The Fifth Plate

The season is summer! Soma and his friends have been through first semester of the second year and are now facing the final exams. The test is to run a "Beach House" on a beach packed with tourists and achieve sales of 3 million yen in 3 days! Soma and others of the Elite Ten felt confident, only until they found out about the downside of this exam… The restaurant prepared for them was almost nothing but an abandoned house! Will Soma and the others be able to pass the final exam?

A world cooking competition "THE BLUE" was announced to be held. Three slots were available for Totsuki Culinary Institute. With that seat on the line, a "Blue Prequel" will be held that is open to all students in the academy! All were welcome to participate, so many students were positive to apply. Who will be the top 3 winners chosen by the 99 judges? A battle royale between chefs on the theme “Soup Dishes” is about to begin…!

The new lecturer Suzuki challenges Soma on a battle...! Though not a formal battle, Suzuki will be betting on his own “secret” and Soma his “kitchen knife” respectively. The theme was “Items made of ingredients found in the cooking lab’s refrigerator”. While Soma serves a pork cutlet based on his techniques from Yukihira's, Suzuki made an unexpected move... After the match, Soma learns a shocking fact from Suzuki.

The first day of the BLUE has arrived. There are many young talented chefs at the venue, including the Les Cuisiniers Noirs led by Asahi. The culinary competition begins and Soma, Megumi, Takumi and Erina head to the designated venue. The first challenge given to soma is “the Last Supper”!? How will he tackle this task!?

Having completed the first challenge, Soma heads off to the second venue. There, he encounters someone unexpected. The second challenge begins and its theme is to “cook something worth over $100, with items sold in the convenience store”! Soma is confident with the theme, however, every dish he presents are rejected by the judges! What could be the reason!?

When Soma arrives at the gate of the third challenge, the organizer of BLUE who is also the top of WGO, tells them that she has no expectations for the normal chefs like him. The underground chefs are to show their culinary skills in order to prove how powerful they really are. One of the chosen chefs takes out a cookery tool which turns out to be a chaisaw!? Soma and others witness unusual yet undeniable skills of the underground chefs. Are there any ways to counter them!?

Soma is to face off one of the underground chefs, Sarge and the theme of the challenge is Christmas cake. Will Soma’s cake and its hidden gimmick good enough to counter Sarge’s mouthwatering “Cluster Bomb Cake”? Who will be the winner!? Meanwhile, Tsukasa’s first battle begins. He is up against Asahi Saiba! The battle of the ex-1st of the Totsuki Academy and leader of the underground chefs begin!

Takumi versus Don Calma, member the underground chefs begin! The theme of the battle is to create amuse-bouche in team. However, Isami who supposed to help Takumi doesn’t show up at the venue. It turns out that he has been kidnapped by Don Calma’s cronies. With Takumi’s back on the wall, Soma unexpectedly appears!

Soma realizes that Erina is facing much harsher tasks than the others. They head to see the organizer of the event to protest. Instead, however, they discover astonishing truth! In the second round of the final selection, Megumi is to face Asahi and Takumi is up against Erina! Must-win battles begin!

Soma steadily wins his way up and will be facing Asahi in the next battle! Erina’s concern towards her mother makes her think perhaps it would be best for everyone if Asahi won the competition. The secret of the people with the “God’s tongue” is the reason for her doubt. In the meantime, Joichiro returns to Japan and reveals to Dojima how he met Soma’s mother and came to be involved with Asahi.

Soma and Asahi’s battle begin! The theme of the battle is to cook a dish that has elements of the 5 cuisine of the world. The battle situation seems to be in favor of Asahi, who completed his dish first using his cross-knives technique. However, the dish Soma prepared was a “diner food”!? Will his dish match a plate that has been recognized by the “God’s Tongue”?

Like Asashi’s dish, Soma’s dish triggers Mana’s “Gifting” ability within the venue. Who will win and move forward!? Soma and Asahi’s battle finally ends! In the meantime, Azami Nakiri visits Mana. Azami and Mana’s past is revealed for the first time…

The BLUE reaches its climax with Soma and Erina’s final battle. However, Erina is too worked up over her mission to save Mana. Soma decides to cook a dish for Erina instead! What will become of their battle!?