Missing The Bear already? Here's a new cooking show for you, based on a classic 90s manga series.
Iron Wok Jan! S1
The first episode is now streaming on Crunchyroll. Subsequent episodes will debut every Sunday.
Acclaimed as the best Chinese restaurant in Tokyo, Gobanchou is named after the family who owns it. The paterfamilias has incredibly high standards, and so he is utterly delighted when his 16-year-old granddaughter Kiriko demonstrates that she has mastered one of the restaurant's signature dishes: fried rice. (But not just any fried rice!)
All the other cooks and kitchen workers are in awe of Kiriko's dazzling cooking skills. One night, though, after the restaurant has closed, a scowling young man storms in and demands a meal. Cowed by his arrogance, a meal is prepared, which the young man promptly rejects as sub-standard, and insists on preparing his own food.
No one can understand what is going on, but the paterfamilias looks on with a twinkle in his eye and does not object. With incredible speed, the young man whips up an incredible meal, enough to feed the entire staff, who are all astonished at its high quality. Even Kiriko must admit that it's better than what she prepared earlier.
The scowling young man is revealed to be Jan, who is also 16. He is the grandson of another acknowledged master of Chinese cooking, and will be joining the restaurant's staff. His approach to cooking is that every meal is a competition. In contrast, Kiriko has a different approach and philosophy about food, setting up a spirited battle of the cooks, hopefully over the entire season.
I am a sucker for anime cooking shows, but I always have to remember to eat before watching them or I'll feel instantly famished. This show is no exception, and I've happily added it to my watchlist.
Here's the official synopsis:
"Based on the hit manga of the same name, "Iron Wok Jan!" follows Jan, a devilish master chef of Chinese cuisine, who will stop at nothing to crush his opponents. This is an adrenaline-pumping tale where the unhinged cast defies ethics and treats cooking like magic, creating all kinds of wild dishes. Jan charges forward to face the ultimate Chinese cuisine battle, ready to challenge the world!"
Image ©Shinji Saijo/KADOKAWA/Iron Wak Jan! Project.
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