Ep. 30 (S2, Ep. 6):
Subaru is adding bacon as a garnish? Seriously? I can see that there is confidence in his face. For Boeuf bourguignon (a dish from Bourgogne) is made of meat simmered in wine, said to be the original beef stew. It always features a garnish. Croutons are often used, as are braised pearl onions, sautéed mushrooms and bacon. I wonder what garnish Julia Child used in her Boeuf bourguignon. Subaru used mesquite for smoking the chips, it has a sharp aroma to it and when used for certain meats, it can lend them a golden-brown color. Subaru brined it first, then added spices like sage, nutmeg, and bay leaves, as well as his secret weapon, brown sugar that’ll draw the umami in the stew. This is a dangerous situation for Soma. Turns out that Mitsuru wasn’t a spy after all. Subaru figured out Mitsuru’s computer password and must of found out his upcoming article. I wish I could punch him for that. Wow, Soma is going to use various cuts of meat: cheek, tongue, honeycomb and tenderloin. Soma’s fast with his cooking. But what’s going on? Is Soma making it up as he goes along? He’s using a charcoal grill for the beef stew? WHAT IS HE DOING? HE’S GOING OUT OF HIS MIND! Time for the judges to taste Subaru’s dish. They thought it was exquisite and unbelievable. However Soma never loses his cool and confidence, after all he did thought about Subaru for a whole week. Trying to piece together or hiding what Subaru’s up to. Pretty clever there for Soma. Now it’s time for the judges to taste Soma’s dish. Soma did have the same idea as Subaru: he thought to boost by using a powerful garnish like smoked bacon. But he knew that’s never ever going to work. It was never his style of cooking. Hasn’t been since series 1. So he came up with the idea of combining various flavors and ingredients in one single dish. He thought of using a popular dish as a model for his beef stew: the chikuzenni, it has a wealth of flavors. A Yukihira speciality. He pieced all of his knowledge in one single place. The judges thought Soma’s beef stew was it was a paradise of deliciousness of meat and a place of dreams and a rollercoaster with splendid loveliness and perfect balance. The winner is…
SOMA YUKIHIRA!!!
SOMA’S IN THE FINAL!!!
Soma really put Subaru’s money where his mouth is. Certainly shows him that you can’t be one step ahead of the competitor. Subaru now has to return all of the utensils that he took and leave. Soma continues his studies at the academy. Aldini still wants to beat Soma in a food war and get his mezzaluna back then. But until then he lets Soma keep his mezzaluna for while.
“All the confidence, the self-esteem you’ve built up. Even if you suffer a loss that tries to wash that all the away, if it’s a memory so terrible it feels like you can’t recover, you can’t quit, you must absolutely open up shot. That’s what makes a true chef after all. Never forget that.”
Facing off in the second round of the semi-finals are:
Ryo Kurokiba
&
Akira Hayama
Ep. 31 (S2, Ep. 7):
Akira certainly knows his spices even when blind with his hands tied behind his back. I wonder what they’re going to make. The theme is going to be a western food. What kind of western foods are there? Akira’s pulled put a duck. Duck has a distinctive flavor to it. I should know that because I eat duck. Akira certainly has got this competition. Ryo is using eel, but seafood is Megumi’s speciality. Ryo can only rely on his own skill. For the spices Akira used coriander, fennel, oregano, and some unknown spice that is mellow and rich though slightly sweet. The time and place really belonged to Akira. Ryo has to play his cards right because Akira knows how to play his cards right. Whilst Akira was cooking the venue has already been filled with rich aroma. Akira made: Duck Apicius. And ancient Roman dish, favored by Roma gourmand Marcus Apicius. The caramelized honey glistens vibrantly. And the spices coating the duck’s surface give off their own aroma. Ryo made eel matelote. Using the crepine has made the juiciness of the eel even more pronounced. Lack of aroma, this by far the loser. But it was slowly simmered, so it’s nice and hot. Marinated in red wine and cinnamon before grilling, giving it a fresh, bracing flavor. But there only can be one winner. And the winner is…
IT’S A DRAW!
BOTH RYO KUROKIBA AND AKIRA HAYAMA WILL COMPETE IN THE FINALS.
A FALL SELECTION FIRST!
So now Soma, Akira and Ryo are up against each other in the finals. And the theme for the upcoming finals is going to be Pacific saury. In the past, it was considered an inferior fish that only commoners would eat, but even high-end restaurants have been using it in recent years. How is Soma going to pull it off? Akira doesn’t have to act calm, Ryo should keep his cool and Soma is definitely confident. However I STILL CAN’T BELIEVE SOMA IS IN THE FINALS. HE’S JUST GETTING STARTED.
Ep. 32 (S2, Ep. 8):
A quiet night in? There’s no rest for Soma, as he needs to come up with an idea, which hopefully will be the key to victory. The fish market is heaven to Megumi. Soma sure feels pretty confident in the competition. However Alice and Ryo are there too, which can’t be good. Soma better pick a good saury in order to one. Looks like there’s going to be a little bit of cooking. And Megumi is the judge. Soma’s saury dish didn’t have taste. Looks like Soma has a lot to learn. Akira showed up earlier and picked his saury fish by sniffing it out. Soma’s second saury dish tasted really good to Megumi. But it looks like Soma will be visiting the fish market everyday until he picks the right saury fish. Both Ryo and Akira are doing well but Soma is falling behind. Better to figure out than to practice on what you’re going to make. Sounds like Akira and Ryo are too determined to win. So making a saury dish is all about timing. And Soma needs all of his friends to help him. Looks like Soma is going to age the saury fish. When in a pickle friends help a friend in need. Six days later they tasted the saury fish and they have more umami than ever because the rice malt one has more mellow depth of flavor, the smoked one just smells fantastic (bet that’ll put Akira’s saury to shame) and the humidity-aged one seems like it could be used in any number of dishes like foiled cooked, fried and marinated, or even grilled or it would be totally be delicious just as a sushi. But Megumi still feels that the fish that Soma cooked at the fish market tasted better. What’s Soma’s going to do? He’ll juts have to keep on experimenting until he gets it right. With a little help from Fumio Daimidō, the Polaris dorm caretaker by giving Soma inspiration. Stock is the answer to Soma’s saury problems.
On the day of the finals the competition is really heating up. Which saury dish will impress Leonora Nakiri (Alice’s mother and Erina’s aunt)? More importantly, which saury dish will the judges pick as the winner?
LET THE COOKING BEGIN!!!
Ep. 33 (S2, Ep. 9):
The heat is really on and there can only be one winner. Ryo and Akira tried to discourage Soma but however Soma is confident that his aged saury will win them over. Ryo attempted to make acqua pazza, a rustic dish from southern Italy. The main ingredient is fish, that is simmered with various ingredients. Simple but luxurious and it is common to add olive oil, tomato, and shellfish. And a key feature is that it doesn’t have much seasoning. Ryo’s the first one to finish making his dish. What do the judges think? After explaining about his dish and the heat-resistant film he gave his dish a different name: cartoccio of fall saury. The judges thought that the dish was splendid. The next dish was served by Akira. What did the judges think of Akira’s saury? Akira made a carpaccio, which is an appetizer. This is crazy. He even charred it. The competition is getting tough. The judges thought it was a pinpoint shot and splendidly done. I wonder what Soma made. He made a nukasanma saury pickled in rice bran. He didn’t give up after all. He certainly knew what he was doing. The judges thought he did an admirable job. But the judging isn’t quite done yet which means another cliffhanger.
Ep. 34 (S2, Ep. 10):
I’m on pins and needles. Who is the winner of the fall selection? I just hope the judges are up for seconds because Soma whipped up some white soup. Looks like Soma spiced things up a bit with his seasoned saury rice, soup style. It blends with the rice beautifully, mellow and creamy. I think Soma has to thank Fumio Daimidō for the inspiration he needed. The tides will change soon. In a flashback Akira had a poor childhood. But if it weren’t for Jun, he wouldn’t be where he is now. And the winner is…
AKIRA HAYAMA!
Honestly I don’t feel too bad for Soma not winning, I’m just glad that we have a winner because from that flashback Akira really had a tough childhood. And when someone has a tough childhood, being bullied or whatever, they do great later in their lives. One of the judges said to Akira:
“When talent is too great, it can turn its talons upon itself.”
Akira better take heed of that advice so that he can keep his talent in check. Ryo certainly has a hot head but Soma has confidence and can keep a cool head. After the competition Soma’s dad called just to check on the competition. But he’s proud that his son is learning something.
“Encounters are the only thing that can drive a chef forward.
Embrace them while you can.
You can always turn towards the plate for answers, but if you’re alone, all that will change is your reflection.”
How will Soma find food that is uniquely his?
“The only way to learn who you are is to step outside your normal boundaries and experience others”
I know what that could mean as we’ve all done it before at school. Looks like it calls for a work placement. I’ll be an on-the-job training programme called: the Stagiaire.