Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma is possibly the best food anime in the last five years, and the last four seasons gave fans and viewers many different and delicious dishes in the varied styles of the different characters in the show.
Some of these dishes were the most mouthwatering and made viewers want to eat them ASAP. Other dishes were still breathtaking but maybe would not translate well in real life or would not be nearly as good as hyped-up in the series. The foods listed, however, would likely make anyone salivate from wanting to eat them and possibly recreate them in real life regardless of their hype and popularity.
Updated on October 4th, 2021 by Claris Lam: Since Food Wars aired its fifth and final season, it was fitting that this list should be updated to include five more entries including dishes from that season to this list, as well as other dishes that aired in previous seasons that both were and weren't worth the hype.
15 Not Worth The Hype: Tsukasa’s Nine Course Meal
If the last one on this side of things seemed too simple, this one seems to be too much. During the Moon Festival, Tsukasa set up a restaurant in the poshest area with only three tables, and he served a fancy French-inspired Nine Course Meal while he was there. It looked spectacular and delicious in-universe and impressed all those that ate it. However, given how elaborate this meal is with nine courses, this meal is something that would require a very specific audience if done in the real world.
14 Worth The Hype: Gotcha! Pork Roast
The dish that introduced us to this show’s approach to food. It was made by Soma when an arrogant urban life planner threatened Yukihira Diner and challenged him to make a meat dish knowing that all that’s left at the end of the day were scraps and leftovers. He utilized mashed potatoes and bacon to create a dish that tasted like a full pork roast and was so delicious that it stripped the urban planner and her colleagues. Seeing that it is made of things that would probably be available in most fridges and pantries, recreating this in your kitchen is possible too.
13 Not Worth The Hype: Soufflé Omelet
This was the dish that Soma made in the breakfast challenge of their training camp. Like a lot of the dishes on this list, this is not a dish that is unappetizing by any means, but rather one that is lackluster when compared to many other dishes.
This particular dish could be difficult to recreate in the real world with it being so delicate and time-bound. It also seemed like a pretty simple dish for Yukihira Soma, especially when compared to the last egg dish he made, the Transforming Furikake Gohan.
12 Worth The Hype: Three Kinds Of Onigiri
Sometimes, there’s something about simplicity that touches the heart. This is one of the select dishes that wasn’t made for a Shokugeki or to make a point. Megumi made these as a meal for everyone in Polar Star Dormitory while they were working on the garden at their dorm. It was such a lighthearted moment highlighted by a dish that was made from the heart with a little surprise on the inside of each Onigiri. The softness and purity of the situation where this dish was featured is something that could be replicated in real life.
11 Not Worth The Hype: Eggs Benedict
Eggs Benedict is a classic breakfast dish. Though it looks simple, it does require a certain level of skill to make -- especially the Hollandaise Sauce. This was the dish that Erina served during the breakfast challenge of their training camp and, with her god tongue, her version is probably the most perfect one out there. It’s not quite worth the hype though because she used a classic recipe and didn’t make any changes. As far as Food Wars recipes go, this lacked the bells and whistles.
10 Worth The Hype: Transforming Furikake Gohan
Soma likes to put unique twists to his dishes, and this dish was a spectacular example of how his experimentation results in elevating simple ingredients. He made this dish for Erina during his enrollment test at Totsuki, where he added a second level of flavor to a simple egg and rice dish. He used aspic, which is a sort of meat jelly, made from the chicken broth that melts with the heat of the rice, providing a new flavor experience. This would be an interesting one to try out in your kitchen, and if successful, the dining experience would be interesting too.
9 Not Worth The Hype: Rainbow Terrine
This is the recipe that almost got Megumi expelled. Based off how it looked from that episode, it was a very complicated recipe that resulted in a visually spectacular dish. However, whether its execution in real life would live up to the show's portrayal is unknown. YouTube channel Feast of Fiction made a video recreating this dish and they said that it was kind of a peculiar mix of flavors. Though it might sound tasty in-universe, replicating it in real life might be trickier than it looks.
8 Worth The Hype: Cheese-Feathered Hanetsuki Gyoza
When Soma faced off against Eizan, known as “The Alchemist” for his ability to steer his cooking in the direction that negates the flavors of his opponents, he didn’t seem fazed one bit. Even when the judges had a bias towards “gourmet food”, he just cooked his food and proved that gourmet can be unique.
He made gyoza using chicken wings as the wrapper, and the resulting effort made the dish look and sound delicious. In real life, this would probably make a good game-day snack.
7 Not Worth The Hype: Grilled Squid Tentacles Dressed In Peanut Butter
Even though this dish technically does not count as an actual recipe from the show, it is one of Soma’s concoctions that he makes his colleagues try. From the very sound of its name, this dish doesn’t seem appetizing at all in its concept. Seeing the people’s grossed-out reactions when they tried it also confirmed how queasy it was. Viewers promptly decided that it was not a good idea to try this particular dish.
6 Worth The Hype: Sumire Karaage Roll
Of all the different dishes that have been featured in Food Wars!, the Sumire Karaage Roll may just be the most salivating one. This was the dish that combined efforts from all of the local stores in the area of Yukihira Diner when they were faced with the challenge of a huge chain opening up and monopolizing sales. It was crafted with consideration to the people who frequent the area, resulting in a wrap that could easily be eaten fresh and on the go. In a world that’s pretty fast-paced and never stopping, this would be a great option that’s both convenient and delicious.
5 Not Worth The Hype: Bear Meat Hamburg Steak
Though this dish was simply made as a prototype dish by Sōma Yukihira while preparing for his Promotion Exam Duel against Akira Hayama, it would be very hard to replicate this dish in real life.
Bear meat is not as easily available as meat regularly used to make Hamburg Steak. Additionally, most people would not willingly eat dishes made of bear meat to begin with, let alone one that looked like an ordinary Hamburg Steak. Had Sōma made this dish instead of cooking his Mincemeat Katsu, he likely would have been expelled.
4 Worth The Hype: Goa Fish Curry
Goa Fish Curry was prepared by Akira Hayama for Sōma Yukihira and Megumi Tadokoro at the Shiomi Seminar. This aromatic, colorful, and incredibly flavorful dish was well worth its praise with all the intricate spices, roasted red peppers, and fish involved. The well-spiced curry made for a delicious main course that was memorable to Sōma, Megumi and the viewers salivating at the sight of this dish being presented. Though this curry might be difficult to make, especially since it uses fish which is a delicate protein, it is possible to recreate it in real life.
3 Not Worth The Hype: Koji Tofu Soup
Though Koji Tofu Soup is a flavorful dish, it would likely be one of the least memorable dishes in Food Wars' final season. It was made by Ryōko Sakaki during the BLUE Preliminaries but it received an unknown score from the judges. Considering that the series did not even bother giving it an actual score compared to other dishes, it was likely considered in-universe as one of the more underwhelming dishes presented overall. The lack of color in this dish also did not help stir any appetite in viewers, either.
2 Worth The Hype: Buche de Noel
Bûche de Noël was made by Sōma Yukihira for his battle with Sarge in the BLUE Championship. This cake looked appetizing despite being completely free of added sugar or dairy whatsoever, and the detail that went into making this cake look like a literal log from the outside impressed many viewers.
Considering that this cake is traditionally made in real life and served as dessert around Christmas in countries including France and Switzerland, it made sense that such a traditional food had to live up to its real-life hype in Food Wars!
1 Not Worth The Hype: Green Tea Kurozubuta
Despite how fancy Green Tea Kurozubuta looked when it was presented in its final form, complete with the rich sauce and leaves to decorate the dish, many viewers hesitated at the idea of eating a savory pork dish that involved green tea. Since tea is not commonly used in savory dishes compared to sweet ones, this Kurozubuta would be also difficult to recreate in real life. This dish was made by Terunori Kuga with Subaru Mimasaka's help for his rematch against Eishi Tsukasa, during the 1st Card of the 2nd Bout of the Régiment de Cuisine.