Previously on Iron Wok Jan!
You're getting your cooking judged by Otani Nichido!
You're gonna need to try a hell of a lot harder!
He's the worst food critic in the biz.
I forgot myself...
Me?! Because of a dish made by this little punk?!
THIS IS FICTION WITH NO INTENTIONAL RESEMBLANCE TO ANY PERSONS, ORGANIZATIONS, OR OCCURRENCES.
OUT OF RESPECT FOR THE SOURCE MATERIAL, THERE MAY BE SCENES CONSIDERED OFFENSIVE TO MODERN SENSIBILITIES.
Ugly.
Idiot.
Gorilla.
Monkey.
Fatass.
Perma-scowl.
Cow.
Shrimp.
Dyed-hair delinquent!
Stupid, dumb, idiot crybaby!
Huh?! I never cried, ugly!
Jan and Kiriko are at it again today.
And they're not the only ones...
Okonogi Takao is up to his usual antics as well.
Sorry about the delay! Lunch is ready!
Hell yeah! I was getting tired of waiting.
Will it be decent this time?
You cook it properly for once?
Yes, sir!
Here you are.
What do you think?
I made sure the soup from the veggies was nice and evenly spread.
It's the best part!
What were you thinking, Okonogi?!
Do you pay attention to what we do in the kitchen or not?!
Unbelievable...
Come on! Let's go grab some real food.
You're useless!
I don't know why I got my hopes up.
Wh-Why, though?!
Okonogi.
When stir-frying vegetables, you don't want their fluids escaping.
You cook them thoroughly, but not to the point that they juice.
That's where all the flavor is in stir-fried veggies.
The stuff you made has got dry meat, rubbery vegetables...
You said the soup was the best part,
but that's because it's absorbed all the umami of the veggies.
In other words, it's a failure.
You literally made soup instead of stir-fry,
like you were aiming for.
But nobody's ever told me how to make it...
Of course not, stupid! You figure it out by watching!
That's how everybody learns!
But y'know...
I have my doubts that watching those guys cook
would get you anywhere in the first place.
Damn it, Akiyama, say that again!
Oh, you heard me? I'm right though, aren't I?
You little...
I see.
Looks like we've got us a mountain monkey that could use some house training.
You're Kaiichiro's grandson, Akiyama Jan, I take it?
I'm Gobancho Mutsuju. Kaiichiro told you about me, I'm sure.
O-Owner...
Good morning, sir!
S-So you're Mutsuju...
Now then, people,
it sounds like you're teaching Okonogi the old-fashioned way.
Well, that's how we all learned...
Fool! Times change.
If we treat all the trainees like that,
we'll burn through them faster than we can hire new ones.
And since I haven't dropped by in a while...
Why don't I make your lunch?
O-Owner, are you serious?!
Make sure you pay attention, Okonogi.
Y-Yes, sir!
Go and get Yaichi.
What's the matter? My grandpa got you spooked?
You look pale.
I could feel a fire just like my grandpa's behind that cane...
We're gonna make twice-cooked pork. Yaichi?
Sir.
A-And the head chef is gonna help?!
Damn! I've never seen them team up like this!
Jan, he's the one! You must defeat him!
He is none other than Gobancho Mutsuju!
The man who stands at the forefront of Chinese cuisine!
And now...
Right.
H-How are they so damn fast?!
I can't even tell what they did!
Listen well, Okonogi.
The most important thing in Chinese cooking is having fast hands.
Do you understand?
Whether you're cutting vegetables or cooking ingredients.
Y-Yes, sir! I understand!
First, we flash our peppers and cabbage in oil.
This ensures that even when we stir-fry them, they won't lose color or dry out.
Twice-cooked pork is made with a stack of simmered and sliced pork belly.
Pour garlic sauce on it, and you've got yourself a dish called yun bairou.
But we're using sliced garlic.
Add doubanjiang for spice.
Finely-cut douchi for richness.
Throw in tian mian jiang, Chinese sweet miso.
Pay close attention, boys.
This is Gobancho Mutsuju's special technique, the Heat Zone!
The Heat Zone?!
The Heat Zone is essentially a dome of heat.
He creates a vortex with the movement of the wok and the food.
It keeps heat from escaping upward like normal,
ensuring that the ingredients are all thoroughly cooked.
And despite all the vegetables he's prepared,
this is done in a relatively short time, keeping them from drying out.
In other words, it ensures the aroma of the vegetables and meat
are fully trapped inside the dish!
This is how he became known as the premier Chinese chef!
It's amazing!
Truly, it's delicious!
I see now.
Not too shabby, old-timer.
You're still capable of impressing, despite your age.
I can see why they say you're the top Chinese chef.
You're gonna be worth taking down!
Whoa, hey now...
Just you wait!
Gimme a few years... Hell, make it a few months.
And I'll surpass you!
Are you still yapping about that?!
Before you do...
You're going to have to get through me.
Isn't that right?
You're on.
GYOZA CHINESE FOOD
10,000 YEN
After the way you ran your mouth...
if you turn out garbage, it'll cost you more than just the money.
You'd better be ready for a broken arm!
Tell me about it!
He's got some real nerve, challenging us to a cook-off.
We've been showcased in all kinds of magazines. Our rep is sky-high.
Is that right?
It's done.
Go on. Give it a try.
I've been in the restaurant game for twenty years!
Some brat's cooking would never...
Wh-What is this?!
Th-This is...
Well? I win, don't I?
I'll be taking all of this, then.
See ya around.
Get back here, you bastard!
We're not just gonna let you waltz out of here!
Owner! Would you say something already?!
This sauce...
Is this sauce what I think it is? It's XO jiang, isn't it?
Which means you must be... XO Jiang Ryu!
Who knows?
He got us...
I think I'm tired of this town.
Time to relocate and start the hustle again.
That you, Bito Ryuji?
I see you still like to make your money the hard way.
I saw the whole thing. Like some kinda cooking yakuza, ain't ya?
Otani-san! It's good to see you again.
Sure has been a while, Bito-kun.
Gambling on cook-offs... You play as rough as ever.
What are you saying? You're the one who showed me the ropes.
No denyin' that.
To tell you the truth, Bito-kun...
There's something I was hoping to ask you.
Does this ask come with a payday?
Glad to see you're quick on the uptake.
I gotta say, the quality at Gobancho's has really fallen off.
GOBANCHO'S CHINESE RESTAURANT
The food is fine, but the employees are a different story.
Now, I'm not pointing fingers. Not pointing fingers, but...
What the hell does he want?
This brings me to my proposal!
I'd like you to hire my friend Bito Ryuji here.
I can vouch for his skills.
On the stipulation that Akiyama over there gets fired.
It's nice to meet you all. I'm Bito.
I've always admired this restaurant.
The old bastard's lost his damned mind.
He's really got it out for you, Jan.
He's after me, is he?
Look, Otani-san...
I know you! You're the head chef around here, right?
What say you? How about a cook-off to decide who stays?
Great idea, right?
I'm good to go.
I happen to be fairly confident in my skills.
Is that right? Sounds interesting.
This is workin' out just as planned!
You idiot. You think you can just humiliate me the way you did?
I'm a spiteful man!
It ain't gonna be easy to get me off your back.
I'm gonna make you beg for the chance to quit.
Mark my words.
And you're Akiyama Jan?
Yeah, that's me.
Otani-san, no matter what you say, I have no intention of firing Akiyama.
Did you realize that before proposing this contest?
Now then...
I'll be cooking with my XO jiang here.
XO jiang?
This dude actually uses XO jiang?!
S-Say, what exactly is XO jiang?
The simplest explanation is to call it magic sauce.
Magic sauce?
XO jiang!
The product of 4,000 years of Chinese cuisine
and the greatest Chinese culinary invention of the 20th century.
As one of the finest forms of seasoning
made of the finest quality ingredients,
it is comparable to the finest grade of brandy, extra old,
from which it derives its "XO" appellation!
It's said to have been developed at Spring Moon,
a restaurant at the Peninsula in Hong Kong,
but theories differ on this.
The Peninsula has never claimed to have originated it, either.
It is highly regarded among local gourmands as a legendary seasoning,
and rumors of it spread to tourists in the '90s,
further intensifying its popularity!
Nowadays, it is a seasoning that even average households can enjoy,
but at the time, it was still rare and new!
It's made from dried scallops and shrimp,
plus shrimp roe, red peppers, shallots, and much more.
Boil it all in oil, and you get XO Jiang.
There are some places that use Chinese ham and oyster sauce, too.
I-I had no idea...
H-He's fast!
He's as quick as Akiyama!
I should hope so.
Faster equals better-tasting! That's the law of Chinese cuisine.
XO JIANG CHAO SHUANG XIAN: DOUBLE SEAFOOD IN XO JIANG SAUCE
I made some chao shuang xian in XO jiang with Ise lobster and Japanese scallops.
Go ahead, everyone. Enjoy.
Hey, this is great.
Tasty!
It's pretty impressive.
The XO jiang really stands out.
It's not just some off-the-shelf sauce.
It's got dried squid, dried oysters, and dried abalone.
Man, that's really something.
Just what I'd expect from the head chef, getting all that from a single bite.
I'll be sure to share the recipe with you later.
I'm an open book, after all.
Yeah, this is no good at all. Not gonna cut it.
Half-baked, even.
You don't get a damn thing about XO jiang, pal.
You think you're gonna replace me with this junk?
Who's been filling your head with bullshit?
I guess it's up to me to show you what real food looks like,
not this cheap crap.
You'll wanna pay close attention, baldy.
Uh, Jan?
Here. I found this in the fridge.
XO JIANG
If he's using XO jiang,
maybe you could use Gobancho's version!
I get it! Turn this into an XO jiang contest.
Pretty clever, coming from Okonogi.
Don't need it. I won't be using Gobancho's XO jiang.
B-But...
Wh-What is that?
Any real chef oughta have their own blend of XO jiang!
XO FOR MEAT
And that applies to me too. I don't need the restaurant's.
A version just for meat?
How many types of XO jiang does he have?
I'm gonna be making zhu ye bao niu liji,
ZHU YE BAO NIU LIJI: STEAK BAKED IN BAMBOO LEAVES
steak baked in bamboo leaves.
First, I put the steak in the ground onions.
The head chef's surprised!
Is steak an unusual pairing with XO jiang?
No, it's his use of the onions that surprises me.
The onions?
The sugar in onions helps the meat retain moisture.
In other words, that beef should be shockingly juicy when eaten.
I had no idea onions could do that.
"The enzymes from onions tenderize meat."
This theory is often repeated, but there appears to be room for debate.
It's true that onions contain protease, an enzyme for breaking down proteins,
but research suggests that most methods of cooking
are not enough to induce that reaction.
Nowadays, the notion that onions make meat more tender
is believed to be the result of their sugar content, not their enzymes!
I get the feeling the kid's gonna make Chaliapin steak.
Cha...
Chaliapin?
You nailed it.
I'm preparing a Chinese-style Chaliapin steak.
Chaliapin steak!
A steak of legendary tenderness, topped with finely minced stir-fried onions!
When the Russian opera singer
Feodor Ivanovich Chaliapin arrived in Japan in 1936,
this was specially served to him at the Imperial Hotel where he was staying.
Since he was suffering from a toothache at the time,
Chaliapin is said to have been ecstatic with this ultra-tender steak!
You start by flash frying the steak with salt and pepper
to get a sear on the surface.
XO JIANG FOR MEAT
Then comes my XO jiang!
Then you just wrap it in these bamboo leaves
and let it cook through in the oven.
I see. Interesting idea.
You made this XO jiang specially for beef, then?
You can tell?
All right, it's ready.
Give it a taste.
Okay...
Hey, that smells fantastic!
Wow, you're not kidding!
I bet it's delicious!
Th-That's right...
He uses aroma to lure you in with his cooking.
Damn, that's tender!
I can bite it apart with my lips!
I-I can't believe it...
How is it this good and this tender?
So this is Chinese-style Chaliapin steak, huh?
The bamboo leaf is a great idea with the aroma of the onion.
I get it!
You lose, baldy.
N-Now hold on here! That ain't your call to make!
No. The outcome is clear.
Bito-kun's cooking was certainly delicious.
But by comparison, it's lacking in basically every way.
We have your dish, which relied on how good XO jiang is...
versus Akiyama's, which expertly utilized it.
You get it now? All you did was toss the XO jiang in there.
As a seasoning goes, it's too good.
If you're not careful, you can overwhelm the taste of the other ingredients.
And you need another ten years of seasoning yourself
before you think about using this diabolical sauce!
Otani...
You really aren't worth a damn.
A piece of crap critic who wouldn't know taste if it slapped him in the face!
You little twerp! Ingrate!
How dare you embarrass me like that?!
XO Jiang Ryu, my ass!
I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!
But I did what you told me to, Otani-san!
I told you to whip that brat's ass!
Didn't say a word about losing, did I, you dumbass?!
That brat! That stupid freakin' brat!
Damn you, Akiyama!
I'm gonna use every last connection I have
if that's what it takes to bring you down!
Just you wait!
YOU CONG SU
Yup, that's gotta be it.
YOU CONG SU: RED OIL SHALLOTS
You cong su.
Made by chopping up a type of onion called hong congtou
and then frying it in oil until crisp.
It's got a great fragrance, goes amazing with fried rice and ramen...
and when used in meat dishes, doubles the umami.
I see. That's how he managed to create a Chaliapin-style steak.
He's unbelievable. The depth of his cooking knowledge is insane.
I'm impressed she actually noticed.
I can't let that crybaby monkey outdo me.
Try and keep up, if you can, gorilla girl.
EPISODE 4: HE WHO MASTERS POISON