“ | So, um... I'm Sōma Yukihira. Truth be told, I didn't expect to be admitted in this academy, but I don't plan on losing to some bunch that has never stood in front of clients. I'll use all of you as stepping stones. Now that I'm here, I'll take the top. | ” |
—Sōma Yukihira, introducing himself during the school’s opening ceremony |
The Chef That Doesn't Smile (この料理人は笑わない Kono Ryōrijin wa Warawanai) is the third episode of the first season of Shokugeki no Soma and is the third episode overall.
Synopsis[]
Megumi Tadokoro is on her way to head off to apply for high school in Tōtsuki Culinary Academy. Meanwhile, Sōma gives the student body his infamous speech through the opening ceremony.
Plot[]

Sōma begins his entrance speech
Megumi Tadokoro recalls her memories, with her 12-year-old self preparing to leave her hometown to attend Tōtsuki Culinary Academy. As she bids her family goodbye, her mother gives her an academic charm for good luck. Megumi thanks everyone and vows to come back one day, having grown as a chef. Megumi, however, soon learns life at the academy isn't easy at all, as she starts collecting low grades. By the school regulations, Megumi is informed that she will get expelled if she gets another failing grade. Megumi then walks to the opening ceremony after recalling these events.
Senzaemon Nakiri then begins his speech, and he congratulates the students for making it to the High School section. Senzaemon then points at them, telling them that 99% of them are sacrificial in order to polish the remaining 1% gems. He continues his speech, telling them the school will mercilessly diminish the number of chefs through the years so that they can be counted on one hand. He points at the students again, telling them they will become one of those students and concludes with the words that they need to devote to their studies.
![]() Sōma vows to Erina |
Sōma then takes the word as he somehow passed the exam. Sōma introduces himself to the crowd, not really knowing what to say. He reveals he didn't expect to be admitted to the academy, but he doesn't plan to lose to some people that have never stood in front of clients and wants to take the top. As he walks away from the stage, the crowd reacts in anger to his words.
As Sōma reaches the backstage of the podium, he finds Erina Nakiri waiting there. Erina then asks him why he is at Tōtsuki Academy before Sōma shows her a notification that he passed. Erina believes it was just a mistake and warns him that the top is unreachable for him as everyone in the academy received three years of gifted education in the Middle School section, while she walks away. Sōma responds by telling her he was only three years old the first time he held a knife and thus has twelve years of cooking experience. Sōma then vows to exhaust his cooking to the limits and have Erina say that his food is good. In the background, Senzaemon overhears Sōma talking to his granddaughter, and hw smiles.

Roland Chapelle orders to cook the Boeuf Bourguignon
Megumi, still alone in the ceremony location, fears that she will be the first to drop out from the High School level, decides to avoid Sōma, to not stand out badly.
Ironically, Megumi is paired up with Sōma Yukihira for the first assignment of the year. She also tells him she must pass the assignment to stay in the academy. At that moment, the lecturer arrives. Megumi identifies him as Roland Chapelle, a teacher with strict evaluations even for Tōtsuki Academy. He immediately tells the students of their responsibilities as a chef and threatens to give their dishes an E, the lowest possible score, if the dish fails to stand out. Roland then gives the students their assignment, which is to cook Boeuf Bourguignon, a standard French dish.
When they eventually start cooking, Megumi temporarily leaves her post to prepare another ingredient. At this time, two students sabotage the beef to try to get Sōma expelled as soon as possible. Sōma soon realizes something is wrong with the beef, however, with the lid having been left open. He realizes a bit of salt was added to the beef, rendering it useless in its current form. With only 30 minutes left on the clock, Megumi fears they will not have enough time to make the dish all over again.

Megumi thanks Sōma
Sōma tries to calm down Megumi, vowing to get the dish done before time runs out. The students who added the salt to the dish look at the pair believing they will not be able to get their dish done in time anymore. Just when they are thinking on how to serve their own food, however, Sōma announces the dish is done and asks for Roland to evaluate their dish next. Roland realizes the dish is tender, which should not have been possible without boiling the dish, shocking the students who sabotaged the dish, and causing them to ruin their dish and fail.
Roland tells Sōma that he knew the pair had an accident, and he asks Sōma how he got the dish completed. Sōma reveals he used honey as a secret ingredient to the dish, rubbing it on the meat before boiling and adding it as a seasoning as well. Megumi and Roland then proceed to eat the dish, both smiling at the taste of the dish, shocking the students, as Roland was known as The Chef that Doesn't Smile at the academy. Roland passes Sōma and Megumi, calling it a shame that he cannot give them anything higher than an A.
Megumi thanks Sōma for the help, with him giving his regards to his classmate. Sōma offers to let her try one of his dishes, to which she accepts. However, the dish he force-feeds her several of his failed experimental dishes with squid, which she reacts to with disgust, similar to Mayumi but with more clothes on during the foodgasm. Meanwhile, Hisako informs Erina Sōma passed Roland's class resulting with Erina entering a rage because Hisako said Sōma's name, causing Hisako and the girls in the hall to become terrified while Hisako apologizes.
Features[]
Characters[]
- Megumi Tadokoro (Debut)
- Megumi’s mother (Debut; Flashback)
- Megumi’s grandfather (Debut; Flashback)
- Erina Nakiri
- Urara Kawashima (Debut)
- Nao Sadatsuka (Debut; Non-speaking cameo)
- Takumi Aldini (Debut)
- Isami Aldini (Debut)
- Ryōko Sakaki (Debut)
- Yūki Yoshino (Debut)
- Senzaemon Nakiri
- Shōji Satō (Debut)
- Daigo Aoki (Debut)
- Shun Ibusaki (Debut)
- Zenji Marui (Debut)
- Alice Nakiri (Debut; Non-speaking cameo)
- Ryō Kurokiba (Debut; Non-speaking cameo)
- Miyoko Hōjō (Debut; Non-speaking cameo)
- Akira Hayama (Debut; Non-speaking cameo)
- Tōtsuki Academy Alumni (Silhouettes only)
- Hisako Arato
- Yua Sasaki (Debut; Non-speaking cameo)
- Ikumi Mito (Debut; Non-speaking cameo)
- Sōma Yukihira
- Roland Chapelle (Debut)
- Jōichirō Yukihira (Cameo)
Featured Dishes[]
- Sōma Yukihira and Megumi Tadokoro's Boeuf Bourguignon
- Sōma Yukihira's Grilled Squid Tentacles Dressed in Honey
Featured Cooking Duels[]
- TBA
Locations[]
Trivia[]
General Trivia[]
- This episode has the most amount of main characters to have made their debut in.
- At some point in the episode, Erina Nakiri thinks of the strict rules of Tōtsuki Culinary Academy as fair, as graduating from the academy means reaching stardom in the culinary world. In this scene, several Tōtsuki Academy Alumni members are depicted as just their silhouettes.
- The ending theme is slightly altered in this episode, the rotating chili spice during a scene which depicts Erina, Hisako, and Ikumi is notably larger and covers the whole screen. As it switches the borders between this scene and the next one instead of just passing through.
- In the scene after that, Sōma is notably shaded with more darker colors, giving a feel of him being more distant from Megumi's perspective.
- Despite her character being portrayed as a country bumpkin, Megumi is the only one amongst her family members and fellow townsfolk who does not have a country accent in the English dub.
Manga and Anime Differences[]
- The order of Megumi Tadokoro's flashback was shown earlier in the anime. The manga sets it moments before she starts Roland Chapelle's lesson.
- During the 92nd Tōtsuki Generation's Orientation Ceremony in the manga the only characters that made a cameo appearance was Takumi Aldini, Isami Aldini and Ryō Kurokiba. In the anime, the majority of the 92nd Generation students who made a full appearance in the series thus far, made their debut cameo appearance in this episode.
- Ryō Kurokiba was shown to be wearing a bandana in the manga, standing alone. In the anime, he stands with Alice Nakiri, and notably does not wear his bandana.
- Urara Kawashima debuted slightly later in the manga as an emcee for Sōma's first Shokugeki, in the anime however, she debuts as an emcee for the opening ceremony.
- Takumi's reaction towards Sōma's opening speech was shown. However, in the manga counterpart where he made his first cameo appearance in Chapter 4, this scene did not occur. Instead, it was depicted later in a flashback during the Tōtsuki Friendship and Rapport Training Camp in Chapter 17.
- Isami's reaction was also shown directly in this episode as well. His reaction in the manga was shown in an extra.
- The students were shown leaving the ceremony in the anime.
- Yūki Yoshino and Ryōko Sakaki was shown leaving as well and giving their first impressions on Sōma. This scene was not depicted in the manga.
- Sōma comments on Roland's use of French phrases more frequently in the anime than in the manga.
- In the manga, Sōma uses his hand to taste the salt when their station was sabotaged. However, Sōma uses a teaspoon in the anime.
- Takumi and Isami was shown again in another class in the anime, scoring an A for their first test and commenting on how they would have defeated Sōma. Ryōko and Yūki was also spotted being in the same class as the Aldini Twins. This entire scene is anime-exclusive.
- The manga did not depict a scene in which Megumi reacts to Sōma's failed dishes after their first class. However, the anime added the respective scenes.
- The scene where Hisako Arato informed Erina about Sōma receiving the highest grade in Roland Chapelle's class was placed earlier in the anime. This scene only occurred in the manga when Sōma had already entered the Polar Star Dormitory, something that has not occurred yet in the anime.
Errors[]
- TBA
[]
v - e - t | Episodes |
---|---|
Introduction Arc | 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 |
Training Camp Arc | 8 • 9 • 10 • 11 • 12 • 13 • 14 |
Tōtsuki Autumn Election Arc | 15 • 16 • 17 • 18 • 19 • 20 • 21 • 22 • 23 • 24 25 • 26 • 27 • 28 • 29 • 30 • 31 • 32 • 33 • 34 |
Stagiaire Arc | 35 • 36 • 37 |
Moon Banquet Festival Arc | 37 • 38 • 39 • 40 • 41 • 42 |
Central Arc | 43 • 44 • 45 • 46 • 47 • 48 • 49 • 50 |
Promotion Exams Arc | 51 • 52 • 53 • 54 • 55 • 56 • 57 • 58 • 59 • 60 • 61 • 62 63 • 64 • 65 • 66 • 67 • 68 • 69 • 70 • 71 • 72 • 73 |
Beach Exam Arc | 74 |
BLUE Arc | 75 • 76 • 77 • 78 • 79 • 80 • 81 • 82 • 83 • 84 • 85 • 86 |
OVA | OVA 1 • OVA 2 • OVA 3 • OVA 4 • OVA 5 |