2024] 20 Recommended Gourmet Manga to stimulate your senses! From otherworldly manga to manga with romantic comedy elements!

When you want to warm up your body and soul, a gourmet manga is what you want to read. You can enjoy looking at the dishes that appear in the manga, or you can try your hand at making your own. This genre is perfect for the chilly winter months.

In this issue, we pick up gourmet manga from a variety of genres. We hope you will be healed by reading gourmet manga from various angles such as other worlds, coming-of-age, bento, and family love.

Click here for "Recommended Manga" by genre

A gourmet manga that stimulates the senses

Written by Tetsu Ganiya and Akira Hanasaki, previously published in 111 volumes.

This is a well-known milestone in gourmet manga. It is probably the first thing that comes to mind for many people when they hear the word "gourmet manga. It has also been made into an anime and a live-action film, and many people are still waiting for a sequel to this very popular and long-lived work.

Shiro Yamaoka, a reporter in the cultural department of Tozai Shimbun, is a problem child who is repeatedly late and absent from work. He is always dozing off and not doing his work, but he has an extraordinarily sensitive tongue. One day, in commemoration of its 100th anniversary, Tozai Shimbun decides to launch a project to create the "ultimate menu. They gathered employees who were confident in their palates and conducted a taste test, but only two passed the test: Shiro Yamaoka and newcomer Yuko Kurita. From that day on, the two travel around the country to create the "ultimate menu," which is the company's destiny. However, a rival newspaper, Teito Shimbun, launched a project called "The Supreme Menu" and asked Japan's top cookery expert, Yuyama Kaihara, to supervise the project. In fact, Yuyama Kaihara is the real father of Shiro Yamaoka, with whom Shiro has a falling out. ...... stands in front of him at every turn. What is the outcome of the biggest father-son fight in the world of gourmet manga?

Shota no Sushi by Daisuke Terasawa / 27 volumes

Legendary gourmet manga about sushi. The manga has been adapted into an anime and TV drama, and has been serialized in sequels and sequels after sequels for a long time, which shows how popular this work is.

The main character, Shota, is a serious junior high school student who dreams of taking over his family's "Tomoe Sushi" and becoming a great sushi chef. However, the restaurant has been repeatedly harassed by a huge chain restaurant, Sasazushi, which has opened in the neighborhood, and the restaurant has gone completely out of business. In order to save his parents' home, Shota decides to return to Tokyo to train at the famous Houzushi restaurant and become a full-fledged sushi chef. During his training at Hou Sushi, Shota is encouraged by his master to enter the "Rookie Sushi Chef Competition," where he will engage in a "sushi battle" with other fierce sushi chefs (rookie sushi chefs) from all over Japan. ...... Shota is reckless and tries to become a sushi chef in just two years. However, the way he tries his best to make his recklessness possible is earnest and beautiful.

Cooking Papa by Tochi Ueyama / already published in 168 volumes

While many works feature cooking battles, "Cooking Papa" is in a sense an epoch-making work among gourmet manga in that there are basically no cooking battles, there are recipe pages for dishes, and the stories are basically complete. Many readers must have been absorbed by the warm feeling of warmth after reading it, as if they had just eaten a delicious meal.

The setting is Fukuoka City. The main character, Kazumi Araiwa, is a salaryman working for Kanamaru Industries. He is a taciturn man who works hard and looks manly, but in fact, he is a father with the skills of a professional chef. He has a deep knowledge of and curiosity about all genres of cuisine, and cooks his own dishes and serves them to people, but he is mischievous enough to hide the fact that he cooks (although this is later revealed to those around him). Some of you may have found yourself gulping down the numerous dishes that Araiwa cooks.

What Did You Eat Yesterday? by Fumi Yoshinaga / previously published in 22 volumes

This gourmet manga has been dramatized for television and has become very popular. Shiro Kakehi, a serious and meticulous lawyer, and Kenji Yabuki, a soft-spoken hairdresser, are a gay couple living together in a two-bedroom apartment, and the story revolves around their daily life together, focusing mainly on their diet. The most significant feature of this work is that each episode devotes a considerable number of pages to Shiro's cooking scenes, which are closely related to the main plot of the story. The cooking scenes also include detailed recipes, making it more like a recipe book and a manga than just reading a manga. The story of two gay men dealing with their conflicts and deepening their bond through "food" is fresh and fresh.

This work, which is gaining popularity not as a boys' love manga but as a simple human drama and gourmet manga, seems to teach us how wonderful it is to care for one's partner and share a delicious meal together, regardless of gender.

Eater! by Shigeru Tsuchiyama / 24 volumes

Gluttony. It sounds romantic for some reason. And it is exhilarating to watch them eat their way through unbelievable amounts of food. This work is a hot gluttonous battle manga about men who put their lives on the line for gluttony. Gourmet and glutton, Ohara Mitsutaro is an ordinary office worker who looks forward to his daily meals. One day, he meets a professional food fighter, Hunter Joji, and his life changes drastically. Realizing his own lack of appreciation for gluttony, Mantaro quits his job and decides to become a professional food fighter himself, but he is suddenly involved in a match with OKFF (Osaka kuidaore food fighters), who are notorious for their "evil ways of eating," and loses. However, he was suddenly involved in a match with the infamous OKFF (Osaka kuidaore food fighters) and was defeated. Mantaro decides to retreat and sets off on his own on a journey to train to become a great eater. ......

The manga was made into a live-action movie in 2007 and won the Japan Cartoonists Society Award for Excellence, and has become an explosively popular gourmet manga!

OH! MY KOMBU Middle by Takahiro Kamiya, Yasushi Akimoto / 1 volume

MY Kombu" is a legendary gourmet manga that first appeared in "Comic Bonbon" in 1990 and became very popular. MY Kombu" was made into an anime and became very popular, and now, after 30 years, it has made a long-awaited comeback! The main character, Kombu, who was an elementary school student at the time, has become a respectable middle-aged man. The "Little Gourmet," a creative dish using sweets and other foods that even children can afford, has been revived 30 years later as the perfect "little gourmet" snack to accompany alcoholic beverages.

A middle-aged freelancer, Nabeyaki Kombu, always drinks at the park while eating candy. He is treated like a monster by the neighborhood elementary school students, but he does not let their stares bother him and enjoys his drinks with "little gourmet" snacks made from cheap candy. In his melancholy appearance, the "little gourmet" food that Kombu is eating is all junky and tasty-looking. You will definitely want to imitate him and have a drink with him!

Mr. Ajikko by Daisuke Terasawa / 19 volumes

Yoichi Ajikichi takes over for his late father, who was called "the kitchen chef of the downtown area," and works with his mother to support the Hinode Restaurant. One day, Genjiro Murata, a leading figure in the Japanese culinary world, visits the diner and eats a pork cutlet served on top of a bowl of rice that Yoichi has prepared. Murata, also known as "Ajiou," recognized Yoichi's skills as a chef, and by chance, Yoichi had a spaghetti duel with the famous chef who had returned from Italy. From then on, the culinary battle for gourmet food between Yoichi and the famous chefs began. ......

Mr. Ajikko" was serialized in "Weekly Shonen Magazine" more than 30 years ago. It was also made into an animated TV series and became a very popular work, and "Mr. Ajikko: Bakumatsu-hen" was serialized in the historical manga magazine "Shukan Asahi Zokan Sanada Taiheiki" from 2015 to 2019.

Bartender by Araki Shiro, Kenshu Nagatomo / 21 volumes

Gourmets are also particular about their drinks, and that's where "Bartender" is a must-read. Tame Sasakura is a genius bartender with a brilliant track record who once won a world-class competition. Miwa, who was working at Hotel Cardinal, was looking for a bartender for her newly opened bar when she met Tame by chance and took him to the practical test at Hotel Cardinal. ...... The story begins with a chance encounter with Tame, who is looking for a new bartender for a newly opened bar, and takes him to the Hotel Cardinal for his practical test. The manga has a cozy atmosphere like that of a bar.

This popular work has sold more than 3 million copies in total. It has also been dramatized and made into an anime, and is popular among readers other than those who love to drink. It is ideal for those who want to learn to drink and deepen their understanding of alcohol.

I Can Drink Alone! by Misato Konari / 1 volume

A gourmet manga by Konari Misato, known for her works such as "Nagi no Okyoku" and "Coffee, Please". The main character, Mei Benigawa, is a so-called "working-carrier" at a cosmetics company. She is also a beautiful woman and the object of admiration of all the employees, but in fact, she has a face that is the opposite of her image. She looks as if she would only eat fine food, but she loves to drink alone with a cheap, delicious meal. She especially loves inexpensive chain restaurants where she can have a quick drink, and she also has a characteristic (?) of shrinking her head when she finds the food too delicious. He also has a characteristic (?) of shrinking his head when he finds the food too tasty. He is very lovable and approachable as he enjoys a quick drink at any chain restaurant on his way home from work! After reading this manga, you will probably find yourself wandering to the chain stores.

Gokudo Meishi by Shigeru Tsuchiyama, Shohei Onishi / 10 volumes

In this unique humanistic gourmet manga, prisoners compete with each other in reminiscing about delicious food in prisons across Japan. The prisoners compete for the osechi dishes served at New Year's, and try their best to make their listeners' throats water with tales of the delicious food they ate in prison. Eventually, a "King of Tales" comedy contest is held in secret inside the prison, where the prisoners compete with their tales of delicious food!

As the prisoners deftly explain what they are craving and what they want to eat right now, we are reminded of how important food is in our lives and how it makes us happy. Listening to their stories of mouthwatering delicacies, even those of us who were not there will be left with an irresistible craving to try the delicious foods they introduce.

After the exile of the villainess! Church Reform Gohan de Yuyuu Sisters Living by Saru Yoshimura, Tail Yuzuhara

After a lifetime of hard work, event planner Yuka Sawatani is reborn as the villainess Elizabeth. However, she finds herself in the world of an Otome game, and in no time at all, she is exiled from the country, just as the scenario had predicted.

Freed from the bonds of nobility, Elizabeth enjoys a carefree and free life as an apprentice sister in a church in a neighboring country. She uses her memories of her previous life to serve food that is not available in this world, and people are pleased with her cooking.

The Knight Commander Leonid, who has a crush on Elizabeth, also makes an appearance, and the romantic comedy element can be enjoyed as well. It can be said that this is a masterpiece that offers a rich taste of gourmet food, romance, and another world.

Papa to Papa no Uchi Gohan by Yuu Toyoda

A story about two single fathers who share a room with each other: a therapist who was left with a child by his ex-girlfriend, and an editor whose wife left him.

The story is impressive in the way they struggle with unfamiliar child-rearing tasks, as well as the conflict of having to get along with each other's children and the differences in their educational policies.

The story is worth reading even among gourmet manga, as it has many human drama elements. One of the reasons for the popularity of the manga is thought to be that the illustrations pop and become cute when it comes to the depiction of food.

I wasn't a saint, so I decided to cook a leisurely meal in the royal palace by Kotori Asatani, Rio Kamiyama, Taranbo Man

Rina is mistaken for a saint and is suddenly summoned to another world. However, the food in that world was not good. Rina, who used to enjoy cooking, gets into the kitchen and creates numerous items that captivate the inhabitants of the other world.

The storyline has a pop atmosphere, and the appeal of the book is that it can be read quickly and easily. It is a work where you can enjoy both the otherworldly and gourmet aspects of the story.

Silver Spoon by Mari Ozawa

Ritsu is a high school boy who has been living with his mother, younger brother, and younger sister since his father passed away. One day, however, his mother is diagnosed with an illness and is hospitalized.

The story depicts how Ritsu, who takes his mother's place in the kitchen, becomes obsessed with cooking, and at the end of each comic, with the exception of volume 3, there are recipes for the dishes that Ritsu makes.

Even if you rarely cook, why don't you start cooking by following Ritsu's example?

Isekai Omotenashi Gohan written by Shinobu Maru, Meidamayaki, Yukiya

One day, Akane, an ordinary office worker, is suddenly summoned to another world with her sister and her dog. After being reincarnated, the younger sister works as a saint, and the older sister, Akane, cooks for her sister.

It is a gourmet manga with a new sensation, featuring many dishes that go well with alcohol and dishes that fuse ingredients from other worlds with Japanese seasonings.

Although it is also an otherworldly manga, the story takes place mostly in the house, making it easy to read even for those new to otherworldly things.

Hazure potion was soy sauce, so I decided to cook it. written and illustrated by Risno, illustrated by Fuji Tomato.

Yuri, a thirty-something housewife, is divorced by her morally harassed husband for unreasonable reasons. In order to lead an independent life on her own, she runs to Hello Work, but to her surprise, she is introduced to a different world....

In the other world, she was introduced to a job harvesting potions by an S-class adventurer in an adventurer's guild. As he gradually gets used to the job, he realizes that the potion he thought was a hassle was actually soy sauce.

Yuri makes use of various potions, such as soy sauce and cola, to create dishes, sparking a culinary revolution in the other world. In the descriptions of cooking delicious food with what is available and in the scenes where Yuri befriends the children of the other world, one is moved by Yuri's willingness to move forward even though he is hurting.

Yakumo-san wants to be fed. by U Satomi

Hiiragumo Hiiragumo, a 28-year-old woman who lost her husband early and lives alone in an apartment. She loves to cook, and her daily routine is to serve dinner to Yamato, a high school boy who lives next door.

Although she can't tell people that she has a high school student over, Hiiragumo's motivation in life is to make sure that what she cooks tastes good. ......

Yamato attends a prestigious high school baseball team and receives strict instructions from the coach regarding meals, and Hiiragioko struggles to cook for Yamato on a daily basis. This heartwarming story depicts the exquisite distance between Hiiragiiko's unintentionally thirst-quenching cooking, the adolescence of high school ball players, and their dinner.

Artiste by Samoedotaro

Gilbert works at a restaurant in Paris. Although he has a genius talent for cooking, his timid personality and overly particular taste and sense of smell make him stand out from others, and he spends his days doing odd jobs.

However, when Marco, a cheerful newcomer, notices Gilbert's talent, Gilbert's culinary life begins to change. Gilbert grows as a chef and as a human being as he takes a job at a famous chef's restaurant and moves into an apartment with a group of artists.

It is a work of courage for all those who have started something new. Each dish is so delicious that it is a must-read.

Isekai Izakaya "Gen" by Natsuya Semikawa and Tsukasa Usui

This work is an official spin-out of the very popular series "Isekai Izakaya 'Nobu'". The Izakaya "Gen" is located in a certain part of the Kanto region. When the door is opened, it leads to Palizia, the capital of the Eastern Kingdom of another world.

The owner, Mr. Asimura, wanted to close the restaurant, but he and his daughter and her lover decided to continue the restaurant in the other world. People in the other world are fascinated by hamburgers and meat and potatoes, which are common in Japan. This is a gourmet fantasy about connecting people with each other through food.

Mr. Takasugi's Family Bento by Nozomu Yanagihara

Takasugi Atsumi (Harumi) is an overdoctor with a doctorate in geography. One day, Onmi, a 30-year-old man with a serious and clumsy personality, decides to take in his cousin Kururi.

He struggles to live with the shy girl who does not open her heart to others, but the two gradually come to understand each other through their daily bento lunches.

This is a bento comedy with a hint of romance.

Ryuko

Freelance writer and editor. I like anime, manga, and games. Longing for Fulpa VALORANT.