Food Wars: Shokugeki no Soma is a new anime that has just started airing this spring. In the show, as the title states, there are multiple occasions when food takes the spotlight. The show’s main character, Soma, is one hell of a chef according to the reactions of the people that eat his food. There have been instances where his food was related to having clothes exploded off, and other times where it was as if the tasters were experiencing the birth of a new spring. Our goal here at The Ani-TAY Kitchen is to recreate, to the best of our abilities, the dishes made in Food Wars and see if we have similar reactions.


The First dish that we will be tackling is the main dish seen in episode one, the Fake Pork Roast. This is a dish supposedly simulates the gratification of eating a pork roast without using pork loin. The dish is comprised of lightly mashed potatoes, mixed with onions and mushrooms, all wrapped in thick-cut bacon, then all covered in a red wine/soy sauce/sake sauce. What apparently makes the dish so good, according to Soma, is the fact that the bacon juices are soaked up by the potatoes during baking. This gives the illusion that you’re eating pork when you’re only eating mere potatoes.


To start out, I’d like to say that only the dish’s ingredients were stated in the anime. This means that we are essentially guessing the portions and measurements, hoping for the best. In any case, we’ll list the portions and measurements that we used in our dish and provide suggestions so you can make your own.


Note: One of the chefs at The Ani-TAY Kitchen is allergic to mushrooms, so we’ll be substituting it for cauliflower. There should be no difference since the mushrooms are there to soak up and take on the flavour of the bacon, a trait that cauliflower can also accomplish.

Here we go. I hope you have fun!

Check out my review of Food Wars below. Ani-TAY is a great place for anime lovers. There’s no ads, just anime.


What You Will Need:

-1.5 to 2 hours of time.

-Large serving plate/pan.

-Large bowl.

-Cutting board & knives.

-Large knife.

-Large pot with a steaming tray.

-Potato peeler.

-Frying pan.

-Wooden spoon.

-Baking tray.

-Measuring instruments.

-Unbleached/uncoloured twine. We used hemp twine, but anything suitable for baking should be good.


-6 white potatoes.

-3 Eringi mushrooms. or substitute with 1/4 of a head of cauliflower.

-1 large white onion, or 2 medium white onions.

-1 sprig of rosemary.

-Butter. I suggest 2 tablespoons (30ml), but you could always used a bit more.

-2 packs of thick-cut bacon.

-1 Cup, or 250ml of red wine. We used a Pinot Noir since its preferable for cooking.

-1/4 cup, or 60ml of sake. Any sake that is labeled as “sweet” should do.

-2 tbs, or 30ml of soy sauce.

-1 spring of parsley or any garnish.

Optional Step 1: Prepare Your headband

-This is a critical step. If you do not have a headband, then you will never truly harness the abilities needed to succeed.



Optional Step 2: Put On the Headband

-Only those who believe they are capable may do so.


Step 1: Peel the Potatoes

-Amount: 6 white potatoes.




Step 2: Slice the Potatoes

-Wash the potatoes then cut them into quarters or halves, depending on size.



Step 3: Chop the Mushrooms/Cauliflower

-Amount: 1/4 of a head of cauliflower, or 3 Eringi mushrooms.


Step 4: Chop the Onions

-Amount: 1 large white onion, or 2 medium white onions.


Step 5: Steam the Potatoes and Cauliflower

-Steam potatoes until soft (about 15-20 minutes).

-Steam or microwave the chopped cauliflower until soft (10 minutes for steam, 5 minutes for microwave).

-If you’re using mushrooms, DO NOT steam or microwave.



Step 6: Pan Fry the Onions and Mushrooms/Cauliflower

-Prep the pan with a tablespoon of butter.

-Pan fry onions and mushrooms/cauliflower until caramelized or fully golden.


Optional Step 3: Get in the Zone

-The highest level of performance can only happen when in the zone.



Step 7: Mash the Potatoes

-Mash into small chunks in a large bowl. Do not mash too much, you want to avoid it being frothy in order to form it to shape.


Step 8: Mix in the Onions and Cauliflower

-Mix until the ingredients are even in the bowl.



Step 9: Pick the Rosemary

-Pick the rosemary off its stem.

-Set aside.


Step 10: Add the Salt

-Add a few sprinkles of salt to the top of the bowl.


Step 11: Form the Fake Roast

-Let the mix cool until touchable (more than 5 minutes). CAUTION HOT

-Take all of the mix and form it into a log shape.




Step 12: Wrap the Roast in Bacon

-Amount: 2 packs of thick cut bacon.

-Wrap the roast fully, try not to leave any gaps, otherwise the potatoes will seep out when the bacon tightens.

-There is no surefire way of doing this, just coat it to the best of your ability.


Step 13: Tie the Roast

-Tie the roast with the twine. It doesn’t need to be anything fancy, just wrap it around a few times.

-Intertwine the rosemary afterwards.



Step 14: Bake in the Oven

-Bake at 375ºF or 190ºC for 30-45 minutes or until bacon is golden (cook longer for crispy bacon), turing halfway.


Step 15: Boil the Wine In the Frying Pan

-Amount: 1 Cup, or 250ml.

-Bring the wine to a boil (~10 minutes) on medium-high heat in a frying pan. The aim is to reduce it.



Step 16: Add the Butter, Sake, and Soy Sauce to the Wine

-Amount: 1 tbs of butter, 1/4 cup of sake, 2 tbs of soy sauce.

-Melt the butter into the boiling wine.

-Pour the soy sauce and sake into the sauce.

-Continue to cook for 2-3 minutes.


Step 17: Remove the Twine and the Rosemary

-When the baking is done, remove the twine and rosemary, they are not to be eaten.


Step 18: Pour the Sauce on the Roast

-Pour the finished sauce onto the roast (make sure the roast is on a plate so as to hold the extra sauce). Pour slowly.


Step 19: Add the Garnish

-Add a garnish to the top of the dish, we used parsley, the anime used watercress.


Step 20: Serve


There we have it, the finished dish. The only thing left to do is compare the taste to the depicted taste in the anime. As seen below, once the characters take a bite of the dish, they imagine their clothes exploding off. As this is just in their minds, this feat may actually be accomplishable in real life. Let’s see what everyone though.


Characters’ Apparent Satisfaction: Exploding Clothes/Exploding Clothes

Our satisfaction (from 1 to exploding clothes):

Stanlick: 5/Exploding Clothes

It was true that the mashed potatoes did in fact take on a pork flavour. You would imagine it tasting like mashed potatoes and bacon, but this was not the case. The dish, however, didn’t live up to the demeanour of a standalone main; surely having side would improve it, preferably green. I feel like the sauce was a very nice complement to the dish and instead of pouring overtop, try slitting the top of the fully cooked roast and pouring it into the roast directly.


Guy With Headband: 7/Exploding Clothes, if improved 9

It was good. The flavours did go into the mashed potatoes, but making the log thinner would probably make it better. Maybe add a bit more onion would make it better too. Try rotating the roast as it’s cooking to make sure all the bacon is well cooked everywhere. Add less soy sauce too.

Assistant 1: 8/Exploding Clothes

The meal was rich with flavour, because the bacon really spread its flavours to the other ingredients. It was pretty good for a bunch of university students without any guide to follow. A side would be a good addition, something green like Brussel sprouts or asparagus. My only complaint is that the mashed potatoes seemed a little dry, but were certainly tasty thanks to the bacon juices.


Assistant 2: 8/Exploding Clothes

It was right, but I think the bacon could have been crispier. It tasted like a waterslide with bowling balls going down it. The sauce was a good blend, it felt very proportionate, however it could have been thicker. Maybe add some syrup to the sauce to thicken it up. The rosemary was a good addition, it spread well into the bacon as the bacon spread well into the roast.

Overall Rating: 7/Exploding Clothes

We all seem to agree that the dish did what it was made to do, but there were definitely ways to improve it. Unfortunately(?) no clothes exploded due to the eating of this meal. Try it out for yourself and see if your clothes fall off.


Until next time, this was The Ani-TAY Kitchen. I hope we pleased your palate.

In our next instalment, we tackle the Transforming Rice from episode two. You can find the article here:


Condensed Recipe:



Step 1: Peel the Potatoes

-Amount: 6 white potatoes.

Step 2: Slice the Potatoes

-Wash the potatoes then cut them into quarters or halves, depending on size.


Step 3: Chop the Mushrooms/Cauliflower

-Amount: 1/4 of a head of cauliflower, or 3 Eringi mushrooms.

Step 4: Chop the Onions

-Amount: 1 large white onion, or 2 medium white onions.

Step 5: Steam the Potatoes and Cauliflower

-Steam potatoes until soft (about 15-20 minutes).

-Steam or microwave the chopped cauliflower until soft (10 minutes for steam, 5 minutes for microwave).

-If you’re using mushrooms, DO NOT steam or microwave.


Step 6: Pan Fry the Onions and Mushrooms/Cauliflower

-Prep the pan with a tablespoon of butter.

-Pan fry onions and mushrooms/cauliflower until caramelized or fully golden.

Step 7: Mash the Potatoes

-Mash into small chunks in a large bowl. Do not mash too much, you want to avoid it being frothy in order to form it to shape.


Step 8: Mix in the Onions and Cauliflower

-Mix until the ingredients are even in the bowl.

Step 9: Pick the Rosemary

-Pick the rosemary off its stem.

-Set aside.

Step 10: Add the Salt

-Add a few sprinkles of salt to the top of the bowl.

Step 11: Form the Fake Roast

-Let the mix cool until touchable (more than 5 minutes). CAUTION HOT

-Take all of the mix and form it into a log shape.


Step 12: Wrap the Roast in Bacon

-Amount: 2 packs of thick cut bacon.

-Wrap the roast fully, try not to leave any gaps, otherwise the potatoes will seep out when the bacon tightens.

-There is no surefire way of doing this, just coat it to the best of your ability.

Step 13: Tie the Roast

-Tie the roast with the twine. It doesn’t need to be anything fancy, just wrap it around a few times.

-Intertwine the rosemary afterwards.


Step 14: Bake in the Oven

-Bake at 375ºF or 190ºC for 30-45 minutes or until bacon is golden (cook longer for crispy bacon), turing halfway.

Step 15: Boil the Wine In the Frying Pan

-Amount: 1 Cup, or 250ml.

-Bring the wine to a boil (~10 minutes) on medium-high heat in a frying pan. The aim is to reduce it.


Step 16: Add the Butter, Sake, and Soy Sauce to the Wine

-Amount: 1 tbs of butter, 1/4 cup of sake, 2 tbs of soy sauce.

-Melt the butter into the boiling wine.

-Pour the soy sauce and sake into the sauce.

-Continue to cook for 2-3 minutes.

Step 17: Remove the Twine and the Rosemary

-When the baking is done, remove the twine and rosemary, they are not to be eaten.


Step 18: Pour the Sauce on the Roast

-Pour the finished sauce onto the roast (make sure the roast is on a plate so as to hold the extra sauce). Pour slowly.

Step 19: Add the Garnish

-Add a garnish to the top of the dish, we used parsley, the anime used watercress.


Step 20: Serve

Thanks for reading the first instalment brought to you by The Ani-TAY Kitchen. Stay tuned for more in the future!


Thanks to the assistance of my assistants.

You’re reading Ani-TAY, the anime-focused portion of Kotaku’s community-run blog, Talk Amongst Yourselves. Ani-TAY is a non-professional blog whose writers love everything anime related. Click here to check us out.


You can contact me (Stanlick) by emailing me at stanlick_anitay@outlook.com.


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