Mister Ajikko 30

Page 74

Mum: The flower buds are getting bigger...
Mum: It's going to be cherry blossom season soon, isn't it?

Youichi: Speaking about that...
Youichi: The Sakura Festival is going to be held at Gyouki Park, right?

Youichi: Running a stall in the middle of the warm spring breeze
Youichi: Sounds like food stalls are popular again!


Page 75

Mum: You know, in the past, we used to run a food stall
Mum: ...Until your father passed away...

Youichi: Hmm...

Youichi: Then, let's open up a food stall, Mum!
Youichi: because everyone goes to the Sakura Festival, it should be possible for us to open a stall!

Mum: Hmm...you're right...
Mum: We have to ask the neighbourhood association whether there's a space for us or not...

Mum: If there's space / shall we go for it?!
Youichi: Yup!!

Mum: Lucky! It looks like there's only one spot left!
Mum: We have to get to the association as soon as possible!
Youichi: Waa!

Youichi: Hehehe...we can make oden, ikayaki, takoyaki, yakisoba, okonomiyaki...

TN Note: Use Wikipedia to know more about all those delicious Japanese street food!

Youichi: I wonder what kind of stall we're gonna open...?!


Page 76

Sign on building: Town Public Hall
Sign in front of building: 15th Sakura Festival / Executive Committee

Mum: Ehh! There's aren't anymore spaces?!
Youichi: Then, why did you say on the telephone that there was?!

Committee Member: I'm very sorry!
Committee Member: It was a slip-up...

Mum: Hmm, it's true...
Mum: All the spots have been taken up.

Mum: Ehh? Over here...
Mum: This shop is taking up two spaces!

{The box where Mum is pointing} - Top text: Okonomiyaki; Bottom bigger text: Okata

Youichi: Please
Youichi: can you open up that space for us?

Committee Member: Sorry, You-chan...
Committee Member: but I can't do that!

Committee Member: Every year, the okonomiyaki from Okata is extremely popular
Committee Member: To reduce incidents of pushing and shoving, they get priority for two spaces

Youichi: That's not fair!
Youichi: We're part of the neighbourhood association as well! We have the right to have our stall!

Committee Member: That's true, but the extreme crowd is still a problem, right?
Committee Member: If you can, why not try speaking directly to the stall owner?


Page 77

Signboard: Okonomiyaki Okataya
Text below: Traditional Taste Making Okonomiyaki for 50 Years

Okataya Owner: Don't ya be sayin stupid things!
Okataya Owner: Ain't no way we're gonna be doing that!

Okataya Owner: Every year, we get loads of people patronizin' our stall, even two stalls are barely enough!
Okataya Owner: Our okonomiyaki is what makes people come to the Sakura Festival!

Mum: Please don't say that! Please help us out!
Okataya Owner: Nope, no can do! Go home!

Okataya Owner: Also, yer just a special-of-the-day eatery! What kind of stall are you plannin' to put up?!
Okataya Owner: Are ye just gonna put out some pork liver and chives stir-fry or a mackerel pike set dish?!
Okataya Owner: For a flower-viewing festival, those dishes are only good fer hobos!!

Youichi: ARGH!! I've had it!!
Okataya Owner: What's wrong wit ch'u? Getting all up like that?!


Page 78

Youichi: What's up with your "traditional" taste?! Making Okonomiyaki for 50 years?!
Youichi: Hinode Eatery's okonomiyaki is much better than yours!

Okataya Owner: Ho...!

Okataya Owner: Yer an arrogant boy, aren't ye!!
Okataya Owner: Well then, let's see you try!

Okataya Owner: Time limit is the day before the festival! Judges will be the festival committee members!
Okataya Owner: If yer okonomiyaki can't beat mine, then say goodbye to yer stall!

Youichi: All right! I accept your challenge!
Mum: You...Youichi!!

Youichi: Hehehe...He fell into my trap!
Youichi: With this, our chances of gettng a stall just went up!

Okataya Owner: Fufufu, However...
Okataya Owner: you should feel honored to be fighting someone like me.

Okataya Owner: An amateur like you is gonna need more than just pride to beat me!
Okataya Owner: Let me show you how I make okonomiyaki!!

Okataya Owner: It may look easy to you, but believe me, it's harder than you think!
Okataya Owner: There are three things to look out fer when making okonomiyaki!
Okataya Owner: They are base, toppings and sauce!

Okataya Owner: First is the base!!
Okataya Owner: Look at the batter closely, boy!


Page 79

Youichi: Wow, it became so thin...!
Youichi: I can see the iron griddle under it!

Okataya Owner: The batter with super thinness!
Okataya Owner: This is the secret to our crunchy, non-powdery base!

Okataya Owner: But, to fry a batter like this...
Okataya Owner: Yer gonna need training to do it! ...Around 5 years worth!


Page 80

Okataya Owner: As I thought, you...
Okataya Owner: don't have much training, do you, boy?!

Okataya Owner: Next thing is...
Okataya Owner: the topping!

SFX: Thud

Youichi: Cabbage?!
Mum: What are you going to do with that much cabbage?

SFX: flutter

Okataya Owner: This much cabbage only stays on top of the base...
Okataya Owner: do you know why, boy?!


Page 81

Okataya Owner: Add some tenkasu...

TN Note: Tenkasu is the crunchy bits of deep fried flour-batter

Okataya Owner: Then top it with pork bacon!!

Youichi: There isn't anything special with that large amount of cabbage...
Youichi: where the heck is the secret?


Okataya Owner: Yer good to be able to follow me till now!
Okataya Owner: But from here on, things are gonna change!!

Youichi: That is...yakisoba?
Youichi: I thought he was making okonomiyaki? What's he going to use yakisoba for?


Page 82

SFX: sizzle

Youichi: Placing the okonomiyaki on top of the yakisoba...?!

Okataya Owner: This is Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki!!
Okataya Owner: This is Okataya okonomiyaki's most important element!!


Page 83

Youichi: Hiroshima-style, huh?

Okataya Owner: Ok!!
Okataya Owner: It's done!!

Yoiuichi: What a thick okonomiyaki!
Mum: In the beginning, it was so thin....!

SFX: cut

SFX: chew

Youichi: Delicious!!


Page 84

Youichi: The batter that's been fried super-thinly...
Youichi: So light, crispy and that fragrant smell!!

Youichi: But, look at how much cabbage there is!!

Youichi: The cabbage totally filled the base...
Youichi: and completely inflated it!

SFX: chew chew

Youichi: The yakisoba topping...
Youichi: perfectly fits the bacon and the crispy base!

Youichi: There's a lot of sauce as well
Youichi: it mixes well with the other ingredients...to thnk that yakisoba would go well with okonomiyaki...

Youichi: And then the finishing touches
Youichi: the last element: the sauce!

Youichi: A rich, thick, slightly sweet sauce...
Youichi: The pairing of this sauce and okonomiyaki is superb!


Page 85

Youichi: Base, Topping and sauce...
Youichi: This is truly a perfectly crafted amazing okonomiyaki!

Okataya Owner: Fufufu, how's that?
Okataya Owner: If you wanna give up, now's yer chance!

Youichi: I want to challenge you even more!
Youichi: Watch out! I'll definitely come out with an okonomiyaki that's gonna knock your socks off!

Youichi: OK!!!!
Youichi: Strategy meeting start!!

Okataya Owner: ...

Okataya Owner: What's up with that brat...
Okataya Owner: Energetic and stubborn...

Okataya Owner: However, no matter what you do, you won't ever beat the taste of mine
Okataya Owner: It goes without saying that many have tried to make this okonomiyaki.


Page 86

Okataya Owner: Base, topping and sauce; all these elements have variations...
Okataya Owner: But the most important one is definitely the batter which makes the base.

Okataya Owner: There's a lot of stuff added to the batter mix...
Okataya Owner: It's not just regular flour that gives the taste.

Okataya Owner: To guarantee...
Okataya Owner: the taste of the base, the deciding factor is this!

Okataya Owner: With this added, the taste of the batter is complete...!
Okataya Owner: It's fluffy and light, the ultimate batter!

Okataya Owner: Boy, do you understand!!
Okataya Owner: Let's see wha'chu got!

Page 87

Youichi: Let's start with the first element of okonomiyaki...
Youichi: the frying of the base!

Youichi: First, make a soup using dried shiitake mushrooms, bonito and seaweed...
Youichi: Turn it into a stock, then mix it with flour to give the base some body!

Youichi: How is it?

Mum: Hmm.....
Mum: It's very floury...

Youichi: Floury...!


Page 88

Youichi: Floury, huh?

Youichi: I see!
Youichi: The batter used by Okataya is light and yet still has body...

YOuichi: This batter is incomplete!
Youichi: What part of this batter is different?!

Youichi: A fluffy texture...
Youichi: and crispy sensaton when eaten...

Youichi: Omelette...


Page 89

Youichi: Tenpura...
Youichi: Gyoza...
Youichi: Pizza...
Youichi: Among these foods...
Youichi: all of them have light and fluffy elements as their core...
Youichi: I wonder if there's a hint in these foods.

Sign fron left to right: Tenshindon 500 Yen / Deluxe Katsudon 600 Yen / Tamagodon 450 Yen

TN Note: Wikipedia is your friend!

Last panel, focusing on: Deluxe Katsudon 600 Yen


Page 90

Youichi: This is it!!
Youichi: This is the way to do it!

SFX: clatter

Mum: What's wrong, Youichi?!
Mum: Have you come up with an idea?

Youichi: Hehe...


Page 91

Mum: This is a new base?!
Mum: It looks almost transparent that I can actually see the iron griddle!

Youichi: It's a revolutionary idea!
Youichi: Don't be surprised!

Youichi: What I did to the base was...
Youichi: not use wheat flour at all!

Mum: Wh...what?!
Mum: You made the base without using wheat flour?!

SFX: bite

Mum: Delicious!
Mum: Light, fluffy...smells good...and has great taste!


Page 92

Mum: How?!
Mum: How did you make such a base?!

Youichi: I used this!
Youichi: I used only yam to make it!

Youichi: We also used yam to make the coating for the cutlets fluffy, right?

Youichi: Also, even Okataya used a bit of yam in their batter!
Youichi: But I made my batter using 100% yam!

Mum: That's wonderful!

Youichi: Yup!! Now, my base can beat Okataya's!
Youichi: Next is the topping and the sauce!! After that, it's time for a rematch!