http://www.tokyojupiter.com/anime2/?p... ( )

A collection of stories from the long-running manga Oishinbo. The story centers around the food journalist Yamaoka Shirō, who is working on the Ultimate Menu project, an attempt to devise a meal representing the pinnacle of Japanese cuisine, for the Tōzai News’ centennial. This regularly brings him into conflict with his father, Kaibara Yūzan, who is a gourmet with fanatically high standards; even when his father isn’t involved in the story, there is plenty of conflict moving the story along.

The Japanese series has been running for over 25 years and 102 volumes of tankōban; the American translation just contains the highlights (with occasional details in the footnotes in back letting you know that characters from a previous story have gotten married, etc.). This is not something to read for long-term plot arcs and character development, but it’s an engaging way to learn about Japanese cuisine. ( )