Ep 3. That Chef Doesn't Smile

That Chef Doesn't Smile is the third episode of the first season of Food Wars, an anime series that revolves around the culinary adventures of a young chef, Soma Yukihira. In this episode, Soma faces off against another aspiring chef, Akira Hayama, in an intense cooking battle.

At the beginning of the episode, Soma and his classmates are introduced to Akira, a highly skilled chef who specializes in spices. Akira has a reputation for being a prodigy, having won numerous cooking competitions in his hometown. Upon meeting Akira, Soma becomes intrigued by his personality, specifically, the fact that Akira doesn't seem to smile or show any emotion whatsoever.

Soma and Akira are pitted against each other in a shokugeki, a cooking battle that is often used to settle disputes between chefs. The theme of the shokugeki is curry, and the judges will be deciding which dish they prefer. Soma decides to make a spice-infused vegetable curry, while Akira opts for a rich, meaty curry with a variety of flavorful spices.

As the cooking battle commences, both chefs showcase their culinary skills, with Soma demonstrating his ability to improvise and come up with innovative flavor combinations, while Akira sticks to his tried-and-true recipe. However, Soma soon realizes that he may have underestimated Akira's spice knowledge, as Akira manages to incorporate a multitude of complex spices into his curry.

Soma becomes unsettled by Akira's calm and emotionless demeanor, wondering whether he will be able to defeat him in the competition. To make matters worse, Akira's curry appears to be more popular with the judges, leading Soma to doubt his own abilities.

Despite his reservations, Soma remains determined to win the shokugeki. He decides to take a risk and incorporate a new ingredient into his curry that he believes will give him the edge over Akira. The ingredient in question is a rare and expensive spice that he managed to obtain from his father's spice supplier.

Soma's gamble pays off, as the judges are blown away by the depth and complexity of the flavor in his curry, which he aptly names the "Gotcha Pork Roast Curry." Akira, on the other hand, is shocked by the depth of the flavor in Soma's dish, wondering how he was able to obtain such a rare spice.

In the end, Soma emerges as the winner of the shokugeki, much to his surprise and the admiration of his classmates. Despite his victory, Soma remains humbled by his experience against Akira, recognizing the value of hard work and practice in becoming a skilled chef.

That Chef Doesn't Smile is a thrilling episode of Food Wars that showcases the intensity and creativity that goes into culinary competitions. With its well-developed characters, intricate plotlines and mouth-watering food, Food Wars is a must-watch for fans of anime and food alike.