Ikumi Mito Quotes

“The typical smell from skin-on pork belly is completely erased by the spices used. All that reaches the tongue... are the mild sweetness of the fats and the zesty richness of the curry!"
"It's amazingly delicious!"
"After I parboiled, seasoned and pan seared the pork belly... I braised it in a mixture of oyster sauce, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine and other seasonings.
I gave it its fragrance with star anise, ginger and Sichuan pepper."
Strange. The meat is incredibly heavy and filling...
yet this dish is so easy to eat! Why?
"IT'S THE RICE!
Now I see! She mixed a dash of rock salt and Sichuan-peppercorn oil into the rice!
The refreshing scent and tongue-tingling flavor of the peppercorn oil ameliorates the oiliness of the fats...
... but its spiciness makes you want another bite of the sweet meat... it's a chain reaction!”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 7 [Shokugeki no Souma 7]

“This wrap! It's made of rice!
Now I get it... it's a variation on a Bánh Xèo!"
BÁNH XÈO
Literally meaning "Sizzling Cake," it is a Vietnamese rice-flour pancake.
The batter is made from rice flour, water, coconut milk and other ingredients and is then spread thinly and fried like a crepe.
Once cooked, ingredients like pork, shrimp, and bean sprouts are folded inside.
I see the concept behind this dish now!
It's mixing piping-hot rice with juicy fried chicken!
Fried chicken and rice have always been a golden combination.
Here they've recreated that in a form that's easy to eat on the go and just as delicious.
And they even managed to do it in an innovative and eye-catching way!”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 5 [Shokugeki no Souma 5]

“So this is what a black pepper pork bun really tastes like!"
The bun is flaky, and crispy, like a piecrust!
The juicy pork filling is seasoned with just enough black pepper to give it a good bite! All the minced green onion mixed in with it makes it even better!
The whole thing is overflowing with the mellow and meaty umami goodness of ground pork!
"IT'S SOOO GOOD!"
"Look! There it is! That's Soma Yukihira's booth!"
"Really? Interesting! Wasn't he one of the finalists in this year's Classic?"
"Hmm. This meat filling is way too weak as is. Juiciness, richness, umami... it's way short on all of those.
The bun itself is probably good enough. Maybe I should up the ratio of rib meat..."
"Yo. How're the test recipes going?
There are a whole lot of other exclusively Chinese seasonings you can try, y'know. Oyster sauce, Xo spicy seafood sauce and a whole mountain of spices.
I did a Dongpo Pork Bowl for the Classic, so I know all too well how deep that particular subject gets."
"Oh, right! Now I see it. Chinese "Ma-La" flavor is just another combination of spices!
Everything I learned about spices from my curry dish for the Prelims...
... I should be able to use in this too!
Thanks, Nikumi!"
"H-hey! Don't grab my hand like that!"
How about this?
Fresh-ground black pepper...
... and some mellow, fragrant sesame oil!
When you're making anything Chinese, you can't forget the five-spice powder. I'll also knead in some star anise to enhance the flavor of the pork!
Then add sliced green onions and finish by wrapping the mixture in the dough”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 15 [Shokugeki no Souma 15]

“ It starts with chicken thigh meat cut into big, thick chunks. They're then set to marinate for the morning in a Nikumi- Original Marinade featuring soy sauce and cayenne pepper.
"Breading done."
"Thanks!"
"Man, the smell of this chicken deep-frying is so good, it's making me hungry!"
"Is it done yet? I wanna eat!"
After the chicken breast has been fried not once but twice...
... it, along with lettuce leaves and other leafy herbs...
... is all wrapped up in our special, freshly cooked wrap!
Some of our "Secret Chili Sauce" (which has a dash of Thai Nam Pla in it for flavor)...
... and a sprinkling of fresh cracked black pepper top it all off! ”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 5 [Shokugeki no Souma 5]

“There, done!
A Petite Loco Moco Bowl!
*Loco Moco is traditional Hawaiian fare of hamburger and fried egg over rice.*
"Wow, that looks super yummy!"
"Huh. Loco Moco at a buffet? How interesting!
Ooh, hot!
The egg has been coddled to the perfect tenderness...
... and it melds beautifully with the powerful taste of the hamburger made from ground rib roast!
Add to that the mild, fluffy rice to tie it all together and it fills the mouth with deliciousness...
It's a dish that brings out the strength in you with every bite!
Not only that, typical Loco Moco is covered with beef gravy...
... but you've used a vinaigrette instead!
The tangy lightness of the white-wine vinegar in the vinaigrette wonderfully accentuates the richness of the egg yolk and the juiciness of the meat.”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 5 [Shokugeki no Souma 5]

“Do you know what it is that boosts her cooking the most?"
"Erm... her strength, which lets her handle even bone-in meat as she will?"
"That is an asset, yes.
But her highest skill is exactly the opposite of power...
it's her sensitivity.
The lips are a part of the body that are particularly sensitive to heat.
However, only hers are sensitive enough to tell the exact temperature.
But Ikumi Mito's sensitivity shines brightest when she handles the meat with her hands.
Watch her fingertips.
Do you see the delicate grace with which she touches it?
She is like a pianist, tickling the ivories in an elegant solo.
It is a sonata of meat.”
― Yuto Tsukuda, Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, Vol. 2

“Gawd, I hope Yukihira is okay. This makes, what, three days in a row he's slept in that kitchen now?
Yo, Yukihira. We're coming in. How about you think about taking a break and-"
Fell asleep face-first in the sink when he tried to wash up.
"Yukihira!"
"Oh my gosh, take him to the infirmary! Call an ambulance!"
"Mmph? Nikumi? Tadokoro?"
"Thank goodness you're awake!"
"Idiot! All of this is meaningless if you push yourself to exhaustion before the match even begins!"
"Nikumi?"
"I'll wash these dishes up for you, so go take a nap or something, got it? Sleep deprivation is the root of a lot of injuries, y'know."
"Let me help too!"
"Sure, thanks."
"Thanks, girls.
I really appreciate it.”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 11 [Shokugeki no Souma 11]

“Aah, what a lovely sight.
Beautiful young ladies bustling about in the kitchen with grace and harmony.
This is one of the great pleasures of dorm life, Ibusaki.”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 13 [Shokugeki no Souma 13]

“It's decided!
Technique. Knowledge. Creativity. And most of all...
...the strength of will to stand by one's own cooking in the face of all comers!
In all of those things, these two dishes stand a cut above!
THE HOMECOOKING RESEARCH SOCIETY WINS! THEY SURVIVE!
THE DONBURI BOWL SOCIETY WINS! THEY SURVIVE!”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 20 [Shokugeki no Souma 20]

“As the Divine Tongue, I came here not only to perform my duties as a taster... but also to meet with various authority figures and key members of the culinary industry. Someday, I will shoulder both the Nakiri family as well as Japan's culinary world. It was imperative that I be shown off so as to impress upon the right people that I was a person to be respected and followed.
It was simply a business transaction, one meant to further Nakiri interests. Whenever I left the Nakiri mansion, it was always for some official business like that.
Looking back on it now... I think that the young me was so used to being led around that she never tried to look at things for herself."
"That can't be right. Um... as the daughter of the Mito Group... I got to officially meet with you a time or two when we were both kids. Even back then, I thought you were amazing, Miss Erina. A-as another kid from a big business family... I know what you're going through."
"Mito?"
"Um! N-not to imply that my family is anywhere near as important as the Nakiris! And I'd never do anything so rude and disrespectful as imply that the two of us are in any way equal!
It's just... I know what it's like to be bound by family duty."
I will not have the Mito family heir showing any signs of meek girliness! Listen, Ikumi. You must be strong! Think of nothing else!
"But in my case, the pressure from my family got to be too much. It overwhelmed me, and, well... I kinda went off the rails until recently.
You had to be under way more pressure than I ever was, Miss Erina.
But you always appeared graceful and acted with dignity.”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 21 [Shokugeki no Souma 21]

“This! That powerful intensely rich flavor is the true greatness of A5 beef!"
"And this cut was roasted taking into consideration the angle of the heat!
Heating a cut of meat perpendicularly to its grain ensures the meat will heat evenly and that the greatest amount of juice will be produced.
First class chefs always read the meat's grain when they cook it!"
"Don't forget the rice hiding under the beef petals!
Steamed in butter and beef's own grease, this garlic rice is exquisite!”
― Yūto Tsukuda, Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, Vol. 2