"Soma Yukihira's old man runs a small family restaurant in the less savory end of town. Aiming to one day surpass his father's culinary prowess, Soma hones his skills day in and day out until one day, out of the blue, his father decides to enroll Soma in a classy culinary school! Can Soma really cut it in a place that prides itself on a 10 percent graduation rate? And can he convince the beautiful, domineering heiress of the school that he belongs there at all?!... This year's Blue cooking competition has deviated sharply from days of old, and its new harsher trials have many traditional chefs falling by the wayside. Soma, Takumi and Megumi, however, manage to win their way forward. Now they face a brand of chef whose true abilities have remained cloaked in mystery--the noir. Just what sort of strange talents do these underworld chefs wield to make them worthy of the Blue?"--Provided by publisher.