Cooking Master Boy

TV-Series

Description

"Cooking Master Boy" is set in 19th-century China during the Qing Dynasty and centers on Mao, a young and talented chef from Szechuan. After the death of his mother, Pai, who was a renowned chef, Mao inherits her legendary cooking utensil, the "Mother of Cuisine." Determined to honor her legacy, Mao embarks on a journey to become the greatest chef in China, a title known as the "Supreme Chef." Along the way, he faces numerous culinary challenges and rivals, each with their own unique skills and techniques.

The narrative unfolds as Mao travels across China, participating in cooking competitions and encountering a variety of characters who test his abilities and resolve. Among these characters is Lan Fei-Hong, a skilled chef who becomes both a rival and a friend. Mao also meets Mei Li, a young girl who joins him on his journey, adding emotional depth to the story. The series explores themes of perseverance, friendship, and the pursuit of excellence in the culinary arts.

As Mao progresses, he learns about the rich culinary traditions and diverse regional cuisines of China. Each challenge he faces is designed to highlight different aspects of cooking, from knife skills to the use of rare ingredients. The series also delves into the cultural significance of food, portraying it as a means of bringing people together and expressing creativity.

The plot intensifies as Mao confronts the Dark Cooking Society, a sinister organization that seeks to control the culinary world through unethical means. This conflict serves as the central antagonistic force, pushing Mao to refine his skills and uphold the values of integrity and passion in cooking. The series culminates in a high-stakes competition where Mao must prove his worth and claim the title of Supreme Chef.

Throughout the series, the characters' growth is intertwined with their culinary journeys. Mao's development from a talented but inexperienced chef to a master of his craft is central to the narrative. The supporting characters, including his rivals and allies, each contribute to the overarching story, adding layers of complexity and motivation. "Cooking Master Boy" combines elements of adventure, competition, and personal growth, making it a compelling tale of ambition and culinary artistry.

Information

Cooking Master Boy

中華一番！

Type: TV-Series

Anime Episodes: 52

Movie/Episode length: 23 min.

Date: 04/27/1997 – 09/13/1998

Official Website:中華一番！制作情報 @ 日本アニメーション

Categories

Genre

ActionComedy

Episodes

Staffel 1

1Young Cooking Master/Genius Cooking Boy - Mao!

Shouan,a first-grade cook and former understudy to Pai, enters a small restaurant in Szechuan Province and challenges its operations. Mao, the young son of the recently deceased restaurant owner Pai, confronts Shouan to defend his mother's establishment. General Lee, a military officer who remembers the restaurant from his soldier days, arrives to serve as judge for a cooking match between the two chefs. The match begins with fried rice as the designated dish. Shouan prepares a seafood fried rice using high-quality seafood ingredients. Mao cooks a dish he calls golden fried rice, which uses only egg yolk to turn the rice a gold color. General Lee tastes both dishes and declares Mao's dish far superior to Shouan's. Shouan, humiliated by losing to a child, demands a rematch. General Lee agrees to a second match but sets severe stakes: Shouan will lose his first-grade rank and his right to cook again if he loses, while Mao will forfeit the restaurant to Shouan if he loses. General Lee announces the second dish as Five Flavour Mapo Tofu with a requirement that each chef must add a sixth unique flavor. The episode closes as both chefs accept the terms and prepare for the decisive cooking battle.

2Fantastic Mapo Tofu

Mao and Shouan face each other in the one-on-one cooking match ordered by General Lee. Shouan prepares a mapo tofu dish following conventional methods. Mao cooks mapo tofu using beans instead of beef as the protein component. General Lee tastes both dishes and declares Mao the clear winner. Lee explains that Mao's substitution recreates the exact taste he remembers from his time as a soldier at war,when all the cows had died and beef was unavailable. Shouan, humiliated by his defeat to a young boy, flees the restaurant. General Lee recognizes Mao's talent and innovative thinking. Lee orders Mao to travel to Guangzhou to further develop his cooking skills. The journey to Guangzhou serves as preparation for the Special Grade Cooking test that Mao must eventually pass. Mao accepts the order and sets his sights on the new destination.

3Super Chef

Mao arrives in Guangzhou and enters the Yang Spring Restaurant. The master chef,Choyu, ignores Mao upon his arrival. Mao presents a letter of recommendation from General Lee. Choyu expresses surprise briefly, then throws the letter away. Choyu orders Mao to cook bakchoy, or white Chinese cabbage, for the chefs' lunch. Mao cooks the dish, but all the other chefs reject it. Choyu later explains that Guangzhou's water contains significant dirt particles. During Mao's first attempt, the cabbage absorbed the dirt flavor from the water. Mao spends one day developing a solution to remove the dirt taste. He discovers that using a specific oil prevents the cabbage from absorbing the unwanted flavor. Mao begs Choyu for another opportunity to prove his skills. He cooks the bakchoy again, this time successfully blocking the dirt taste with the oil. All the chefs congratulate Mao for his clever solution. Choyu accepts Mao and promotes him to fourth-grade chef for his achievement. Sanche, the other young chef residing at the restaurant, becomes jealous of Mao's success.

4The Cruel Rule of Yosen Shuka!

Sanche,a young chef at Yang's Spring Restaurant, grows jealous of Mao's rapid rise in the kitchen. He attempts to sabotage Mao's cooking preparations. Choyu, the head chef, orders Sanche to chop vegetables for a customer dish. Sanche fails to chop the vegetables finely enough, producing uneven pieces. The poorly prepared vegetables ruin the dish's quality, and customers complain loudly about the restaurant's cooking. Choyu immediately expels Sanche from Yang's Spring Restaurant for his inadequate knife skills. A flashback reveals Sanche's strict father taught him to cook, but childhood trauma left him unable to chop properly. Humiliated and defeated, Sanche flees the restaurant and heads to the docks to catch a boat back to Shanghai. Mao catches up to Sanche before he can board the ship. Mao offers to help Sanche demonstrate his true cooking abilities to Choyu. Sanche hesitates but agrees to let Mao assist him in regaining his place at the restaurant. The episode closes as the two begin planning a cooking challenge to prove Sanche's worth.

5Destroy Old Tradition

Mao,Sanche, and Meili open a small shop directly across from Yang’s Spring Restaurant to draw away its customers. They prepare a simple dish of stir-fried capsicum and pork strips but recognize the need for an additional, unique flavor. Frustrated late at night, Meili kicks a tree, causing ripe chi fruit to fall to the ground. Mao seizes the chi fruit and incorporates its juice into the stir-fry, creating the distinctive taste they sought. The next day, their shop draws a full crowd, leaving Yang’s Spring Restaurant empty. Mao chops vegetables, Sanche handles the stir-frying, and Meili serves the customers, forming an efficient team. Choyu and Ruoh hear about the new shop and visit to taste the dish themselves. Impressed by the speed and flavor of the chi-infused stir-fry, they permit Sanche to return to Yang’s Spring Restaurant. Regaining his confidence in vegetable cutting, Sanche decides to leave for Shanghai to take over his father’s restaurant. He departs before Mao can stop him, leaving a note that Mao reads too late. With Sanche gone, Mao faces the next challenge of continuing his journey alone while a warning about the cooking underworld looms ahead.

6The Dumpling Brothers

7Dirty Trap! Cornered Mao

8Face Off! Dragon Dumpling Duel!!

9Challenge the Dream! The Super Chef Test

10Ultimate Skills! Incomparable Noodles

11Final Battle! The Cooking Arena

12Episode 12

Mao decides to cook namazu noodles for the final round of the Special Grade Chef examination. He finishes preparing the dish quickly and asks Meili to taste it. Meili rejects the noodles because they lack sufficient freshness and do not have enough bounce. The rejection forces Mao to find a solution to improve his dish. He searches for an ingredient that can address both problems and discovers that octopus provides the necessary texture and freshness. Mao incorporates octopus into the namazu noodles. The time limit for the cooking competition approaches its end as he works to complete the revised dish. The episode concludes with Mao racing against the clock to finish his noodles before the judges call for the tasting. The immediate hook lies in whether Mao can complete his improved namazu noodles before time expires and how the judges will evaluate his entry against the other competitors.

13Catfish Noodle Completed! The Decision of Destiny

Liu Mao Xing enters a cooking duel against his former mentor,Master Zui Zui, in a small village celebrated for its catfish noodle dishes. The village mayor offers a prize for the chef who creates a dish surpassing the existing catfish noodle recipe, drawing both competitors into the contest. As the competition begins, the mayor's daughter, who previously expressed interest in Mao, distracts him and disrupts his concentration. Master Zui Zui exploits Mao's wavering focus and gains an apparent advantage with an innovative new dish of his own. Mao struggles to recover his rhythm while his opponent's lead widens before the judging audience. He receives encouraging words recalling his mother's teachings, which renew his determination to succeed. Mao devises a new cooking approach for the catfish noodle dish, aiming to overcome his mentor's creation. The execution of this revised plan becomes critical, as the prize and his reputation hang on the final outcome. The episode concludes with the completion of both dishes and the arrival of the decisive judgment. The verdict determines the winner of the duel between Mao and Master Zui Zui, setting the stage for Mao's next challenge.

14The Testimony of Champions - the Emblem of Glory

The judges announce the scores for the Special Grade cooking examination. Han believes his total has secured him the win. The presiding judge instead disqualifies Han for employing dirty tricks during the peer assessment round. Han had given both Mao and Feiyi a score of one point each to lower their totals artificially. Mao and Feiyi had rated each other’s dishes fairly throughout the competition. The judge then orders both remaining contestants to assign a score to their own dish. Mao gives himself a full ten points because he believes his dish represents his best effort for any diner. Feiyi also awards himself a ten. After a brief discussion with other officials,the judge declares that both Mao and Feiyi have passed the test and earned the rank of Special Grade chef. Mao returns to Yang’s Spring Restaurant, where General Lee greets him with congratulations. Mao informs General Lee that he will not return to his family’s restaurant in Szechuan nor remain at Yang’s Spring to continue his studies. Instead, Mao announces his decision to travel across China and learn different regional cuisines. General Lee agrees and wishes him success. Meili becomes so distressed by Mao’s departure that she runs away crying. Mao bids farewell to his sister and the other chefs. One chef gives Mao a handkerchief that Meili sewed for him, as she could not bear to see him off in person. On the ship, Mao reads Meili’s goodbye letter with visible sadness. Meili then reveals that she sneaked onto the vessel to accompany him on his journeys. The episode closes with Mao and Meili departing together, bound for new culinary discoveries across China.

15Episode 15

Mao and Meili travel to Wunam province and encounter a boy who has collapsed from hunger. Mao gathers ingredients from nearby trees and prepares a meal for the boy. After eating,the boy revives and introduces himself as Siro, claiming to hold the rank of Special Grade cook. Mao hides his own Special Grade emblem and agrees to become Siro's disciple. The group travels to Siro's village, where a corpulent Official imprisons any chef whose dishes displease him. Siro's family operates a restaurant in the village, and Siro attempts to satisfy the Official's demands. Mao assists Siro in preparing a fried rice dish with a sour flavor profile. The Official consumes the fried rice greedily and expresses satisfaction. Mao then reveals his own Special Grade cook emblem, surprising Siro and the onlookers. Siro admits he falsely claimed the Special Grade title and apologizes for the deception. Siro decides to accompany Mao on his ongoing journey as a companion.

16Episode 16

Mao and his friends travel to Wu Nan province to study regional Chinese cuisines. In a village,a chef named Ang welcomes them. Ang learns that Mao holds a special grade cook license. She pretends to be friendly and asks Mao to decipher a large ball-and-chain cooking tool left by her father. Mao, with Siro, works on the device while Meirii watches with jealousy. Mao and Siro successfully figure out how to use the ball-and-chain instrument. They inform Ang about their discovery. Ang then locks Mao and his friends inside a room. She takes the cooking tool and prepares a dish for an arriving government official. The dish is a Wu Nan specialty called bird's nest, made from fried taro powder shaped into a sphere. Ang intends to present this dish to gain favor with the official. Mao and his companions remain trapped while Ang proceeds with her scheme. The episode ends with Mao needing to escape before Ang completes her deception.

17Episode 17

After winning a cooking competition with a spicy tofu dish,Mao encounters a woman named Casandra on his way back to school. Casandra specializes in cooking okoge, a type of sticky rice she claims possesses mystical flavor-enhancing powers. Intrigued, Mao follows Casandra to her restaurant to learn the technique for preparing perfect okoge. Casandra then reveals her true motive: she wants Mao to defeat her former apprentice, Chef Ron, in a formal cooking competition using okoge. Mao hesitates but ultimately accepts the challenge. Chef Ron, known as the arrogant 'king of flavor,' has been causing trouble at Mao's school. The competition takes place at a prestigious hotel before a panel of respected chefs. The challenge requires both competitors to create a dish featuring okoge. Both chefs present their dishes, and the judges sample each one, expressing amazement at the flavors and textures. The judges declare Mao the winner, leaving Ron shocked and humiliated while Mao remains gracious. Through this experience, Mao learns to trust his culinary instincts and deepen his passion for cooking. Mao departs with a new technique and a stronger sense of purpose, unaware that greater challenges still await him on his journey.

18Scary Red Congee! Secret of the Haunted House!

Mao separates from Meili and Siro in a forest at night. The group regroups and discovers a large house. A chef inside serves them a pleasant meal. The mansion's owners appear sickly and only desire to eat red congee. Mao investigates the addictive congee and finds it contains a poisonous red mushroom. The chef deliberately uses this red congee to addict the owners. He plans to force them to sign a contract that gives him all their money and their daughter. Mao creates a herbal five-color congee as a remedy. He serves this dish to the owners,which cures their addiction to the red congee. The chef's scheme collapses, and he is forced to leave the mansion. The group resolves the conflict and departs, continuing their journey toward the next town.

19Episode 19

20The Bad Luck Dark Chicken

Mao enters a small village plagued by repeated misfortunes. The villagers believe a dark chicken living in the nearby forest causes the curse. Mao doubts this explanation but ventures into the forest to investigate. Robbers ambush and capture Mao,then demand that he cook for them. He prepares a meal using available ingredients, and the dish impresses the robbers with its flavor. The robbers release him but warn him not to interfere with their plans to steal from the village. Mao returns to the village and continues searching for the dark chicken. He discovers the chicken arrived around the same time as the bad luck began, but the bird itself does not cause the misfortune. The robbers have been stealing goods and spreading chaos throughout the village. Mao challenges the robbers to a cooking competition to resolve the conflict. The robbers accept the challenge, eager to prove their own skills. The competition proceeds with both sides preparing dishes under pressure. Mao wins the competition decisively. His cooking breaks the villagers' belief in the curse and restores a sense of good fortune. The robbers accept defeat and leave the village permanently, ending their campaign of theft. Mao and his companions pack their supplies and resume traveling toward their next destination.

21Episode 21

22Gekitsui Ou! Hyouteki ni Sareta Mao!

The episode selects Mao to hold the restaurant key. Mao leaves the restaurant to retrieve supplies and entrusts Meirii and Siro with its care. As Meirii prepares to close for the evening,a stranger named Shel demands entry and orders stir-fried vegetables. Siro decides to cook the dish himself, believing he can help. Shel tastes Siro's stir-fry and reacts with outrage at its poor quality. Shel demands to speak with the actual cook, and Mao immediately steps forward to take responsibility. Shel notices the cloth wrapped around Mao's Super Chef badge. In response, Shel shows Mao the stars engraved on his staff, each star representing a defeated chef. Mao recognizes Shel as a formidable opponent. Shel challenges Mao to a siu mai cooking battle, but Mao declines because he must care for Yosen Shuuka. Enraged by the refusal, Shel uses his staff to destroy the restaurant. Ruoh and Choyu return just as Mao finally accepts the challenge. Meirii expresses doubt about Mao's decision to compete. By the end of the episode, Shel discovers that Mao holds the title of Tokyu Jiushin, a Super Chef. The episode closes with the two chefs preparing to face each other in a high-stakes culinary duel.

23Big Universe Pork Dumpling

Mao refuses to believe that Shell chose the same ingredients and stole his idea. Mao sits on the floor,cursing himself while less than one hour remains in the battle. Shell assumes Mao has given up and declares himself the winner. Siro, concerned about Mao's situation, clumsily knocks over a basket of eggs. Meirii scolds Siro for his carelessness, and Mao suddenly develops a new plan. Mao kneads dough using centrifugal force outside the restaurant. He calls Meirii and Siro to bring him the largest steamer in the restaurant. Siro orders everyone else to go inside while the three of them stay outside to complete the siu mai. Choyu checks his watch and calls time, ordering Mao to present his dish. Mao signals Meirii and Siro to lift the steamer's cover. When the steam clears, the judges see a single giant siu mai. Shell objects that such a large siu mai cannot cook properly in the center. Mao invites Ruoh to taste the dish. Ruoh extracts a small portion from the exterior and eats it, experiencing a wave of cooking flavors. He then samples other parts of the siu mai, and a burst of flavor engulfs him, creating the sensation of a universe contained within the dish. Mao names his creation Big Bang Siu Mai. Ruoh calls for his cattle-bane sword, jumps, and cuts the siu mai into quarters. Shell stares in shock at the marbled interior, fully cooked throughout. Mao explains his cooking process, and Choyu announces Mao's decisive victory. Choyu orders Meirii to open the doors and let everyone inside eat the Big Bang Siu Mai alongside Shell's fifty orders of siu mai. As punishment for cooking as an errand boy, Choyu sentences Siro to massage Ruoh's back. Shell leaves the restaurant, predicting that they will meet again soon.

24Mysterious Invitation - The trap of the masked Chef

A morning at the Yosen Shuka restaurant begins with an arrow striking a wall. A note tied to the arrow carries a dinner invitation for Chouyu and Mei Li to the abandoned Sea Bell Park mansion. Mao gives Mei Li flowers in remembrance of her mother's death anniversary. Chouyu completes a massive ice sculpture of a dragon,demonstrating his culinary mastery. The invitation displays a symbol of compulsory obedience, which Chouyu recognizes. Mao accompanies Mei Li and Chouyu to the mansion despite Master Luo denying Shilou's request to join. Representatives from the Guangzhou Cooking World greet the group inside the mansion. The host serves a main course described as pigeon, but Mao and Chouyu identify the meat as red frog. Mei Li and the other guests who swallow the meat faint from poison. A chef wearing armor and a mask reveals himself and stares at Mei Li, seeing her mother's likeness. Chouyu identifies the masked chef as an old rival seeking revenge. The masked chef proposes a lobster cooking contest: Chouyu must win two out of three rounds to receive the antidote for the poisoned guests. Both chefs blindfold themselves for the first battle, but a scorpion stings Chouyu's hand as he cuts ingredients, causing him to collapse. Mao accuses the masked chef of cheating, but the masked chef counters that Chouyu used the same trick years ago. When the masked chef declares victory by default, Mao challenges him and announces his status as a Super Chef to continue the battle.

25Western Style Blood Match

The masked chef rejects Mao's challenge to continue the cooking battle for Chouyu. Mao insists,believing Chouyu could not have cheated in the match. At the restaurant, Shilou cleans dishes when the lights go out. Master Luo appears and reminds Shilou about the ice sculpture. They decide to bring the sculpture inside before the rain melts it. Lightning strikes and destroys the sculpture before they can move it. Master Luo calls the destruction a sign of bad luck. Back at the mansion, Mao cooks and cuts lobster blindfolded to prove his skill. The masked chef becomes intrigued and accepts the challenge. The second round requires a complete deep fry dish, and the first to finish wins. Shilou runs after Mao through the rain but gets lost before finally reaching the mansion. The masked chef prepares Phoenix Tail Lobster with a nut coating. Mao announces he has finished his dish first. The masked chef claims Mao's dish is incomplete because it lacks sauce. Mao insists the dish is complete and asks the masked chef to take a bite. The masked chef discovers the sauce sealed inside the lobster, wrapped in bean curd skin to prevent leakage during frying. The masked chef acknowledges Mao as a true pupil of Chouyu. The masked chef then presents an ultimatum: if Mao stops the battle, he lives but Chouyu and Mei Li die; if Mao wins, he receives the antidote; if he loses, he takes the poison. Mao decides to fight for Chouyu and Mei Li.

26The Strongest Ace

The masked chef poisons Jidi and Dudu,leaving their lives hanging in the balance. Mao enters the Lobster Three Hegemonies cooking competition to win the antidote. After the first two rounds, the competition stands tied at one victory each. The second round's fried shrimp dishes end in a draw, forcing a decisive third round. The final round requires both chefs to prepare a clay pot dish. The masked chef produces dried ingredients he has aged for sixteen years. These preserved goods come from a marriage tournament match he previously fought against Jidi. Mao recognizes the immense challenge posed by such rare and time-aged components. He must create a superior clay pot dish using only fresh ingredients available at the contest site. The episode closes with both chefs beginning preparation for the final, decisive battle. The outcome will determine not only the winner but also whether Jidi and Dudu receive the life-saving antidote.

27The Secret of the Masked Chef

Shilou faces the difficult task of judging the final competition between Mao and the Masked Chef. The Masked Chef believes his dish of marine delicacies guarantees his victory. Shilou tastes both dishes and declares the black bowl,Mao's creation, the winner. The Masked Chef accuses Mao of signaling Shilou. Shilou explains that the mountain ingredients in Mao's dish bring out the lobster's flavor, while the marine delicacies in the other dish overwhelm each other. The Masked Chef demands an explanation for the lye used in Mao's cooking. Mao reveals his technique: he boiled the ingredients in a paper bowl made from cookbook pages, and the paper absorbed all the lye, leaving the dish clear. The Masked Chef admits defeat and provides the antidote. Mao and Shilou administer the antidote to Chouyu, Mei Li, and the others, waking them. Chouyu punches the Masked Chef upon waking. The Masked Chef admits he cannot complete his revenge because of Mao but swears he will never forget Chouyu stealing Meika. Mao accuses the Masked Chef of poisoning Chouyu, but Chouyu stops him. Chouyu explains that sixteen years ago, he and Meika had promised themselves to each other, revealing the source of the Masked Chef's grudge. The episode closes with the Masked Chef's unresolved resentment lingering as the group recovers from his scheme.

28Wilderness Cooking

The Yosen Shuka restaurant closes for a day,and the staff holds a picnic and fishing tournament by a lake. Master Luo teases Chouyu that a great chef must also be a great angler. Chouyu nearly catches a large fish, but Master Luo throws a rock into the water and scares it away, claiming he is drunk again. Mao, Shilou, and Mei Li move to another part of the lake to catch larger fish. Shilou trips, Mao catches him, and both fall into the water. The group encounters Shell, who is returning from his journey and decides to go back to Yosen Shuka. Shell uses his steel stick as a fishing rod and catches carp. Mei Li notices a black star among the marks on Shell's steel stick, which represents his defeat by Mao. Shell warns Mao that his match against the Underworld will not be the last conflict. Mao cooks the carp using rape blossoms to remove the fishy smell and adds boiled stones to the pot to boil the water instantly, creating water dumplings. Shilou attempts to make smoked carp but burns a rag he throws into the fire, which turns out to be Shell's bag containing all his travel money. Back at the restaurant, Shell forces Shilou to help him earn back the money by selling siu mai. A man appears at Yosen Shuka, recognizes Shell, and takes his steel stick after a fight, stating that a chef's cooking utensil is his life and soul. Shell reveals to Mao and the others that the man came from the Underworld and that the organization has spread into Guangzhou.

29Guest From the Underground, Cold-Hearted Genius, Leon

30Magic Taste! Magic Blade Seven-Star Knife

31China Inside the Porgy

32Water and Flame! Excitement! Legendary Cook!

33Legendary Cooking Utensils! Secret of the Always-sharp Blade!

34Episode 34

Mao,Leon, Shell, Shilou, and Mei Li arrive in Shanghai, their first destination in the search for the legendary cooking tools. They meet Sanche, an old friend who now runs his family's restaurant. The group discovers that the Underworld culinary society has already established a presence in Shanghai. The Underworld declares war on Mao and his companions. Underworld operatives capture Sanche's father and the other elders of the Shanghai Cooking Union. The captors hold the hostages to force a cooking competition. The Underworld demands four chefs to compete against their representatives. The winning side receives a map that reveals the location of the legendary cooking tools. Mao and his team accept the challenge. The Underworld blindfolds the group and transports them to an unknown location. They arrive at the Lou Lin Vessel, a massive floating cooking arena constructed by the Underworld. The episode ends with the team inside the vessel, preparing for the underground cooking battle that will determine the fate of the hostages and the map.

35Episode 35

Mao's group arrives at the Lou Lin Vessel,a large cooking arena built inside a massive boat. The underworld announces a Banquet Cooking Battle across four categories. The team winning the majority of rounds receives a map showing the location of the legendary cooking tools. The first category is soup. Sanche competes against Rouko, an underworld cook who uses a mechanical hand. Before the competition starts, Sanche discovers that the judges are the leaders of Shanghai's various guilds. Rouko prepares his soup using a whole chicken. He gains an advantage because he prepared his broth before Mao's team arrived at the vessel. The judges taste Rouko's soup and express delight, calling it delicious. Sanche then presents his own soup. Everyone present reacts with surprise when Sanche holds up a glowing melon bowl. The episode ends without revealing the judges' verdict on Sanche's entry.

36Episode 36

37Episode 37

King Lakon prepares the Spirit Calming Buns of the Hakura Family for the cooking competition. He uses a 1600-year-old piece of fermented dough called 'lao mien,' passed down from his ancestors, as the secret ingredient. The dish consists of eight types of seafood buns containing shark's fin, abalone, lobster, and sea cucumber, served in a bamboo boat and cooked in clay pots. The judges taste the buns and respond with approval. Steel Stick Shell chooses a different approach, relying on his own creativity rather than traditional methods. He creates Fried Laughing Buns using diced steak and vermicelli to retain juices during frying. Shell cuts a slit into each bun, which allows oil to cook the inside while frying and then seals to trap juices. When removed from the fryer, the pressure inside reopens the slit, releasing air that makes the buns produce a laughing sound. King Lakon reacts with shock when a bun laughs in his hand. The judges find the buns both delicious and entertaining. The judging panel must raise a red spoon for Shell or a white spoon for King Lakon. When asked to vote, none of the judges lift their red spoons, leaving the competition's outcome unresolved.

38The Super Dim Sum Competition! The Startling Results!

The judges declare the dim sum battle between Steel Stick Shell and King Lakon a draw. Neither dish surpasses the other,and the judges agree both display equal skill. Shell and King Lakon immediately argue over which dish tastes better. They trade blows physically but then collapse to the ground laughing. Both chefs admit their deep admiration for each other's cooking. King Lakon recognizes his error in serving the Underworld. He announces his departure for a cooking expedition across China, following Shell's earlier example. Lakon warns Shell to prepare for a rematch in ten years. As King Lakon turns to leave, Mysterious Shan from the Underworld attempts to assassinate him. Shell blocks the attack with his steel stick, preventing the killing blow. King Lakon vanishes in a cloud of smoke. His voice echoes through the room, promising Shell they will meet again in a decade.

39Another Set of Seven-Star Knives! Enigmatic Beauty Shan

The third matchup of the cooking competition pits Leon against Shan,both representing the Underworld. The judges select crab as the required ingredient for the round. Leon demonstrates his knife skills by catching a giant squid and preparing it as sashimi directly on the judges' table. Shan then catches a beluga whale, cuts it open, and removes its caviar. After extracting the caviar, Shan seals the whale's body back together. The beluga whale returns to the water and swims away as if nothing happened. Only a set of Seven Star Knives could perform such a precise operation. Leon recognizes the knives and questions how Shan possesses another set. Shan responds by telling Leon that he will pay for his sins. Leon's expression shows clear disturbance and recognition of her words. Shan clearly knows about a past action that Leon committed and has regretted. The episode ends with Leon facing the consequences of his hidden past as the competition continues.

40Wake Up Leon! The Destiny of a Cook!

Liu Mao Xing and his friends plan a surprise for Leon,who has remained in a deep sleep for years after losing a food battle. Mao Xing wants to awaken Leon to learn more from the world-renowned chef. The group decides to prepare a special dish they believe will rouse Leon from his slumber. The Dark Cooking Society, a group of evil chefs, learns of the plan and plots to steal the recipe. The Society believes the dish can awaken Leon and wants to use him for their own purposes. Mao Xing and his friends face multiple challenges in preparing the dish, including scarce ingredients and a tight time limit. The Dark Cooking Society sends its best chefs to infiltrate the kitchen and steal the recipe, but Mao Xing and his friends defend against the attempt. Mao Xing and his companions successfully complete the dish and bring it to Leon. As they feed him the dish, Leon awakens, impressed and surprised by their creation. Leon reveals that the dish itself did not wake him, but rather the passion and dedication to cooking that Mao Xing and his friends displayed. Leon teaches Mao Xing that a cook's true destiny is to keep cooking and learning continuously. The episode closes with Mao Xing understanding this lesson, while the Dark Cooking Society remains a threat for future confrontations.

41Destroy The Evil Sword - The Sacred Seven Star Knives

The judges award the match to Shan. Mao realizes the verdict resulted from the tasting order: Shan's crab-rich soup dulled the judges' palates before they tasted Leon's fried crab shells,which then seemed only like oily batter. The exposure of this truth comes too late to change the final decision. Shan uses the victory to verbally attack Leon, claiming he does not deserve the Seven Star Knives. Leon crumbles under the psychological assault and drops his knives onto the ground. As Shan reaches for the fallen blades, Shell intervenes and reveals the true origin of Shan's knife set. Shan obtained her Seven Star Knives from the blacksmith whom Leon had previously attempted to kill. The blacksmith survived his wounds and the fall. Shan nursed him back to health to learn the location of a second set, as master blacksmiths keep an offering set of their finest work. After securing the knives, Shan killed the blacksmith in cold blood. Leon and Shan then engage in a physical fight to determine the rightful owner of the knives. During the struggle, the blacksmith's spirit appears. He declares that he created the knives so Leon could bring joy to people through his cooking. He tells Leon to forget the past and affirms Leon as the true owner. After delivering this message, Shan's set of Seven Star Knives shatters on its own, one blade after another. Only one set of the legendary knives remains. With the score now tied in the banquet cooking competition, the next dish will decide the winner.

42Episode 42

The banquet cooking competition stands tied due to Shan's trickery. Mao meets his competitor Shou An,who once served as a disciple to Mao's late mother Pai. Shou An caused Pai's death, and Mao previously defeated Shou An in a Mabo Tofu competition. That defeat cost Shou An his cooking license permanently and drove him to join the Underworld. The judges select tofu as the final dish category, honoring Pai's specialty and the dish Mao used to defeat Shou An. Tofu requires time to prepare, so the final battle postpones until the next morning. The Underworld resorts to sabotage during the night. Shilou and Mei Li guard Mao's soaking soy beans but fall unconscious after needles laced with sleeping potion strike them. Mao discovers the beans completely spoilt the next morning. He shows no concern despite the ruined ingredients. Mao declares he will produce the tofu dish of the century from the spoiled beans. The episode ends with Mao preparing to face Shou An in a final showdown where the winner takes all.

43Mao's Real Ability! Magical Panda Tofu

The Underworld faction sabotages Mao’s preparation,forcing him to wait for his tofu to harden. Shou An cooks his dish while Mao sits motionless beside a box, disappointing his friends. Shou An presents his completed dish to the judges. Mao then moves and carries the entire box to the judging table without cooking the tofu. He empties the contents, revealing layered black and white tofu. The assembled crowd believes uncooked tofu cannot win. The tofu then crumbles into small cubes that float in the air before settling into a flavorful sauce, creating a magical spectacle. The dish reveals itself as Mapo tofu. The judges taste the dish and express strong approval. The black tofu, sweetened through fermentation, enhances the sauce’s spiciness even though the sauce never received heat. The black and white tofu layers complement each other. The episode ends without announcing the winner, leaving Mao’s fate against Shou An undecided.

44Shocking Verdict! In the Palm of the Fairy

The judges finish every bit of Mao's Magic Panda Tofu and Shou An's Three Harmony Tofu. Shou An's dish combines tofu,meat-flavored tofu strips, and tofu noodles cooked with a special sauce. The judges enter a closed session to deliberate. The panel remains split on taste and cooking techniques between the two dishes. One judge recalls eating Shou An's dish at Kikkaro, Pai's restaurant, several years earlier. Shou An unknowingly replicated Pai's secret dish without any original contribution. The judges decide the winner based on universality and originality. They announce Mao as the victor because Shou An's dish lacks originality. Convinced of his defeat, Shou An triggers the ship's self-destruct mechanism. Explosions rip through the vessel as Shou An attempts to sink the ship with everyone on board.

45Flame on the Yangtze River! Shouan's Death In The Ocean

Shou An activates the ship's self-destruct mechanism,triggering explosions that rip through the vessel and destroy all life boats. Shan flees with the treasure maps, escaping through a trap door beneath the ship while Leon pursues her. Mao and the other passengers climb upward to escape the fire, emerging at the top of the ship. From there, they spot Shan escaping on a small boat, but Leon catches up to her. Leon seizes the maps from Shan and orders her and her follower to jump overboard. Leon's small boat cannot hold all the sinking ship's passengers, but a passing large ship spots the wreck and comes to their rescue. As everyone evacuates, Shou An appears and challenges Mao to a duel; Mao remains on board despite his friends' pleas. Shou An beats Mao until an explosion causes Shou An to fall into the burning flames. Mao catches Shou An and tells him that Pai never blamed him for his actions and that Pai's dying wish was for Shou An, Mao, and Mao's sister to unite and make Kikkaro the best restaurant in China. Shou An realizes his error, tosses Mao a package for future use, then falls to his death. Leon rescues Mao as the ship sinks, and the group uses the recovered maps to locate the next legendary cooking tool: a fossilized pot. When Mao holds the pot, the fossilized shell breaks apart, revealing the Coiled Dragon Pot inside. With the Coiled Dragon Pot in hand and the package from Shou An containing Pai's recipe, Mao prepares to cook the legendary Kikka sauce.

46Shell`s Rescue! Storm of Ramen!

Mao uses the Coiled Dragon Pot to prepare Pai's Kikka sauce from the recipe Shou An gave him. The pot's power reduces a months-long maturation process to seconds. The group bids farewell to Sanche and leaves Shanghai. They encounter traveling acrobats and share a meal with them. After drinking and eating,Mao and his companions fall asleep. They wake to find the acrobats gone and local soldiers surrounding them. The minister's men arrest Shell for robbery and sentence him to death the same evening. Leon leaves to find the real criminals. Mao learns from the kitchen staff that the minister loves noodles. As the execution begins, Mao cooks a ramen dish using one hundred different spices. He fans the aroma toward the minister, who stops the execution to eat. Mao serves small portions of varied noodle and soup combinations, keeping the minister's appetite engaged. The minister eventually realizes Mao's distraction and arrests him. The execution resumes, but before the blade falls, the real Shell appears. Leon has captured the acrobats, one of whom disguised himself as Shell during the robbery. The minister's role as the mastermind who executed innocent people to hide his crimes comes to light. Soldiers arrest the minister and free Shell. The group resumes their search for the legendary cooking utensils, unaware of the demonic holy instruments that await them.

47Episode 47

Shilou discovers the missing portion of the third map among treasures stolen by bandits. He combines the two map pieces,revealing the third legendary cooking tool's location as Mount Jiuhua. Mao and his group arrive at Mount Jiuhua to find the local people weakened and lying in the streets. The sound of a gong awakens the villagers, who rush to the temple of the Abalone Deity. The villagers exchange their valuables for bowls of seemingly ordinary abalone soup. Mao gives all his money to purchase the soup and tastes it. The soup's flavor mesmerizes everyone in the group. Mao deduces that someone produced the soup using a legendary cooking tool called the Holy Copperware. He recognizes the Abalone Deity as a swindler the group encountered on the road to Mount Jiuhua. Mao attempts to expose the imposter, but the Holy Copperware proves genuine despite the fact that only skilled cooks can wield it. Any direct confrontation would provoke the angry masses who believe in the deity. Mao and his friends instead devise an alternative plan to pose as Comet deities themselves.

48Shooting Star of Heaven! Special Comet Fried Rice

Mao and his companions arrive at a village and find it empty. All villagers have gathered at a local temple where a small man claims to be a god. The man cooks abalone in a magical pot that reduces cooking time from hours to seconds. He tells the villagers that the abalone is divine food and demands gold,land, or property in exchange. Mao recognizes the man as a con artist and challenges him to a cooking match. Mao pretends to summon divine power during the competition. He instructs Shel and Leon to launch rice into the sky, which then falls directly onto his plate. This rice contains high levels of vitamins and minerals that restore the villagers to full health. Mao reveals the little man as a fraud and exposes his tricks. When Mao touches the magical pot, he discovers it is one of the legendary cooking utensils. The group now holds a powerful artifact, but its true capabilities remain unknown.

49Labyrinth of Darkness! Soul-Connecting Serving of Porridge

Xiang En frames Mao and traps him together with Dudu inside a sealed cave. She demands the legendary cooking utensils in exchange for their release. Xie Lu hesitates outside,unwilling to surrender the utensils to the Dark Cooking Society. Inside the cave, Dudu weakens from three days without food or water. Mao blames himself for their situation and struggles to find a solution. He discovers a magical air pot that converts salt water into fresh water. Using rice and mushrooms he carries, Mao cooks a bowl of porridge. He removes all salt from the porridge and feeds it to Dudu. Mao admits this is the first dish he has ever cooked specifically for her. Dudu regains enough strength to spot a hole in the cave ceiling. They climb out and escape the trap. Xiang En’s plan fails as Mao and Dudu rejoin their companions. The group continues toward Peking, where the Dark Cooking Society prepares its next move.

50Episode 50

51Episode 51

The imperial cooking showdown between Mao and the genius chef A Fei enters its decisive phase. The contest rules require each chef to prepare one hundred distinct dishes within three hours. A Fei immediately begins cooking,organizing his work around the theme of the traditional Manchu Han Imperial Feast. Mao hesitates, focusing on what would genuinely please the emperor rather than simply displaying technique. He observes the emperor closely, searching for a clue about the ruler's preferences. Mao suddenly finds his answer and begins cooking with urgency. His team works rapidly to complete all one hundred dishes before time expires. Both chefs finish exactly as the clock runs out. The emperor chooses to sample A Fei's creations first. He consumes all one hundred of A Fei's dishes in succession. After finishing the entire imperial feast prepared by A Fei, the emperor declares he is too full to eat anything more. This places Mao's untasted dishes in immediate jeopardy, as the emperor shows no intention of trying them.

52A Big Reversal! The Heroic Chefs of Glory

Cast

Zhou Meili
Satsuki Yukino
Shan
Maya Okamoto
Shirō
Chika Sakamoto
Zhou Yu
Akio Ōtsuka
Admiral Li Hongzhang
Jūrōta Kosugi
Master Luo Wu
Takkō Ishimori
Sho An
Robert Brillantes
Fei
Benjie Dorango
Lui Mao Xing
Lucky Mar Santos

Liu Maoxing
Mayumi Tanaka
Shell
Hiroshi Yanaka
Pocholo Gonzales
Lan Feihong
Ryōtarō Okiayu
Leon
Nobutoshi Canna
Jay De Castro
Tang Sanjie
Tetsuya Iwanaga
Daisuke Sakaguchi
Chouyo
Robert Brillantes
Meili
Sherwin Revestir
Donna Alcantara
Sanche
Pocholo Gonzales

Comment(s)

Staff

Director
Masami Anno
Storyboard
Hiroyuki Fukushima
Shigeo Koshi
Jun Takagi
Akira Takamura
Yutaka Kagawa
Hideki Takayama
Satoshi Saga
Tadashi Hiramatsu
Kunihisa Sugishima
Takayoshi Suzuki
Katsumi Terahigashi
Makoto Fuchigami
Masakatsu Iijima
Ken'ichi Nishida
Naoyasu Habu
Waruo Suzuki
Music
Michihiko Ōta
Character Design
Tsuneo Ninomiya
Yoshiyuki Kishi
Animation Director
Genichi Murakami
Nagisa Miyazaki
Yoshiaki Tsubata
Moriyasu Taniguchi
Akira Takeuchi
Ikuo Shimazu
Kōichi Maruyama
Eikichi Takahashi
Masahiro Kase
Hiroyuki Abe
Saburō Masutani
Tomoki Mizuno
Takashi Shiokawa
Tetsuya Ishikawa
Kyūma Ōshita
Atsushi Irie
Taizō Noguchi
Kouji Ito
Sound Director
Sadayoshi Fujino
Executive producer
Kōichi Motohashi

Screenplay
Nobuaki Kishima
Hiroshi Toda
Yoshiyuki Suga
Episode Director
Shigeo Koshi
Jun Takagi
Akira Takamura
Yutaka Kagawa
Kunihisa Sugishima
Makoto Fuchigami
Masakatsu Iijima
Ken'ichi Nishida
Naoyasu Habu
Waruo Suzuki
Original creator
Etsushi Ogawa
Art Director
Shigeru Morimoto
Art design
Kazue Itō
Director of Photography
Kenichi Yoshizaka
Producer
Shunichi Kosao
Madoka Takiyama