01x01 - Episode 1

[bunniefuu]

THIS IS FICTION WITH NO INTENTIONAL RESEMBLANCE
TO ANY PERSONS, ORGANIZATIONS, OR OCCURRENCES.

There are as many Chinese restaurants
in Tokyo as there are stars in the sky.

But the one that shines
the brightest is this place...

- Gobancho's Chinese Restaurant in Ginza!

- GOBANCHO'S CHINESE RESTAURANT

- Gobancho's is the king
of Chinese cuisine!

- GOBANCHO'S CHINESE RESTAURANT

- And in its kitchen, an assembly of
first-rate chefs do battle with flames!

- GOBANCHO YAICHI [45], HEAD CHEF

- HARASAWA JOJI [20],
OTA MIKIO [18], IWATA HIROMI [26]

- LEE KOEI [34], KASHIWABARA KOJI [35],
SEGAKEI TARO [29]

- KOBAYASHI YOSHIYUKI [19],
HOSHI NARIYASU [31], YUTO TANI [24]

- MOCHIZUKI MITSUGU [22]
ETO YASUYUKI [31]

GOBANCHO MUTSUJU [75], FOUNDER OF
GOBANCHO'S CHINESE RESTAURANT

Hey, it's the owner!

Good morning, sir.

Indeed, good morning, everyone.

Morning, Uncle.

Why, I see you're hard at work, Yaichi.

Rare to find my head chef personally
taking the lead in the kitchen.

Well, we've got a few
parties booked today, sir.

The restaurant is definitely
doing good business.

All thanks to everyone's hard work.

We appreciate it.

Well, now...

I can whip up some breakfast,
if you'd like.

Any requests?

Kiriko-san!

Oh, there you are!

The head chef is calling for you.
Could you come with me?

Kiriko-san?

Um, is something wrong? Kiriko-san?

Kiriko-san!

Okonogi!

- How many times do I have to say it?!

- GOBANCHO KIRIKO [16], NO SET POSITION

- Do not yell when I'm
working on a display!

- Or are you trying to make me
screw up, you idiot?!

- OKONOGI TAKAO [16], TRAINEE

- I-I'm sorry.

Don't think you can go bumbling around

just because you're in training.

This is Gobancho's,
Tokyo's premier Chinese restaurant.

And don't you forget it.

Right!

White rice, beaten eggs, green onions...

Then the owner requested...

Fried rice!

At Gobancho's, fried rice is made

with onions, char siu, eggs,
ginger, and green peas—

an orthodox take on the dish.

Yet when owner Gobancho
Mutsuju requests fried rice,

the ingredients are limited
to onions and eggs alone.

It is an even simpler yet more difficult
iteration known as golden fried rice!

Are you ready?

Yes.

Get to it, then.

Right!

Mix it quickly. Speed is critical here.

That's right.

Add the chopped onions, flavor with
salt and pepper, and act fast...

Not enough soy sauce to change
the color. It's only for aroma.

Add sake to keep the eggs and rice fluffy.

HUANGJIN CHAOFAN: GOLDEN FRIED RICE
GOBANCHO'S CHINESE RESTAURANT SPECIALTY

Golden fried rice is made
from half-boiled eggs and white rice.

But as simple as it sounds,
it's by no means easy.

Right!

First of all, if the rice sticks together
whatsoever, it's not real fried rice.

It's also important to ensure that each
distinct grain gets a coating of egg.

Only then is it our signature dish.

Well done, Kiriko!

Fewer than five people in Japan are
capable of executing this consistently.

Thank you.

Her uncle trained her well.
In other words, me!

No, I believe the credit goes
to her grandfather. Me.

But whatever the cause,
it's an excellent-tasting dish.

Sorry to interrupt your break.
You're free to go.

Right!

Yaichi, I'd like you to stay.
We have more to discuss.

Of course.

WE ARE CLOSED FOR TODAY. WE HOPE YOU WILL DINE
WITH US AGAIN. - GOBANCHO'S CHINESE RESTAURANT

Good work, people!

Thank you, sir. You, too.

Another good day.

Hey, someone let the head chef
know that we're done in here.

Okay!

Excuse me, sir...

I'm sorry, but we're closed for the day.

Fried rice.

Erm, you see, our hours of operation are—

Don't care. Now get me that rice.

A guest?

I am so sorry.

That's a shame. We already cut the stoves.

Mochizuki! You handle this.

'Kay.

Here you are, sir. Please enjoy.

Uh, sir?!

Sir, you can't go in there!

That's the kitchen—

Sir, please!

Can I help you, sir?

Something wrong with your food?

The eggs are dry. The rice is too salty.

It's overcooked.
The seasoning's half-assed.

Plus, about 3% of the rice is sticky.

What the hell do you call this?

Where do you get off?!

I made that fried rice,
and you're complaining about it?!

You mean to tell me...

that was food?

You little—

Wh-What?! You some kind of chef, too?!

H-Hey! This isn't your kitchen, man!

It's fine. Let him take a shot.

Hey, Uncle, who is this guy?

You're to refer to me
as head chef in the kitchen.

Okay, Head Chef, do you know him?

After you went back to work, Dad...

Er, the owner let me know
we had a young man coming in.

I reckon this is who
he was talking about...

Akiyama Jan,
the grandson of Akiyama Kaiichiro.

Akiyama?

The only man to ever rival
Gobancho Mutsuju was Akiyama Kaiichiro.

Except he went missing over ten years ago.

I doubt you remember, considering
how young you were at the time.

He apparently died the other day.

Granted, you won't find many chefs around
who still know the name Akiyama...

But he was known as
the conqueror of Chinese cuisine.

And this guy is his grandson?

What's he doing in our restaurant?

Couldn't tell you.

But just look at him work!

Kaiichiro gave him a proper
education in Chinese cooking.

And I get the feeling...
he's making fried rice.

Fried rice?!

That's fried rice?

He took dried scallops and tofu, salted
them, and let them simmer in a pot...

Now he's taking half the tofu,
chopping it smaller, and frying it...

Are you seriously gonna let this guy
waltz in here and do this, Head Chef?

Do you really think
he's making fried rice?

Fried rice?!

Don't joke. I've never heard
of fried rice made with tofu.

It'd fall apart in the pan.

It'd be too wet
and make a mess of everything.

No. If this is Akiyama's grandson,
he's making fried rice.

He always treated cooking
like a competition.

He put the tofu and rice into
two separate heated frying pans...

Now what?

Ow!

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!

I-Is he trying to make watery fried rice?!

What the...

What the hell is he even doing?!

What's the problem, guys? Let's try it.

But...

Just do it. He's picking
a fight with our restaurant.

I see.

It is better than what
Mochizuki can make.

Aw, come on!

The tofu absorbed the dashi
from the dried scallops.

It's a bit like a seafood fried rice.

He managed to get rid of the excess
moisture while juggling the frying pans

before using sake to help
it all regain some volume.

There are thin ribbons of egg
and ginger surrounding the rice.

He made soup out of
the dried scallop dashi

and turned the fried tofu
into a sort of crouton.

The surface of the tofu is crispy
and fragrant from being fried,

but the umami of the dried
scallops is captured inside.

I've never seen
fried rice like this before.

Anything less ain't real cooking.

Hey, Akiyama.

You're Akiyama Jan, right?

You could at least introduce yourself.

Everyone, starting tomorrow,
he's going to be working with us.

My old man told me
to come here when he died.

Said it was the best
Chinese joint there is.

Shows what he knew!

Gobancho's is no premier
Chinese restaurant!

The Akiyamas are the best!

The Akiyamas are the kings of Chinese!

AKIYAMA JAN [16],
GRANDSON OF AKIYAMA KAIICHIRO

Pops...

Mutsuju's place wasn't impressive at all.

Why the hell'd you send me to that place?

What am I going to find there?

Wow, Akiyama-kun.

How can you peel them so fast?

Who knows?

Oh, you're fast!

Could you wash these pots next?

He's just a trainee, and he's
already a pain in the a*s.

Hey, Akiyama!

Wash this!

He was just using that! It's still hot!

Don't touch it, Akiyama-kun!

The sleeves of a chef's coat
are made long!

And while they're normally rolled up,

they're unrolled for grabbing pots!

What the hell are you all staring at?!

Go wash some dishes or something!

Hey, Mochizuki!

What're we gonna do with him?

Mochizuki-san's definitely
been on a tear lately.

I understand how he feels, but...

The newbie's got skills.
He's living up to the Akiyama name.

As talented as he is arrogant.
Quite the strange new hire, isn't he?

I'm not impressed.

Hey, you.

Okonogi. Who's the chick?

Do you mean Kiriko-san?

I've noticed that since I joined up,

she's worked every station in the kitchen.

The hell is her deal? Spill it.

She's the heir to the restaurant...

Gobancho Kiriko!

She's a better cook and worse-tempered
than most guys.

And the reason she's only a trainee,
despite knowing how to do all the jobs,

is so that when she takes over,
she'll know every aspect of the place.

I heard she's been training in this
kitchen since she was thirteen.

But your grandpa was known as
the conqueror of Chinese cooking,

and he taught you, right?

That's amazing!

Anyway, why have you been separating
the different dishes like that?

It's faster this way.

I get it. His grandpa must've had him
doing entry-level work all the time.

That's it for the lunch orders.

Break time, everyone!

Right.

Hey, who's making lunch today?

Meal time!

In this context, it's a staff lunch
prepared by a chef on duty

so that everyone can eat on their break.

The chef is chosen from
among the kitchen staff,

and this is their chance to demonstrate
recipes they've learned,

showing off what they can do.

A type of competitive display all its own.

And naturally, should
anything subpar be served,

it will be dismissed as total sh*t

with their coworkers demanding
that they finish it themselves

before stepping out to eat,
leaving the cook to wallow in shame.

Here! I'll do it.

Oh, it's Kiriko-san today!

This is gonna be good, then.

So, what are you making for us?

Something with organ meat.

S-Sorry, I don't do well with gamey food.

I think I'll go for—

Come on, stupid.
A chef can't be a picky eater.

It's fine. I don't make
things people can't eat.

What do you need to keep in mind
when using organ meat?

Don't cut corners.

And make sure it's something
enjoyable when it's ready.

All right, get cracking!

Right!

I'm going to use veal tripe
since it doesn't smell as strongly.

First, I've cut it in a flower pattern
before coating it in flour.

Gotta be thorough...

We want the flour absorbing that odor.

Next, we rinse it off.

Then comes the chicken gizzard.

Chop this too, then run it under
water to get rid of the odor.

Once you've dried both off,
add seasoning before parboiling.

This helps ensure that all
that organ smell is gone.

She really is being thorough.

Next, take your onion oil
and other ingredients...

- BAO SHUANG HUA:
STIR-FRIED TRIPE AND GIZZARD

- And there you have it!

Just try it, Okonogi.

It's great!

But how? Not only does it not stink...

It tastes so refined!

Sure does. You'd never guess
it was organ meat.

But it still has the unique texture
that tripe and gizzards offer.

I daresay we could serve this and
no one would take issue with it.

It's professional grade.

You can't let organ meat
be gamey. That's the trick.

That's the reason I used
veal in the first place.

The gamey smell of organ meat
can be a serious detriment,

but that can be stripped
with flour or potato starch,

since the viscous fluid that causes it
clings to the powder,

separating it from the meat.

And any that remains gets
washed off in the parboiling.

You see now, Okonogi?

If you choose your ingredients
carefully and cook them carefully,

that's the difference it makes.

Right!

Cooking is about heart.

A professional spares no effort
in serving the best-tasting food possible.

That's the true soul of a chef.

Wrong.

Organ meat shouldn't be gamey?
Cooking is about heart?

Princess, you've got it all wrong.

Whoa, man!

Cooking is a contest.

You're trying to make something
better than anyone else.

That oughta be the real soul of a chef.

Shut your trap, Akiyama! Nobody asked you.

And I can prove it...

by making a better organ meat dish.

Man, what kinda dish is Akiyama
gonna be cooking up for us?

If it's nasty, I'll kick his a*s!

Try it. You're just gonna
get your own a*s beat.

His ingredient choice
will reflect his skill.

Yeah.

P-Pork liver?!

You went and picked
the gamiest meat you could!

After Kiriko-san went with mild veal!

Milk?!

Wh-What the hell is he thinking?!

Yuck! Talk about nasty!

I see! This method is used
in French cooking.

Say what? French cooking?

To tame gaminess, French chefs use milk.

The casein and fat in the milk
absorb the smell.

Once you wash off the milk,
the odor's gone.

It seems Akiyama's cooking
is truly borderless!

That flame...

Vodka?!

QINCAI BAO GAN: PORK LIVER AND CELERY
STIR-FRIED AT HIGH HEAT

What in the world...?

Well? Mine's better, right?

You only made one mistake.

Picking veal to avoid a stronger odor.

What do you mean?

What's wrong with using veal?

It's true that the organ meat of calves
three to eight months old lacks odor.

But the downside to that
is that it has less flavor.

Which explains why
Akiyama used mature pork.

He used milk to adsorb the smell,
and more than that...

By cooking it hot and fast,
that not only cut down on the gaminess,

but it produced a fragrant aroma instead.

I see.

But I don't consider this a loss.

I understand your cooking now.

It's a mishmash of intent,
from flavor to surprise elements.

You made yours as rich as possible
to outshine my delicate dish.

Your dish is only as good
as that contrast!

Yeah. And?

Cooking is a contest.
And winning's all the matters.

A-Are you serious?

You're that desperate to win?

Is that your idea of cooking?
Picking a fight?

Damn right!

Fine. If you want a fight, you've got one.

You sure you're up to the task, princess?

You bet I am!
Cooking's more than some contest.

I'm going to teach you that it
needs to be done with heart!

The year is 1995.

The Great Hanshin Earthquake
and the subway sarin attack...

These two disasters alongside
a period of economic stagnation

that would become known
as the "Lost Decades"

resulted in an era of anxiety and chaos,

marked by the birth cry
of a new shonen manga...

Iron Wok Jan!

Its freewheeling, charming characters,

and eye for detail when it came
to cooking garnered acclaim,

giving rise to a masterpiece
still beloved to this day!

And now is the time to rejoice!

Because at long, long last,
after three decades, that masterpiece

has returned as a TV anime!

We are confident that this tale
that began in 1995

is capable of seizing the hearts of a
modern audience and never letting go!

This battle over culinary talent,
this clash between ways of life...

is being served to you!

THIS IS FICTION WITH NO INTENTIONAL RESEMBLANCE
TO ANY PERSONS, ORGANIZATIONS, OR OCCURRENCES.

OUT OF RESPECT FOR THE SOURCE MATERIAL, THERE MAY BE
SCENES CONSIDERED OFFENSIVE TO MODERN SENSIBILITIES.

EPISODE 1: FLAMES AND MEETINGS