Iron Wok Jan! (鉄鍋のジャン！)

Previously on Iron Wok Jan!

F-Forgive us, but...

Let's give that another go!

One more taste!

I need to taste it again!

What in the world did you make?

That can't just be ordinary mushroom soup!

I used some Strophariaceae​ and Cortinariaceae​.

Totally nontoxic... unless you combine them in a certain ratio,

which is when they produce hallucinogenic and stimulant effects.

Magic mushrooms, eh?

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.

Careful now!

Right this way!

Okay, stop for now.

It's already pretty hot, so be careful.

What do they even need this huge griddle for?

Chief?!

Hot, hot, hot!

That's hot like the fires of hell...

Are they seriously gonna use this thing in the cooking contest?

You're a real piece of work.

I don't even see you as a fellow chef.

So I'm gonna take you down. My cooking's gonna toast you!

Look at what you did to the judges!

This is how they ended up after you fed them that druggie soup!

And you call yourself a chef?!

This is getting good.

The story tells itself.

Is all you care about winning?!

Don't you care about the people who eat your food?

I'll say it again! I won't stand for this!

I'll never accept it!

I'm Sawada Kei, the chef of flames,

and I'm going scorched earth on your evil ambitions!

You hear me, Akiyama?!

That was perfect.

Yeah! You tell him!

Don't let him get away with it!

Who's gonna stop him if not you, Sawada?!

Looks like they're into it.

What now, Akiyama? No one's on your side anymore.

Aw, he's made Jan out to be the bad guy!

I knew it.

Turned out just like how I figured.

He's got no chance if the judges and crowd both turn against him.

That Sawada boy is gonna kick his ass.

Time for you to be humiliated in front of a live audience!

COMPETITOR WAITING ROOM

You okay?

Your cheek is really swollen.

Thanks, man.

Can't believe Kiriko decked me like that...

What's wrong?

Gonna get some fresh air.

The tournament starts in 30, though.

I know. I won't be gone long.

That was a hell of a stunt you pulled back there.

I won't forget it.

Right back at you.

You cook anything like that again,

and you're gonna get a lot worse than a single slugging.

Because it's not cooking! You poisoned them!

Let go already!

You're a real dumbass.

What kinda chef injures their good hand?

It won't make a difference!

What kind of chef cooks with hallucinogenic mushrooms?!

We are now ready to begin

the first round of matches for the Chinese Chef Championship!

The scoring system will be distinct from the qualifiers!

We have ten judges, each of which can award up to ten points

for a grand total of one hundred!

It's that guy!

And moving forward, the audience will also be involved in the scoring!

A hundred of you can add one point to the score for an additional hundred points!

Just press the button to cast your vote for who you think has the better dish!

And now...

It's time for our first match! Here come our chefs!

From Roppongi's Kun Lun, it's Sawada Kei!

Sawada-kun!

You can do it, Sawada!

We're on your side!

And for his opponent...

We have Akiyama Jan from Gobancho's Chinese in Ginza!

You've got some nerve even showing up, you shameless freak!

You're a stain on the art of cooking!

Lose already, you dumbass!

I love it! I love it! Time for you to get humbled on national TV!

Let's see you lose so bad you disappear for good, Akiyama, you brat!

What the...?

Is this part of the show?

Sawada-kun! Here you are!

Go, go, go!

What in the world?!

A giant griddle?!

Are they going to be cooking with that?

Most likely.

It went up in seconds!

Sorry, Akiyama, but you're just cannon fodder.

No one can match me in the blazing heat from this griddle.

The theme of our first match is...

Beef! Our competitors will be making beef dishes!

Begin!

It's the first round of the Chinese Chef Championship!

And the theme for the first showdown is beef!

BEEF DISHES

Hey, get a load of what Sawada picked out.

He's choosing all the most tender cuts.

RUMP

SIRLOIN

TENDERLOIN

RUMP ROUND, SIRLOIN, TENDERLOIN

The rump round is a cut from the rear end where the red meat flavor is richest.

In the case of Wagyu beef, the sirloin is heavily marbled.

And the tenderloin is especially soft and tender.

Any of these cuts would be perfect for steak.

That's right. I'm going to prepare the best cuts in the best fashion possible.

In comparison, Jan's cut of beef was...

Hey, he's grabbing shank!

Say what? He went for some of the toughest meat?!

SHANK

The shank!

An extremely stiff cut filled with tendons and well-developed muscles!

It's a poor choice for steak, but it's filled with collagen,

making it optimal for soup or stew.

Is this for real?

They're only picking ingredients and the outcome's already obvious.

How is shank going to stand up to rump or tenderloin?

Aw, come on, Jan! What're you doing?

Why would you pick such a cheap cut?

Right, Head Chef?

Now... it's showtime!

Look how fast he diced those onions!

Shall we dance?

Rockin' sauce!

What a showman!

Rockin' sauce?

Probably made from that onion base, right?

Look at those skewers!

They're so big!

Is this what the huge griddle was for?!

This Sawada fellow is really quite talented.

He's got a great eye for ingredient quality,

and he's both dexterous and speedy.

Before he cooked the meat,

he made sure to season it properly and massage the flavor in.

He even made sure to utilize the Chinese method of quick frying, too.

Look how he's cut the vegetables...

For all his fancy dancing, he still managed to slice them perfectly.

Might be a real hot dog when it comes to showin' off,

but he's a dedicated craftsman at his core.

He puts on a show as good as any performer I've encountered!

And now for the climax...

Fire!

That's awesome!

You go, fire dancer Sawada!

And now the finisher. My special sauce for aroma and flavor...

How's that, Akiyama?

Come on! What are you doing, Jan?!

Are you seriously making a starchy sauce this late in the game?!

There's no way you can beat Sawada's cooking with that! It's too plain!

Don't you think, Head Chef?!

Magic.

Akiyama cooking is supposed to be magic... or so I hear.

He may be casting a spell as we speak.

M-Magic?

The question is how many of the judges will realize the trick.

And that's time!

Please finish up and prepare for judging.

Here it is.

My dish, which hyped up the judges and the crowd to the max