The Magician, Once Again! is the 110th chapter of Shokugeki no Soma. This chapter begins the 2nd stage of the Stagiaire Arc, in which each of the 92nd students will stage (apprentice) in a professional kitchen as part of their curriculum.
It's the reunion of Fall Classic Finalist Soma, against the senior whom he dared to challenge months ago at the Hell Camp - Kojiro Shinomiya.
Plot Summary[]
Soma and Kojiro exchange pleasantries at the latter's new restaurant, Shino's Tokyo, with both of them expressing surprise over the assignment. Kojiro then thrusts a set of cleaning supplies into Soma's hands, before yelling to his brigade to get the restaurant ready for the pre-opening service the following evening.
Soma meets the brigade which has flown over from Kojiro's flagship restaurant in Paris - maître d' Gao Wei, chef de partie Lucie Hugo, and head chef Abel Blondin, who was Kojiro's sous chef. Abel expresses envy over how close Soma and Kojiro are from the get-go, with him reminiscing over how long it took for him to get closer to Kojiro and eventually be chosen as the head chef for Shino's Tokyo. Gao Wei and Lucie also note how Kojiro seems to have mellowed out since he attended the Tootsuki Hell Camp - though they are quickly silenced by their boss.
As Soma and Kojiro continue setting up the dining room, Kojiro says he is surprised that Soma was glad to be staging at Shino's, even though he could easily pass the Stagiaire at a lesser-known restaurant. Soma replies that he needs to do this in order to find his specialty, and to improve as a chef. Kojiro agrees, saying that opening his Tokyo branch is necessary for him to improve.
When the staff finally get a break - Kojiro surprises and excites them, by saying he'll prepare lunch. After some prep - which involves making a fresh pie crust, mincing chicken breast, and sautéing mushrooms in butter - the chef serves a quiche for staff meal, with Abel explaining to Soma that it comes from Lorraine and is a popular lunch item in Paris.
As the staff enjoy the results of Kojiro's mastery over vegetables, Lucie notices a crispy texture which ties the dish together. Soma identifies it as burdock, which pairs well with the chicken and cheese in the quiche. Gao Wei also notes that Kojiro used the burdock to balance his dish, peel and all, as a substitute for chicken bouillon.
While Abel claims the quiche could even be added to the flagship restaurant's menu, Kojiro disagrees - saying that the dish isn't good enough. He then calls for Abel to fetch a bottle of wine, and then chastises him to get a better vintage. Kojiro then guarantees Soma that he will get closer to finding his specialty during the Stagiaire - if he can keep up with the workload at Shino's Tokyo.
Characters in Order of Appearance[]
- Kojirō Shinomiya
- Sōma Yukihira
- Abel Blondin (Debut)
- Gao Wei (Debut)
- Lucie Hugo (Debut)