Topic: Curry Dish
Hm?
What's wrong, Tadokoro?
After seeing Hayama-kun with his different curries...
I guess I'm feeling a little down.
All right!
There's just a little over a month till the elections.
How can I even come up with a dish in that time
that'd stand up to someone like Hayama-kun?
At my family's diner,
when I'd get a good look at my dad working away,
I could tell, y'know?
I still have so much more to learn.
But Dad still made me come up with new menu items.
I got so nervous.
I was only in sixth grade.
6th Grade
Eeeek
I'd never be able to deal with that much pressure!
Diner Yukihira
But...
If I let that stuff get to me,
I'll never be able to come up with anything.
For me, not measuring up right now
isn't a problem at all.
If I can't find it in myself to admit defeat in my family's diner
or in this cooking contest,
Grin
I just gotta keep pushing on, you know?
Okay! Yeah!
Also, about the topic...
Spices are important, sure,
but I don't think that's the only thing.
Topic: Curry Dish
With only six weeks left before the Autumn Elections...
Thus began our scorching summer spent facing curry.
Textbook on Curry Dishes
The Dragon Lies Down and Ascends the Skies
Approximately forty varieties of spices
may be used in typical curries.
So you have to pick ten or twenty of them in a blend... Okay.
Some spices may cancel each other out,
so you can't just throw random spices together.
Coriander
Whole Coriander Seeds
Cilantro Leaves Powdered Coriander
Fresh Coriander Seeds
You have to figure out whether to use spices whole, ground, or fresh,
as well as deciding which oils and cooking methods
to use to maximize their flavor,
Maturation
Roasting
which roasting and maturation methods should be used...
...and whether they pair well with the ingredients.
Huh?
Come back!
Megumi!
Spices are important, sure...
...but they're not the only thing.
Don RS's Rising Star, Nikumi! Congratulations on Being Selected for the Preliminaries!
Well, it's a great honor
to have one of our Don RS members be selected as a candidate!
Cheer Cheer
Use your super-high-quality meat to score a spot in the main tournament, Nikumi!
Chortle
Then we'll rake in gobs of club funds and benefits,
Don RS
and attract scores of members!
Meat
Don RS's future will be secured!
Golden Age
It's not that simple.
It's not just about serving good meat.
I'll have to figure out the best combination of spices
and make sure I choose the right meat.
My greatest weapon is meat dishes!
I'll create a curry that'll take the best advantage of that!
You'll go so far for Don RS?
Nikumi...
Forget that!
Are you still serious about not going back to Italy?
Yeah.
Mom and Dad will be sad.
There're regulars waiting for your cooking, too.
I'm just delaying my flight a little bit.
I want to think about this a bit longer on my own.
All right.
Then give it all you've got!
Try to beat me!
Okay.
But don't cry if I win, Bro.
Isami Aldini Age 10
You always cry when you lose at a game.
Takumi Aldini Age 10
Hey, that was when we were in elementary school!
Fine, I'm leaving!
Oh, Bro!
Huh?
Do you have your passport?
Can you check in and board the plane on your own?
Don't forget to go to the bathroom before boarding.
Don't make fun of your brother!
Have a safe trip!
Hojo-Ro
Hojo Miyoko Prelims Group B
Heh. I won't stand for any of that bullshit!
One Year Ago
So what if she's the daughter of Chef Hojo?
I won't have no woman heading the kitchen!
The moment she sets foot in here,
I'll bully her right outta here!
Delicious!
I can't believe Miyoko-san made this as a third-year in junior high.
Yeah.
She's already as good as the chief, if not better...
Chief!
In three years, after I graduate from Totsuki,
I'll be joining your kitchen.
I look forward to it, Senpai!
I will be entering a battlefield full of formidable men.
Credibility
I need credibility!
I need irrefutable street cred so that they won't look down on me for being a girl!
First Seat, Elite Ten
First, I'll win the elections,
then win the first seat of the Elite Ten!
You can count on Hojo Miyoko doing just that!
Once August arrived,
Polar Star members began going home to visit their families.
And...
You're going back today?
Yeah.
It's Obon season.
But it's also because I want to try
how spices pair with local ingredients back home.
I see.
Good luck.
Thanks. You, too.
You'll be the only first-year here for awhile, but...
Well, it's not like I'll be bored.
Okay, I'll see you soon.
Okay!
Don't forget to bring back presents!
Okay.
Three weeks until the prelims...
This is it...
With this flavor, I can win!
I will get you this time!
Sadatsuka Nao Prelims Group B
For sure!
I can feel it!
Just you wait, Arato Hisako!
Ugly Bitch Idiot Die
What's wrong, Hisako?
Oh, it's nothing.
I just felt a slight chill.
Oh, that's not good!
Shall I turn down the air conditioner?
E-Erina-sama, you don't need to worry about me.
Then do you need anything else?
No... it's enough that you are allowing me to use your kitchen.
What about tea?!
Shall I make you tea?!
No, um...
Arato Hisako Prelims Group B
I'm really just fine.
My, Erina's bored out of her mind
because she's not going to be in the prelims.
Looks like it.
Nakiri Alice Prelims Group B
Well, I've basically figured out what I'll make,
so I'm bored, too.
Um, Miss.
Kurokiba Ryo Prelims Group A
I'd like to test my curry idea, too.
No, you have to entertain me.
Hey!
Megumi, it's you!
Hi, everyone!
It's been a while!
I heard!
You got picked for a super-big contest!
You're our star for sure!
O-Oh, c'mon!
Megumi!
Welcome home.
Mom!
Sokeien
I'm home!
It's been a long time since I had your help in the kitchen.
I think you've gotten even better than before.
I've still got a ways to go.
I'm always making mistakes.
Even during camp, Soma-kun...
Heh, so you just got helped along by a guy?
I misread you.
It's just like Hojo-san said.
I'm always being helped along.
But in the prelims, I have to fight on my own.
Even I wonder exactly what I'm capable of.
Soma-kun, did you pull an all-nighter?
Oh, Isshiki-senpai, morning!
That's a huge pile of tests.
This is interesting.
Yes, really interesting, Soma-kun!
Oh, but I'm just getting started.
I'll make it even better—
Hayama-kun?
Shiomi Jun Totsuki Academy Instructor, Alumna of Polar Star Dormitory
Did you pull another all-nighter?
Yeah.
It's almost done.
My secret weapon spice mix.
You shouldn't!
If you work yourself to the bone, you'll get sick!
Look who's talking.
You often pull all-nighters yourself, Jun.
Don't call me Jun!
It's Professor Shiomi!
Jun Being Carried to the Sofa
Zzz...
Never wakes up
Oh, and try to stop passing out on the floor.
You might be short, but you're heavy.
Blush
A-A-A-And here I was being all worried for you!
I hope you lose, Hayama-kun!
I won't lose.
Hayama Akira Prelims Group A
I'll prove to everyone that you and I make an unbeatable team.
Totsuki Teahouse Culinary Academy Autumn Elections Begin
Sorry, Hayama-kun.
I forgot to water them again.
Are you mad?
I'm not mad.
I'm so, so sorry.
You must be mad.
I'm not mad.
I knew it! You're mad!
This place is huge.
Are we really going to cook here?
Soma-kun!
Tadokoro!
How was the rest of your summer?
It was good. I think I trained for this in my own way—
Megumi!
Long time no see!
You look well.
You, too, Yukihira!
How're you doing?
Well, so-so, I guess.
Oh, Nikumi!
H-Hey.
We're in the same group.
Let's get through this together.
To...
Together?!
Y-You idiot, we're enemies!
I'm not gonna lose to you this time!
S-Sure.
I'm disappointed I'm not in the same group as you.
Oh.
But Ryo-kun is.
Ryo-kun, introduce yourself.
'Sup.
'S-'Sup.
There's a lingering trace of spices on your fingers.
Hayama!
I guess you've been giving this your best shot.
Yup!
I want to let you taste really great curry!
Heh.
Yukihira!
Oh, Takumi.
Been a while.
The Vaguely Uninteresting Takumi Aldini
I... I'll say this to you now!
Your true rival is me right here—
Hey, who's the guy next to you?
Who?
It's Isami, of course.
Huh?
Lies!
What?
Slim Version Isami Aldini
Sure. Takumi always loses a little weight
every year when the summer heat gets to him.
This is because of the summer heat?!
I'm all better now, don't worry.
I'll be back to my old self come fall and winter.
S-So it happens every year.
I'm surprised you're still alive.
A-Anyway, now you know!
This is Isami!
Okay, let's start over.
Yukihira?!
Thank you for your patience, everyone.
Eyes on the front stage, please.
Hey, what's going on?
Oh, sorry, can this wait?
Huh?
Wait! Hey!
We'll now have the opening speech
by the current director of Totsuki Academy,
Nakiri Senzaemon Director, Totsuki Academy
Nakiri Senzaemon.
Nakiri Senzaemon...
He's the old guy who gave a speech at the opening ceremony.
D-Director?!
D-Don't mind me...
I just choked on something.
When I breathe in the air here,
I can feel all the energy coursing through me, body and soul.
He was coughing just now, though.
Shh!
This is the Hall of Heaven and Moon.
Hall of Heaven and Moon
Under ordinary circumstances, only the Elite Ten may use this space
to challenge each other in Shokugekis.
To show our respect to the countless victors who have won the first seat,
it is tradition to display their portraits.
Whoa!
He's right!
Now that I'm taking a good luck, there's Dojima-senpai.
Shinomiya-senpai, too! He was the first seat?
Countless unforgettable battles have been fought,
and countless specialties have been born here.
That is why the memory of the neverending battles fought here
hang in the air like fog!
Fog
And this is also where the main tournament for the Autumn Elections will be held.
So in other words, only the students who pass the prelims...
Right. Only they can stand on this stage to fight.
You will all make a new mark on history here!
Let us meet here again,
chefs of the 92nd class of Totsuki Academy!
Oh, Takumi.
What'd you want to talk about earlier?
Never mind.
We'll now explain the rules for the preliminaries.
As indicated in our written notice,
the topic is a curry dish.
You have three hours.
Out of sixty candidates in the preliminaries,
Group A Group B 30 Candidates 30 Candidates
only eight total may advance to the main tournament.
In other words, only four from each group.
Only that many?!
They weed you out real fast.
Group A
Candidates should relocate to their group's designated spaces.
Group B
The preliminaries will begin at eleven o'clock.
Let's go!
Let's do this!
There's no point in getting scared!
Yeah.
Right!
Yukihira!
Let's meet again back in here
at the main tournament!
Yup.
Group A Hall
Begin... cooking!
Welcome.
Eizan Etsuya 9th Seat, Totsuki Elite Ten
I believe we informed you that the we would begin at eleven?
Are you saying that, knowing full well how difficult it is
Sendawara Natsume Prelims Group A Chief Judge CEO, Howbee Foods
to free even one minute of my schedule?
Well, Eizan-kun?
S-Sendawara Natsume!
She has a monopoly on the curry business in Japan.
She's the Queen of Curry!
Eizan-kun talked me into coming,
but can mere students manage to entertain me?
Heh, just keep shelling out the big bucks to me.
What was that?
Oh, nothing.
Please enjoy the Autumn Election to your heart's content,
Natsume-sama.
Eizan-senpai's amazing, being able to bring in a superstar like her.
Yeah. If we're getting Sendaira Natsume,
I bet Group B's getting...
Hall B
Yeah, her twin, Sendawara Orie!
Sendawara Orie Prelims Group B Chief Judge COO, Howbee Foods
Say, Isshiki-kun...
When will you join our company?
Be mine already.
Isshiki Satoshi 7th Seat, Totsuki Elite Ten
I'm still just a student.
That's not a problem.
Even if you withdraw from the academy right now,
I'll ensure that you'll never go hungry.
Kita Osaji Sponsor, Kita Gastronomy Club
C'mon, hurry.
Ando Shingo Food Culture Writer
I can't wait any longer.
Well, for today, please enjoy the dishes prepared by the cute first-years.
Hmm, very well.
Takumi Aldini—is he from Italy?
It looks like he's making fond from beef shank and chicken bones.
It's nothing new.
His younger brother's the one next to him.
Isami Aldini.
He's covered the bottom of his pot with tomatoes.
Tomatoes are a staple vegetable in Italian cuisine.
I'm sure he knows all about them.
Hm, this peculiar, insistent fragrance...
It must be from spices being sauteed in duck fat!
Keep it up!
Yoshino!
Polar Star
Oh, look there. What is she making?
Even though spices are supposed to be sauteed in fat, in theory,
she just threw them into water!
Look!
Nakiri Alice's doing something totally different from the rest!
What the hell's that giant machine?
A quick-freeze machine and a centrifuge?
I have no idea what kind of dish she'll be making!
Well, the same goes for Sadatsuka Nao.
Her roux's black!
It's not cooking, it's black magic.
Miyoko-sama!
Sister!
On Standby Kawashima Urara
I feel like someone's getting all the attention from guys!
That's the heir to Hojo-ro,
a famous restaurant in Yokohama's Chinatown.
Many of the spices used in Chinese cuisine
can be used in curry.
It'll be interesting to see how she'll finish up her dish!
It's true there are some students who look interesting...
Fine, I've made up my mind.
Give me all the students over there.
G-Give?
You don't care what people might think of what you say, do you?
Oh, but...
I don't think I need that girl with her hair in two braids.
She has no flair.
I don't think she has much potential.
Oh, I wouldn't be so sure.
Group A
She's using hua jiao.
Hua Jiao
Roland Chapelle Totsuki Academy Lecturer French Cuisine Lead
Shiomi Jun Totsuki Academy Lecturer Polar Star Dormitory Alumna
It's a spice that can remove gaminess from meat.
Not to mention, she only ground it coarsely,
so it retains its rich fragrance.
Well done.
Nikumi...
You've grown so much.
Hey, Nikumi!
I'm watching you!
He's acting like a dad coming to watch his daughter at the sports festival!
J-Just ignore him!
How's everyone else doing?
Spaced Out
Nakiri Alice's aide...
Most of the prep work's done.
Okay.
Wha?!
He's like a totally different guy!
What extravagant movements.
Indeed!
In comparison, however...
That one's dull.
Is that udon?
That'd be the one specializing in malt,
Sakaki Ryoko...
It's black?
And what's that sticky substance?
This prelim's strongest contender would be him.
Fish head curry, hm.
Fish Head Curry
By using the entire head of a whitefish,
you can enjoy the full flavor of the fish.
It's a curry dish originating in Singapore.
He's pairing it with naan, not rice.
It's less original than I'd expected.
That naan... could it be?
That's right, Jun.
My cooking's just getting started!
This fragrance...
This slight twinge of freshness
amidst the rich smell of coconut milk...
That freshness makes you hungry!
Despite how much fragrance is in the air,
you can always tell which one's coming from his pot!
It's evidence that he's blended his spices to perfection!
This is a different kind of fragrance...
It's smoke!
I see!
Smoking is yet another method to add fragrance to a dish.
This has changed the air in this hall yet again!
Hm.
Well, it seems I'll be entertained at least a little.
So, who's your pick, Eizan-kun?
Hmm, let me think.
It's hard to say whom my pick would be,
but there is a man whose abilities I wish to assess in full.
Yukihira Diner
What?
Yukihira?
No way!
He's asleep!
To Be Continued
Preview
I'm Natsume.
I'm Orie.
Next time on Food Wars, the twenty-first dish:
Menu The Unknown Known
"The Unknown Known."
Be thrilled!
Thrill me!
Why didn't you make it into a bunny?!
Fume Fume
Don't get mad over something so small...
Oh...
You good-for-nothing!
Oh...