I rejected him!
What is it?
Is it delicious, or disgusting?
It's disgusting!
What?!
I'll say one thing!
I haven't accepted you!
Neither you, nor your cooking!
This is a mistake! A mistake, okay?
You came here to Totsuki because there was a mistake!
Taking the number one spot?
Don't make me laugh.
Everyone who's been a student since junior high
has been learning cutting-edge gastronomy!
I can already tell that an outsider transfer student like you
wouldn't have a snowball's chance in hell of beating them!
Three years in junior high, huh...
So?
I first held a kitchen knife at age three.
I've been practically living in the kitchen ever since for the past twelve years.
I can't let you smear mud on our restaurant
by leaving after you said my cooking's disgusting.
Just you wait!
I'll make you say "delicious!"
I'll use everything I've got in my cooking arsenal!
Well, that was some transfer student.
But maybe you need that much attitude
if you're going to survive in this academy.
You might be right!
Let's give it our best shot!
Right, Megumi?
Huh?
Where's Megumi?
Huh?
I want out...
I'm definitely up for first place in the sacrifice category.
I got the lowest passing score on the high school entrance exam,
and I'm sure it's only a matter of time until the final...
No, don't give up!
I have to live up to everyone's expectations back home!
Anyway, I'm only just scraping by right now as it is.
I should keep my head down
and avoid any attention, unlike that transfer student!
Okay!
I'm not going anywhere near that guy!
You'll be splitting off
into different classes and starting your coursework right off the bat.
Today, you'll be cooking in pairs with your current partner.
Got it?
Nice to meet you.
Why?!
Y-u-m.
Test Kitchen 3
Wow, the last time I cooked in a class
was for home economics!
Hey, look.
Yeah.
It's the transfer student who was running his mouth off at the opening ceremony.
He's all talk, anyway.
So... Tadokoro-san, was it?
Why're you writing the "man" character on your hand over and over?
Oh! Th-This is so that I won't get nervous.
Nervous?
Why?
If I get even one more E rating, I'll get expelled.
Huh.
I'd heard this is an elite school,
but I guess even they have people like you.
People Like You
And here I'd wanted to survive by keeping a low profile...
Now I'm paired with this guy, of all people.
Oh, I'm Yukihira Soma.
Soma's fine, though.
Nice to meet you!
Oh...
Nice to... meet you, too.
The... the stares hurt.
I wonder if he's even noticed.
Attention!
Good morning, my young apprentis.
Good morning.
A... A... Appla tea?
That's Roland Chapelle-sensei.
You become responsible for creating a delectable dish
Roland Chapelle Totsuki Academy Lecturer French Cuisine Lead
the moment you step into the kitchen.
Neither experience nor status can excuse you from this duty.
In my class, any dish that fails to deserve an A rating
will automatically receive an E rating.
Remember that.
I've got the worst luck.
I can't believe my very first class has be with Chapelle, of all people.
That teach looks scary.
He's notorious at Totsuki for being extremely strict with grades.
Last year, he gave E ratings to all 50 students in his class,
18 of whom were expelled as a result of that rating.
His nickname is The Chef Who Never Smiles.
Huh.
Today's menu item is boeuf bourguignon.
Boeuf Bourguignon Braised Beef Bourgogne Style
It can be said to be a staple in French cuisine,
but I'll put the recipe up on the white board, anyway.
Boeuf Bourguignon Braised Beef Bourgogne Style
Two hours is your time limit.
Each team should serve the dish as soon as it's complete.
Let us begin.
Start cooking!
Did he just say to add diced cucumbers?
I just have to do this.
Stay calm and nail each step...
Besides, Soma-kun seemed pretty confident, too.
I bet his cooking skills aren't too shabby—
Boeuf bour-what?
What?!
Soma-kun, you've never made it before?
Nope, haven't.
It's basically like braised beef sinew, right?
Well, I'm sure we'll manage.
I'll go take a look at the recipe.
Crap...
I might be screwed, after all...
Sauté mushrooms in butter before adding them to the pot...
Then you just simmer everything at low heat...
Take the beef out in 40 minutes.
Take the beef out in 39 minutes.
Take the beef out in 38 minutes.
Tadokoro, look!
Look, so many spices!
I feel like an idiot for being all anxious by myself.
Oh, I should just get the serving dish while I can.
Huh?
Tadokoro, did you open the lid?
Huh? No.
We still have to simmer it for 20 more minutes.
What?!
What's this white stuff?!
It's salt.
How?!
Wh-What are we going to do?!
We can't use this meat anymore!
We'll have to start over!
But it takes more than an hour to tenderize and season the meat!
Then we have to braise the meat in the sauce
for at least half an hour so that the flavors mingle.
We only have 30 minutes left...
But if we serve this salt-caked dish,
we'll get an E rating for sure.
Charm for Academic Success
Mom...
Sorry, guys...
I'm done for.
I got spare ingredients.
Huh?
All right, let's put our game face on.
Huh?
What?
Soma-kun, but there's no way we're gonna finish in time.
That teacher says some pretty good things.
We're cooking pros before we're students.
I'm gonna serve a dish, no matter what!
Help out!
O-Okay!
Here's the salt, pepper, and bouquet garni!
Thanks!
Look, that big-mouth transfer student's all worked up.
Well, I bet an E rating's guaranteed, no matter what.
Yeah.
Hm.
This is an A.
All right!
Next team!
Each team should be finishing up by now.
We've only got the sauce left, too.
Let's wrap up—
Evaluation, please!
All done!
No way...
So tender...
The fork's practically springing back.
What?!
Impossible! There's no way they were able to braise it long enough!
Your team had an accident, if I recall.
How did you manage to finish the assignment?
We used honey!
I kneaded it into the meat before the braise,
and it was also included in the seasoning.
Honey has protease, which breaks down proteins.
The protease went to work on the tough beef flank,
allowing you to tenderize it in the short time you had left.
B-But how'd you know that you could use honey this way?
A long time ago, I read this cookbook
that said pineapple juice tenderizes meat.
I couldn't think of a reason why I'd get an entire pineapple just for that,
so I experimented with a bunch of different stuff to see if anything had a similar effect.
Honey has a long shelf life,
so it's much more versatile.
Well, you'll see once you try a bite, Tadokoro.
Here.
I'm melting...
Melting...
It's wonderful!
Chapelle-sensei...
...smiled!
Yukihira and Tadokoro.
I'll give you an A rating.
However...
...I regret the fact that I do not have the authority
to grant you a higher rating.
Glad you liked it!
That transfer student's cooking...
...got a higher rating than ours?
H-Hey!
The sauce's getting burnt!
Shit!
E rating!
Test Kitchen #2
That was an easy win, Bro.
Yeah, just as usual.
If we'd been in the same class as that transfer student,
we would've been able to crush him!
Soma-kun.
Hey, good work back there!
Um...
Thanks for today!
It's all thanks to you that I...
Never mind all that!
I'm looking forward to working together from now on, Tadokoro!
Okay.
Maybe I've gotten myself paired with someone really special...
Oh, by the way.
Want to try my new recipe to celebrate our team-up?
Oh, really?
I'd like to try.
Here!
Huh?
Um...
It's honey pickled squid.
The flavor of squid had been taken in the wrong direction,
making it as disgusting as it'd feel to be groped all over by it.
No!
It's Erina-sama!
I wonder if she's testing new recipes again.
I wish I could try hers, at least once.
Erina-sama!
Erina-sama, I have terrible news.
What is it? Pull yourself together.
He received the highest rating possible in Instructor Chapelle's class.
By "he," I mean him... Yukihira Soma!
I would prefer not to have that name uttered in my presence.
F-Forgive me!
Heh heh heh heh heh
He is an abomination that has invaded my sacred shrine...
I cannot let him have his way!
I will eliminate him,
and soon!
I have calamari with peanut butter, too. Want some?
I have so much more...
I don't like him, after all!
End
Preview
Next time on Food Wars,
the f-fourth dish:
Menu The Madonna of the Polar Star
"The Madonna of the Polar Star."
Please enjoy.
Here, try this next...
Noooooo! Waaaaah!
Edamame
Here, here, here, here, try this next.