Introduction: From Screen to Kitchen

For years, anime has inspired me in ways beyond storytelling. But there’s one series that always made my stomach rumble: Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma. Every time Soma Yukihira whipped up a dish, I thought, “What if I could actually eat that?”

This article is my diary-style journey of stepping out of my comfort zone and into Soma’s culinary chaos. With recipes in hand, anime screenshots as reference, and way too much optimism, I tried recreating a few iconic dishes. Spoiler: it was both delicious and disastrous.

Day 1: Choosing the Dishes

Soma’s recipes are often exaggerated for dramatic effect, but many are based on real Japanese cuisine with creative twists. After much debate (and rewatching multiple episodes), I settled on three dishes:

Transforming Furikake Gohan (Episode 2) – a simple rice dish, but Soma elevates it with creativity.
Gotcha Pork Roast (Episode 1) – a meatless “pork roast” made from potatoes and mushrooms wrapped in bacon.
Chaliapin Steak Don (Episode 6) – tender steak with onion sauce over rice, a Food Wars fan favorite.

Why these three? They felt doable for a beginner, iconic enough for fans to recognize, and perfect for testing how anime translates into reality.

Day 2: Grocery Store Adventures

Armed with a shopping list, I headed to the local store. Immediately, I hit my first roadblock: “How do I find ingredients that look like anime food?”

Japanese short-grain rice? Found it in the imported section.
Bacon for the Gotcha Pork Roast? Easy.
Mushrooms? The anime used shiitake; I had to settle for button mushrooms.
Steak cut? I had no clue which would match Soma’s “Chaliapin” style, so I picked sirloin.

The shopping cart looked like a strange mix: soy sauce, butter, onions, rice, steak, mushrooms, potatoes, and far too many seasonings. I could already feel Soma smirking at my lack of confidence.

Day 3: The Transforming Furikake Gohan

This was supposed to be the “easy starter dish.” In Food Wars, Soma prepares a rice bowl topped with gelatinized chicken stock that melts when mixed, transforming plain rice into something extraordinary.

My Attempt:

Cooked the rice (somehow managed not to burn it).
Prepared chicken broth with soy sauce and mirin.
Used gelatin sheets to solidify the broth.
Cut it into cubes and placed it over steaming rice.

The Result:

When I mixed it, the broth melted beautifully, coating the rice in flavor. For a moment, I understood why the anime characters gasped dramatically. It wasn’t life-changing, but it was delicious—umami-rich, simple, and comforting.

✅ Success rating: 8/10.
🍴 Lesson learned: Simple ingredients, when treated creatively, can feel extraordinary.

Day 4: The Gotcha Pork Roast

This was the dish that started it all—the one Soma made to impress and shock the judges in Episode 1. In anime, it looked like a tender roast pork, but it was secretly mashed potatoes and mushrooms wrapped in bacon.

My Attempt:

Boiled potatoes and mashed them with sautéed mushrooms and onions.
Shaped the mash into a roast-like form (easier said than done).
Wrapped it in bacon slices like a cocoon.
Roasted it in the oven with a glaze of soy sauce and honey.

The Result:

When I sliced it open, it looked surprisingly similar to the anime version! The bacon was crisp, the mash flavorful. Did it taste like pork? Not really. But it was smoky, savory, and hearty.

✅ Success rating: 7/10.
🍴 Lesson learned: Presentation matters. The illusion of meatiness worked, even if my mash was a little too soft.

Day 5: Chaliapin Steak Don

This was the real challenge. In the anime, Soma uses a special technique: marinating steak in finely chopped onions to tenderize it, then cooking it to perfection and serving it on rice with onion sauce.

My Attempt:

Chopped onions until I cried like a side character.
Marinated steak in the onions for 30 minutes.
Pan-seared the steak with butter and garlic.
Made a sauce with soy sauce, mirin, and caramelized onions.
Served it over rice, topped with green onions.

The Result:

This dish was a revelation. The steak was tender and juicy, the sauce rich with umami, and the rice soaked it all up. For a moment, I felt like a judge in Food Wars, ready to explode with dramatic food ecstasy.

✅ Success rating: 9.5/10.
🍴 Lesson learned: Simple techniques (like onion marinade) can make steak restaurant-level.

Reflections: Cooking Anime in Real Life

Recreating Soma’s dishes taught me a few things:

Anime exaggerates reactions, but the recipes themselves are surprisingly grounded.
Presentation and flair matter almost as much as taste.
Cooking is about creativity and risk-taking—just like Soma’s philosophy.

There were burns, spills, and lots of dishes to wash, but every bite was worth it. Watching Food Wars will never feel the same now that I’ve tasted it.

What’s Next on My Food Wars Journey?

I’ve only scratched the surface. Next time, I want to try:

Soma’s Egg Soufflé Omelet (the infamous fluffy dish).
His Char Siu Ramen.
Alice Nakiri’s molecular gastronomy recipes (this one terrifies me).

For now, I’m satisfied that I survived my first anime cooking adventure. Soma, if you’re watching—thanks for the inspiration. And to any readers: if anime food makes your stomach growl, try it. The kitchen is your shokugeki arena!

Conclusion

Cooking anime food isn’t just about taste—it’s about bringing imagination into the real world. Food Wars taught me that food is art, and every dish tells a story.

This was my story of stepping into Soma’s shoes (or apron) for the first time. It was messy, delicious, and unforgettable. And honestly? I can’t wait to do it again.