Kikkaro is a restaurant in the southwest region of 19th century China. The restaurant is very popular for its high-quality food. After the death of its owner, the restaurant is run by her two children, Karin and her brother Mao.
Young Mao confronts the chef of the restaurant and challenges him to a cooking match. The judge is General Lee, an influential figure in the world of Chinese cooking. The first cooking match is fried rice, a simple but essential dish in Chinese culture. The chef prepares a gorgeous fried rice with seafood. Mao, on the other hand, cooks a simple fried rice with eggs. General Lee cannot judge who is better. The second match is Mabo Tofu (spicy fried tofu). Mabo Tofu is generally said to have 5 flavors. However, General Lee requests Mabo Tofu with 6 flavors mixed into one. Mao wonders what the 6th flavor is. If he cannot win, he will never come back to the restaurant as a cook. He tries to remember the dish Mother used to cook and realizes what the 6th ingredient is. General Lee is impressed with the boy’s tremendous cooking skills and appoints him head of the restaurant under one condition, telling Mao to go to the mecca of Chinese cooking in southern China to discipline himself as a special cooking master.

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