Iron Wok Jan! (鉄鍋のジャン！)

Previously on Iron Wok Jan!

You're getting your cooking judged by Otani Nichido!

You're gonna need to try a hell of a lot harder!

He's the worst food critic in the biz.

I forgot myself...

Me?! Because of a dish made by this little punk?!

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.

Ugly.

Idiot.

Gorilla.

Monkey.

Fatass.

Perma-scowl.

Cow.

Shrimp.

Dyed-hair delinquent!

Stupid, dumb, idiot crybaby!

Huh?! I never cried, ugly!

Jan and Kiriko are at it again today.

And they're not the only ones...

Okonogi Takao is up to his usual antics as well.

Sorry about the delay! Lunch is ready!

Hell yeah! I was getting tired of waiting.

Will it be decent this time?

You cook it properly for once?

Yes, sir!

Here you are.

What do you think?

I made sure the soup from the veggies was nice and evenly spread.

It's the best part!

What were you thinking, Okonogi?!

Do you pay attention to what we do in the kitchen or not?!

Unbelievable...

Come on! Let's go grab some real food.

You're useless!

I don't know why I got my hopes up.

Wh-Why, though?!

Okonogi.

When stir-frying vegetables, you don't want their fluids escaping.

You cook them thoroughly, but not to the point that they juice.

That's where all the flavor is in stir-fried veggies.

The stuff you made has got dry meat, rubbery vegetables...

You said the soup was the best part,

but that's because it's absorbed all the umami of the veggies.

In other words, it's a failure.

You literally made soup instead of stir-fry,

like you were aiming for.

But nobody's ever told me how to make it...

Of course not, stupid! You figure it out by watching!

That's how everybody learns!

But y'know...

I have my doubts that watching those guys cook

would get you anywhere in the first place.

Damn it, Akiyama, say that again!

Oh, you heard me? I'm right though, aren't I?

You little...

I see.

Looks like we've got us a mountain monkey that could use some house training.

You're Kaiichiro's grandson, Akiyama Jan, I take it?

I'm Gobancho Mutsuju. Kaiichiro told you about me, I'm sure.

O-Owner...

Good morning, sir!

S-So you're Mutsuju...

Now then, people,

it sounds like you're teaching Okonogi the old-fashioned way.

Well, that's how we all learned...

Fool! Times change.

If we treat all the trainees like that,

we'll burn through them faster than we can hire new ones.

And since I haven't dropped by in a while...

Why don't I make your lunch?

O-Owner, are you serious?!

Make sure you pay attention, Okonogi.

Y-Yes, sir!

Go and get Yaichi.

What's the matter? My grandpa got you spooked?

You look pale.

I could feel a fire just like my grandpa's behind that cane...

We're gonna make twice-cooked pork. Yaichi?

Sir.

A-And the head chef is gonna help?!

Damn! I've never seen them team up like this!

Jan, he's the one! You must defeat him!

He is none other than Gobancho Mutsuju!

The man who stands at the forefront of Chinese cuisine!

And now...

Right.

H-How are they so damn fast?!

I can't even tell what they did!

Listen well, Okonogi.

The most important thing in Chinese cooking is having fast hands.

Do you understand?

Whether you're cutting vegetables or cooking ingredients.

Y-Yes, sir! I understand!

First, we flash our peppers and cabbage in oil.

This ensures that even when we stir-fry them, they won't lose color or dry out.

Twice-cooked pork is made with a stack of simmered and sliced pork belly.

Pour garlic sauce on it, and you've got yourself a dish called yun bairou.

But we're using sliced garlic.

Add doubanjiang for spice.

Finely-cut douchi for richness.

Throw in tian mian jiang, Chinese sweet miso.

Pay close attention, boys.

This is Gobancho Mutsuju's special technique, the Heat Zone!

The Heat Zone?!

The Heat Zone is essentially a dome of heat.

He creates a vortex with the movement of the wok and the food.

It keeps heat from escaping upward like normal,

ensuring that the ingredients are all thoroughly cooked.

And despite all the vegetables he's prepared,

this is done in a relatively short time, keeping them from drying out.

In other words, it ensures the aroma of the vegetables and meat

are fully trapped inside the dish!

This is how he became known as the premier Chinese chef!

It's amazing!

Truly, it's delicious!

I see now.

Not too shabby, old-timer.

You're still capable of impressing, despite your age.

I can see why they say you're the top Chinese chef.

You're gonna be worth taking down!

Whoa, hey now...

Just you wait!

Gimme a few years... Hell, make it a few months.

And I'll surpass you!

Are you still yapping about that?!

Before you do...

You're going to have to get through me.

Isn't that right?

You're on.

GYOZA CHINESE FOOD

10,000 YEN

After the way you ran your mouth...

if you turn out garbage, it'll cost you more than just the money.

You'd better be ready for a broken arm!

Tell me about it!

He's got some real nerve, challenging us to a cook-off.

We've been showcased in all kinds of magazines. Our rep is sky-high.

Is that right?

It's done.

Go on. Give it a try.

I've been in the restaurant game for twenty years!

Some brat's cooking would never...

Wh-What is this?!

Th-This is...

Well? I win, don't I?

I'll be taking all of this, then.

See ya around.

Get back here, you bastard!

We're not just gonna let you waltz out of here!

Owner! Would you say something already?!

This sauce...

Is this sauce what I think it is? It's XO jiang, isn't it?

Which means you must be... XO Jiang Ryu!

Who knows?

He got us...

I think I'm tired of this town.

Time to relocate and start the hustle again.

That you, Bito Ryuji?

I see you still like to make your money the hard way.

I saw the whole thing. Like some kinda cooking yakuza, ain't ya?

Otani-san! It's good to see you again.

Sure has been a while, Bito-kun.

Gambling on cook-offs... You play as rough as ever.

What are you saying? You're the one who showed me the ropes.

No denyin' that.

To tell you the truth, Bito-kun...

There's something I was hoping to ask you.

Does this ask come with a payday?

Glad to see you're quick on the uptake.

GOBANCHO'S CHINESE RESTAURANT

I gotta say, the quality at Gobancho's has really fallen off.

The food is fine, but the employees are a different story.

Now, I'm not pointing fingers. Not pointing fingers, but...

What the hell does he want?

This brings me to my proposal!

I'd like you to hire my friend Bito Ryuji here.

I can vouch for his skills.

On the stipulation that Akiyama over there gets fired.

It's nice to meet you all. I'm Bito.

I've always admired this restaurant.