Shokugeki no Souma: Ni no Sara – 09

「秋を告げる刀」 (Aki wo Tsugeru Katana)
“A Sword That Signals Autumn”

As I predicted last week – Souma creates a pickled senma dish – grilled on rice. Yum! I had no idea how that would come together in my head, but certainly on a bed of fried rice, you can’t go wrong. One of the things I normally despise about senma are the tiny little bones that are too big to swallow but not big enough to pick out easily. Eating it with rice like that would mean that Souma has to be an expect at filleting it properly (which I’m sure they all are at this point). Anyway, even though I’m not a huge fan of rice in general, this dish completely represents everything that Souma is about. It’s a home-y meal that he would probably prepare for folks at his restaurant and it’s comfort food that you’d expect on a rainy fall day. I’m dying to know what he plans to do next because we all know there’s a second helping with this dish. My guess is that he’s probably going to pour a soup (simmered with senma as well) on top that’ll turn it into a soup-y dish rather than dry one. That’ll transform the plate and give it a different impression on the judges which seems to be a theme with Souma’s dishes these days.

My favorite dish that was brought had out to be Akira’s though! I love raw fish and carpaccio is something that I often gravitate towards on a menu. Given – it’s also not the cheapest thing ever but I love how beautiful the presentation can be and it’s meant to open up your palate for the entrée. Not only that, but Akira lightly sears the top of the fish too which is making my mouth water even thinking about it. I love seared sashimi and sushi so just thinking about senma torched with a bit of a glaze is just… wow. If anyone has ever had aburi sushi before, you’ll probably understand how the sear completely transforms the taste of a fish. You see all the bubbling fattiness of the fish on top and its delicious. Senma probably doesn’t have the same fat content as tuna (for example) but you get the idea. I would give the win to Akira myself if he doesn’t get it. Totally deserving if it makes me salivate just thinking about it.

Ryou’s dish was the least appealing to me but also the one that I think packs the most punch in terms of doing the senma ingredient justice. Cooking something “al cartoccio” is actually getting fairly popular nowadays (and I see it more in social media for sure). Ryou uses a heat-resistant film but normally people can use parchment paper to seal their baked goods. Fish is also a common protein and then you can put the packet on a BBQ or in your oven to cook. Personally I just wrap up mushrooms and toss it with oil and garlic which is super easy and yummy. With all that said, Ryou’s dish – although explosive in aroma I’m sure – didn’t scream creativity to me when I saw it. It’s not something that I would say is outside the realm of a home chef. I would’ve been more impressed if Ryou came up with a dish that I couldn’t (or wouldn’t think of) make(ing) at home. The herb butter was also a nice touch but also a standard ingredient in bringing out the moisture in these types of dishes. People also put a slab of herb butter on steaks now.

Compared to his dish though, Ryou’s backstory is an interesting one each time he’s on camera. We’ve seen brief flashbacks of Ryou and Alice each round in this competition and each time, I learn something new about him. This time, it’s seeing his challenges against Alice as a kid and it’s no surprise that he loses each time. I wish the show actually animated his first win against Alice, but just seeing their relationship grow and develop over the years explains why they’re so close. It’s kind of weird that Alice would ask for a sidekick (although it’s weird that Erina would have one too) but Ryou is a nice compliment for her outgoing behavior. Ryou’s history doesn’t make me feel like he deserves to win any more or less, but I appreciate the efforts into showing it regardless.

Bottom Line – @RCCherrie: These plates makes my mouth water; what I’d pay to get a bite. Admittedly, Akira’s is my fav 😉 I knew it! He pickled it What a creative way to bring back a classic senma dish 😉 #shokugeki_anime

Full-length images: 01, 02.

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