Cooking Master Boy
I'm hungry, Mao.
You're the only one riding the horse. Be patient.
I heard your stomach growl—
That hurts.
Sorry. Don't mind us.
Your stomach was—
Anyway, why'd Mao have to spend our last bit of money on that book?
It's like he loses stops caring about anything else whenever cooking's involved.
I'm starving!
Shirou, where are you?
Shirou!
I'm fine.
What are you doing?
Huh?
Isn't that a town?
A town? All right! They'll have food!
It's a town!
Chickens! They all look delicious!
There are chickens everywhere.
I see! This is the Chicken Town I've heard about.
That's right. This town is the land's greatest producer of chickens.
You're actually excited for once.
The town's famous chicken dish competition is nearby.
Chicken dish competition?
It's a contest of skill based around chicken dishes.
Winning is a huge honor.
Huh? What are you doing, Shirou?
I'm harvesting persimmons from this abandoned house.
You shouldn't steal from houses, even if they're empty!
I refuse to starve to death when there's food right in front of—
Ow!
Ow! Ow, ow, ow!
Help me, Mao!
Ow...
Can you not take things from my house without permission?
I thought it was a trashed, abandoned house.
Sorry my house isn't up to your standards.
In any case, we're sorry.
It's fine. Have one.
Here.
Thanks for the food!
Those are sour persimmons.
So you're broke after buying this cookbook, huh?
You're kind of naive.
Don't be ridiculous. Mao is—
Sounds like my own dumb brother.
Your brother?
My brother opened this chicken restaurant.
As you know, this town profits from shipping
its high-quality chicken to the rest of the country.
We've got a lot of rich people here.
Then why's this the only run-down shop?
Because we can't get customers, obviously.
Why not?
It's none of your business.
It's late. Why not stay here tonight?
You don't have any money, right?
What?
I'm Tiya. What are your names?
I'm Meili.
My name's Shirou.
I'm Mao.
Thank you for everything.
What's up, Mao?
I can't stop thinking about it.
This is the only shop that isn't flourishing.
It just means their food sucks.
But Tiya's brother doesn't seem to be here.
Who cares about that?
You're always interested in weird stuff, Mao.
What's that?
Black chickens?
Don't touch them.
Their misfortune will rub off on you.
What?
These are the chickens of misfortune that killed my brother.
It's been almost a month since my brother died.
After honing his skills at a big restaurant in Guangzhou,
three years ago, my brother opened his chicken restaurant,
Black Feather Tower
"Black Feather Tower," in this highly competitive place.
One day, my brother bought some pitch black chicks.
Tiya, these chicks could change this town's history.
But these chickens are awful.
They have hardly any vitality, and they only lay a few eggs.
Every time one died, my brother would buy another chick.
He ran all around town looking for higher quality feed.
And even the friends who were initially helpful,
Wuluo is obsessed with those birds.
moved by my brother's passion...
It's pointless to raise those black chickens.
His misfortune was all brought on by those black birds.
They're birds of misfortune.
Stay away. You'll be cursed.
They were labeled birds of misfortune and feared.
Tiya, I'm sorry for the pain I've caused you for so long.
But this year, my dream will become reality.
My brother held onto his naive dream until the end,
leaving behind his black chickens and debt.
I've tended to the chickens as my brother did,
but not a single shop bought a black chicken at the last competition.
Once the festival ends, the debt collectors will return.
I can't believe he risked his life for these things.
He was an idiot.
Tiya.
Tiya, could I participate in tomorrow's competition?
What? You're planning to use those unlucky birds?
They're not birds of misfortune.
Tomorrow, with my own hands,
I'll make your brother's dream come true.
What are you doing?
You will participate in a certain test in Guangzhou.
This trial may show you the path you should follow.
See how far your strength will take you.
I will, Zhou Yu!
He told us to go without him so he could pick out the best bird.
It's okay, Tiya. He'll come.
But...
Trust him. Mao always keeps his promises.
How can you trust him so much?
Didn't you trust your brother, too?
I'm not sure. That's what I got for trusting him.
But even after your brother died, you kept taking care of those chickens.
I didn't have a choice. I wasn't doing it because I wanted to.
It's because you believed in your brother.
I think your brother never gave up on those chickens, either.
If you stopped believing in them, it would've been like doubting your brother.
The chicken dish competition will now begin.
As in the past, judging will be done carefully and impartially
by chicken dish authority, Governor Tong, as well as the mayor and vice-mayor.
The winning restaurant will be awarded a statue of honor
and cash prize to further study chicken dishes.
Begin!
See? He's not coming.
It's okay. Wait a little longer.
What are those?
The black birds! The birds of misfortune!
Sorry I'm late.
Mao tried too hard to pick the right birds.
I'm covered in scratches.
"Black Feather Tower" is participating?
Isn't Wuluo dead?
That kid is taking Wuluo's place?
What is Tiya thinking?
They're actually going to use those birds.
Will he really be okay?
What if no one eats those chickens?
I don't know, but I can say one thing for certain.
Believe in Mao.
Believe?
Open this during your most critical moments.
That kid is dexterous, but can he actually cook?
All the chefs in this town are incredible!
Kids don't belong in this competition!
What?
This is your final assignment.
Score your own dish.
Very good.
I will now announce the winner of this test.
Time's up! The judging will now begin.
Judging will be done in order.
First up, Phoenix Restaurant.
Peking duck-style sweet miso chicken.
This is high-quality Peking-style chicken.
The sweet miso is delicious, as well.
The flavors are superb. Impressive.
Thank you for your kind words.
Next, Seabird Palace. Pudong chicken.
This restaurant is highly-rated, as well.
How did you achieve such flavor and aroma?!
This soup is not boiled, but steamed in a steamer.
It keeps the temperature stable, allowing for slower cooking.
Next!
Finally, Black Feather Tower.
There it is: the birds of misfortune.
How did his dish turn out?
There's pitch black meat inside that pot.
I don't even want to imagine it.
Does he stand any chance?
How will he make my brother's dream come true
when not a single person in this town understood it?
Open the lid.
What?
Rice?
Son, do you understand?
This is a very serious chicken dish competition.
Why have you submitted a pot full of white rice?
Don't worry. That's definitely a chicken dish.
There's no need to taste this.
Governor Tong, let us make our decision.
Brother—
Wait.
Please. One bite, and you'll understand.
What?
Ever grain of rice is packed full
of one chef's determination and passion for chicken!
He hasn't changed.
I shall taste your white rice.
S-Sir!
I examined the entire pot, but there is only rice inside.
It matters not.
This glow...
This aroma...
I-It's chicken!
That's definitely the flavor of chicken! And it's superb!
Such dignified and magnificent sweetness!
Such richness that strikes like raging billows, before fleetingly pulling away!
All the blood in my body booms as it courses through me!
Th-They finished all of it!
And look at their expressions of ecstasy...
Yes!
Son, I have two questions.
First, your dish looks like rice, but tastes like chicken.
What kind of dish is this?
Take a look at this.
There's rice inside the chicken!
This dish involves stuffing rice inside a chicken
and slowly boiling it with spices and liquor.
I see. But why only rice?
Because I wanted to convey the splendor of this chicken in the best form.
What?
By boiling the meat, I extracted only its flavor.
The rice stuffed inside the chicken completely absorbed its flavor.
I see.
The chicken's richness was exquisitely controlled by the rice,
bringing out the very flavor of the chicken itself.
The greatest mystery is this chicken.
All the blood in my body suddenly began booming.
I am brimming with energy.
Tell me, what chicken is this?
Governor, this chicken...
is the legendary sacred bird,
the Silky Fowl.
Silky Fowl
This?
This is the legendary and mystical bird, the Silky Fowl?!
Its silk-like feathers are weak, preventing it from flying high.
It can't protect itself from predators.
There are only a few of them, and they are rarely encountered,
but they're prized for their flavor and analeptic properties.
Pitch black inside and out,
this is the only animal in the world of its kind.
Raising such perfectly black Silky Fowl
takes the blood, sweat, and tears of their breeder.
I heard the townsfolk reviled these as birds of misfortune,
but these surely are birds of good fortune
who bring infinite happiness to people.
Wuluo gave his life to raise these pure Silky Fowl.
Telling everyone in town about the wonders of these birds was his dream.
And if Tiya hadn't kept caring for these birds,
they would've disappeared from this town a long time ago.
I see. Wuluo raised them, and Tiya took over their care.
It must have been difficult for you, Tiya.
No. I had my brother's strength to support me.
But the last step is always the hardest.
Such is the way of the world.
The eye to identify good ingredients,
the skill to draw out their flavors...
And most importantly,
the tenacious soul of a chef that made Wuluo's dream come true.
Who are you?
That crest...
Only those who have passed the most difficult test earn the right to wear it.
And the previous winner of it was...
Both of you performed impressively on this test.
Therefore, both of you are awarded the title of Super Chef.
The youngest Super Chef in history...
Liu Maoxing!
Super Chef? The highest title a chef can earn on this continent?
That kid—rather, him?
I knew he could do it.
Liar. You were insulting him like crazy.
Of course he's that skilled.
The results are already clear,
but I shall now announce the winner of this competition.
Black Feather Tower!
Brother...
He's clearly just a kid, but his cooking draws people to him.
It must be because he pours his soul into everything he does.
Fei, we tied this time, but next time I'll win!
I've been waiting to hear you say that.
You did it, Mao!
I look forward to our next battle, Mao.
This is great news, Tiya.
The entire town's gonna help you raise your Silky Fowl.
Yeah. I'll work harder at raising them.
And if things go well here,
I'll move out to Guangzhou someday.
I expect you to raise delicious and nutritious Silky Fowl that will energize everyone.
Huh? Isn't that where Shirou fell from the cliff?
Seriously?
I'm sorry I nearly gave up on what you believed in.
It's okay now, though.
I'll make it out to Guangzhou someday!
Thank you, Mao!
I understand your dream now.
The little Super Chef made it come true.
Next Time
"Dim Sum Master"
"Dim Sum Master."