The Endless Wilderness is the 1st chapter of Shokugeki no Soma.
Plot Summary[]

Mayumi eats Sōma's failed dish
In a tense afternoon in Restaurant Yukihira, Sōma Yukihira challenges his father, Jōichirō Yukihira, to a cooking duel with Mayumi Kurase as the judge. Inevitably, Sōma loses again for the 489th time. As Mayumi offers consolation to Sōma, he forcibly feeds her his Grilled Squid Tentacles Dressed in Peanut Butter, one of his failed dishes he invented earlier in the morning, in an attempt to cheer himself up. As Mayumi suffers from the awkward taste, Sōma ignores everyone and mutters to himself as he vows to travel to the endless wilderness of cooking which consists of a world of mixed and unknown flavors.
![]() Sōma accepts the challenge |
Later that night, Sōma expresses his desire to surpass his father and take over Restaurant Yukihira one day. Just then, an urban life planner, Yaeko Minegasaki walks into Restaurant Yukihira with her assistants, and threatens to close down the restaurant for the development in the city. Yaeko further threatens Sōma by stating that failure to cook a dish to her satisfaction will result in her closing down the shop. Sōma agrees to the challenge as Yaeko leaves.
The next day, as Sōma returns from middle school to Restaurant Yukihira, he notices the kitchen supplies in his restaurant have been sabotaged, presumably, by Yaeko and her assistants. Just then, Yaeko pops by again, telling and threatening Sōma to cook her a meat dish, bringing up his previous promise to shut down if he can't provide. She stops laughing when Sōma accepts, despite having no meat resources as her men destroyed all of it.

Roast Pork, Just Kidding!
A few moments later, to everyone's surprise, Sōma cooks up his dish, Roast Pork, Just Kidding, a relatively meaty dish out of nowhere. As Yaeko's assistants question Sōma's methods, Sōma replies that he used thick bacon slices and potatoes he brought for the following day's breakfast. However, Yaeko, unimpressed, adamantly decides to vacate the restaurant despite Sōma's efforts. Sōma then tells her to try the dish before judging the restaurant's worth, which she does.

Sōma emerges victorious
Just as Yaeko takes a bite, she falls for the dish's aroma and taste. Sōma then explains that he learned this dish from a failure in the past. However, Yaeko still refuses to qualify the dish as a meat dish but finds herself unable to want to take another bite, but Sōma takes the dish away from her. He knows that she has already fallen for the dish, before telling her to never come back again, in order for her to continue eating the dish. She refuses as he goes to dispose of the dish, in which Yaeko stops him from doing so.
Yaeko then accepts his request as Sōma returns the dish, and she finishes her meal along with her assistants. As the latter finished the dish, they comically collapsed on the floor in defeat, and Sōma walked away victoriously.

Sōma arrives at Tōtsuki
Later that day, Jōichirō returns to the shop, telling Sōma that he'll have to close the shop temporarily for a few years due to a friend's offer to work in New York. Sōma, shocked, attempts to stop his father. However, Jōichirō tells Sōma to enroll in Tōtsuki Culinary Academy, a superior elite school where only less than 10 percent of the students graduate. Sōma, having no choice, reluctantly accepts.
The following day, as Sōma enters the school grounds, he is left shocked at the school's enormous stature. Just as Sōma reaches the school entrance, Jōichirō tells Sōma that he has already begun cooking in New York through the phone. Jōichirō then tells Sōma that he will never surpass him unless he manages to survive there, irritating Sōma, and thus ending the conversation moments later.
Meanwhile, inside Tōtsuki Academy, an unknown female character appears and belittles a group of students' dish, claiming that it is terrible...
Characters in Order of Appearance[]
- Sōma Yukihira (Debut)
- Jōichirō Yukihira (Debut)
- Mayumi Kurase (Debut)
- Aki Koganei (Debut)
- Yaeko Minegasaki (Debut)
- McFly (Debut)
- Erina Nakiri (Debut)
Featured Dishes[]
- Sōma Yukihira's Grilled Squid Tentacles Dressed in Peanut Butter
- Jōichirō Yukihira's Dried Sardines Garnished with Strawberry Jam
- Sōma Yukihira's Roast Pork, Just Kidding
Featured Cooking Duels[]
Trivia[]
- The scene where the head priest rips off his garments in this chapter has been cut off from the VOMIC edition of Shokugeki no Soma.