Even today, the anime industry is well known for a number of things. Some stories are epic adventures, while others feature various characters and colorful styles. Food presentations are always popular in anime, too. While watching a lot of Japanese animation or anime, we tend to envision little plastic figurines with big eyes that are constantly running around bizarre landscapes without being eaten by predators, wearing completely inexplicable outfits (or nothing at all). However, in certain animes, the focus is on amazing dishes, such as cooking shows where recipes must be met exactly, or the hunt for rare ingredients such as ground meat burgers that appear out of nowhere.
As one might expect, anime food is almost always attractive because food in general in anime tends to look that way. Anime featuring a focus on food that may be enjoyable for you to watch have many shapes, from gorgeous to highly appealing. But a few anime go beyond the visually appealing food and show us how they are cooked. Below is our list of 25 best cooking anime out there.
Bartender
Eden Hall, an isolated bar operated by Ryuu Sasakura, the prodigy bartender said to mix the most incredible cocktails anyone has ever tasted, is hidden in the backstreets of Ginza. But not just anyone can locate Eden Hall; rather, Eden Hall must locate you. Customers from all walks of life come into this bar, each with their own set of problems. Ryuu, on the other hand, always knows the perfect cocktail to console and guide each bewildered soul.
Silver Spoon
Gin no Saji follows a young student as he tries to fit into a completely new environment, meeting a variety of interesting characters along the way. Hachiken hopes to discover his dreams as he struggles to appreciate his surroundings so that he can live a fulfilling life on his own terms.
Yuugo Hachiken is a studious, hardworking young man who is tired of trying to live up to unrealistic expectations. With the start of a new school year approaching, he decides to enroll in Ooezo Agriural High School, a boarding school in the Hokkaido countryside, as a way to escape the stress caused by his parents.
Despite his initial optimism that he would succeed at this institution, Hachiken is quickly disproved by his talented classmates, who have spent their entire lives on farms and know everything there is to know about food, vegetables, and even livestock physiology! Hachiken is a complete novice when it comes to the harsh agriural life, whether it’s waking up at five a.m. for strenuous labor or caring for farm animals.
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Cooking with Valkyries
These characters may be familiar to fans of the popular hit game Honkai Impact 3rd. However, the connection is limited to the characters, as the anime series is more of a side story. Each episode is only a few minutes long and features cute girls preparing simple meals.
There appears to be a greater emphasis on cooking and how simple ingredients can produce a delicious meal. In a nutshell, it’s a wholesome miniseries that features cute girls preparing meals using ingredients that can be found in almost any grocery store.
A simple but enjoyable series with plenty of tips on basic home cooking and learning to prepare your own meals.
Isekai Shokudou
Nekoya, a popular Western restaurant in a Tokyo shopping district, is located on a street corner. This eatery is popular among Tokyo residents because it serves both traditional Japanese and Western dishes. However, this seemingly ordinary restaurant attracts a different type of customer…
While the restaurant appears to be closed on Saturdays, the truth is that it is open to visitors from other worlds on this special day of the week. This restaurant attracts a diverse range of patrons, including dragons, elves, fairies, and mages. Nonetheless, the enigmatic chef known only as “Master” will be waiting to serve their favorite dishes with a friendly smile, ensuring that they return for many more Saturdays to come.
Yakitate Japan
While countries like France, England, and Germany all have their own internationally recognized bread, Japan simply does not.
As a result, Azuma Kazuma embarks on a quest to create Japan’s own unique national bread after finding the wonders of breadmaking at a young age. Azuma is able to take his baking innovations to the next level thanks to his unusually warm hands, which allow bread dough to ferment faster.
As he begins working at Pantasia, a prestigious Japanese bakery chain, Azuma meets other talented bakers and learns about the competitive world of baking firsthand. Azuma strives to create new and unparalleled bread with his newfound friends and rivals in order to start a baking revolution.
Mister Ajikko
Ajiyoshi Yoichi is a culinary genius who runs the restaurant with his mother. Murata Genjiro walks into the eating house one day and is taken aback by the delectable taste and deft culinary skills of Youichi’s katsu-don.
Youichi is then invited to the Aji-oh Building, where he competes in a spaghetti match with Marui, the in-house Italian chef. Youichi’s innovative culinary concepts, combined with his passion for providing the best service to his guests, enable him to defeat Marui in the match. Youichi competes with other rivals in the race for the best tastes and dishes from that point forward.
Adorable Food Goddess
Ye Jiayao is a talented young chef who aspires to be a well-known chef one day. She’s magically transported back in time to Imperial China, in the body of a completely useless girl, as luck would have it. Ye Jiayao is kidnapped and held for ransom right away, but she manages to get what she wants by using her wits (and her sense of humor).
While the story begins with a girl named Ye Jiayao travelling through time in the body of Ye Jinxuan, it quickly expands into… more. A great deal more.
This anime contains a diverse range of genres.
However, cooking is a big part of the series, and the animation team clearly put a lot of effort into it.
While the plot may be a little over-the-top, you can still enjoy the delicious food while immersing yourself in the story.
Even if it’s only mentioned in passing, I like how this anime explores how different ingredients can be combined.
It’s debatable whether the plot and characters are truly enjoyable. However, the way this show presents cooking is excellent.
Bonjour Sweet Love Patissier
Sayuri Haruno has strived for her scholarship to Fleurir Confectionary Academy, an elite school dedicated to training world-class pastry chefs, with dreams of becoming a pastry chef. The team includes unrivaled pâtissiers who work with absolute precision—the prince-like Mitsuki Aoi, known for his chocolate work; the friendly and outgoing Gilbert Hanafusa, a French confectionery expert; and the stoic Yoshinosuke Suzumi, who has perfected Japanese confectionery.
Sayuri is thrown into a world of advanced baking upon admission to the school, surrounded by both supportive and charming staff and fascinating classmates. Sayuri’s attention is drawn to the dedicated Ryou Kouzuki, who appears to share Sayuri’s desire to realize his dream.
Sayuri is on a path to greatness, and her newly honed culinary skills will aid her in overcoming any obstacles the school throws her way.
Kakuriyo: Bed and Breakfast for Spirits
Kakuriyo no Yadomeshi follows Aoi’s journey as she uses the one weapon she has against the ayakashi—delicious meals—to change and touch the lives of the ayakashi.
Aoi Tsubaki always had the ability to see “ayakashi”—spirits from the Hidden Realm—despite being abandoned by her mother as a child. Her grandfather, Shirou Tsubaki, who possessed the same ability, took her under his wing and taught her how to coexist peacefully with the ayakashi. When her grandfather dies unexpectedly, the independent Aoi must continue her college career, armed only with her cooking skills as a defense against the human-eating spirits. She takes it upon herself to feed the creatures that come across her path in the hopes that the ayakashi will not turn to her or other unknowing humans as a tasty meal.
Aoi is transported to the Hidden Realm after giving a mysterious ayakashi her lunch, then the ayakashi reveals himself to be the ogre-god known as Oodanna, the “Master Innkeeper.” She discovers that she was used as collateral for her grandfather’s debt of one hundred million yen and that she must marry Oodanna to pay the price for her grandfather’s rash decision. Aoi bravely refuses and decides to settle things on her own terms, opening an eatery at Oodanna’s inn to pay off the debt.
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JK Meshi
This is something to look into if you enjoy short, but sweet series. It’s a simple series that focuses on high school girls learning to cook simple meals. Each episode, however, manages to include some useful cooking tips and food facts.
There isn’t much of a plot here, but there is plenty to enjoy. It’s also quite cute in its own right. In comparison to the previous entries, it cooks a lot more. The series is short, with each episode lasting less than 5 minutes.
It’s not bad as a cooking show and provides some interesting facts. If you’re looking for a short anime series with simple meals and female bonding, this is a good choice. It won’t take long to invest in either of them.
Oishinbo
Yanaoka, a cynical food critic, and a female writer are tasked with producing a piece on Japanese cuisine and ure. You’d think this would be more of a ural and culinary appreciation series, but you’d be wrong. This also includes some excellent culinary work!
There is a strong focus on Japanese ure, with Japanese cuisine being a prominent feature. As a result, there are numerous cooking scenes throughout the episodes. Due to its age, few people are familiar with the series. However, it still holds up as a food/cooking series in today’s world. There is a plot to keep things interesting along the way, in addition to looking at cooking and how specific ingredients are used in the cuisine.
Today’s Menu for the Emiya Family
Fuyuki City’s residents can finally enjoy a period of peace now that the threat of the Holy Grail War has passed. Shirou takes on the duty to cook for the household and show Saber the wonders of modern cuisine now that all of the Masters and Servants have adjusted to their new mundane lives. Every day, he goes to the market to see what kind of unique meals he can make with limited ingredients and a tight budget. However, his legendary skills frequently attract uninvited guests from all over the city, ensuring that dinner with the Emiya family is never boring.
Shirou walks through the step-by-step process of making some of his favorite meals while his guests entertain themselves in the living room. Everything on his menu is up for grabs, including savory New Year soba with shrimp tempura and cheesy bamboo shoot gratin.
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Amaama to Inazuma
Amaama to Inazuma tells the heartwarming story of a loving father trying his hardest to make his adorable little daughter happy while also delving into the meanings and values of cooking, family, and the comfort food that we take for granted at home.
Kouhei Inuzuka has been caring for his young daughter, Tsumugi, to the best of his ability since the of his wife. However, due to his lack of culinary skills and his busy schedule as a teacher, he is forced to rely on convenience store ready-made meals to feed the little girl. Kouhei accepts an invitation from his student, Kotori Iida, to dine at her family’s restaurant, frustrated by his inability to provide a fresh, nutritious meal for his daughter. However, the father and daughter discover on their first visit that the restaurant is frequently closed due to Kotori’s mother’s absence from work and that Kotori frequently eats alone. Kouhei decides to continue going to the restaurant with Tsumugi to cook and share delicious homemade food with Kotori after much persuasion from his pupil.
Rokuhoudou Yotsuiro Biyori (Yotsuiro Biyori)
Kyousui “Sui” Tougoku inherits from his grandfather, Rokuhoudou, a traditional Japanese-style cafe that he runs with Gregorio “Gure” Valentino, Tokitaka Nagae, and Tsubaki Nakao. Any one-time visitor will undoubtedly become a regular thanks to their exceptional hospitality. The staff at this modest cafe, having gone through their own trials and tribulations, do their best to serve their customers—whether it’s through tea, sweets, or even assisting with various problems.
Although most days are pleasant, Sui and his friends’ small world takes an unexpected turn when their reputation as a cafe grows overnight.
Muteki Kanban Musume (Ramen Fighter Miki)
To say the least, Ramen Fighter Miki is an unconventional anime. Miki Onimaru is a poster girl who works at her mother’s Chinese food restaurant in the series. At first glance, the series appears to be primarily about cooking, with some fighting thrown in for good measure.
There’s a lot more fighting than you might think. As a result, there is less emphasis on the cooking, though there is plenty of it in the series. Although it is an unusual series, it does have some appeal. If you enjoy oddities, give it a shot.
Wakakozake
Have you ever had a strong desire for a specific meal after a long day? Murasaki Wakako does, and the series follows her as she visits various locations while enjoying a good meal and drink.
The series can be compared to a travel cooking show in many ways. While it depicts various locations and the meals that can be enjoyed there, it also includes some enjoyable cooking moments.
Overall, it’s a relaxing anime with plenty of delicious food scenes. Given that the series focuses more on enjoying meals and drinks than on preparing them, you could argue that it is a more relaxing watch. That is fantastic after a long day at the office!
Toriko
The landscape is littered with hamburgers that sprout from the ground like four-leaf clovers, landmasses carved out of ice cream, and warm mac and cheese stewing deep within the stomachs of volcanoes. This world of delectable natural wonders has arrived at a critical juncture in its development—the Gourmet Age! Citizens and cooks alike aspire to taste and prepare the best cuisine, while “Gourmet Hunters” go on adventures in search of rare delectable ingredients.
Toriko, a wild and passionate Gourmet Hunter with a unique set of skills, is infamous for discovering 2% of all known ingredients. Toriko is attempting to complete his Full Course Menu of Life with the help of his friend Komatsu, a highly skilled chef who works at a five-star hotel. Toriko will have to overcome obstacles such as deadly monsters, evil organizations, and the food itself in order to obtain the most delectable ingredients.
Chuuka Ichiban!
The story is set in 19th-century China, during the Qing Dynasty, when the Emperor was weak, and the country was on the verge of collapse. It’s also during “The Era of the Cooking Wars,” a fictional period. It was a period when top chefs of various culinary styles competed to improve their skills and become China’s best chef. It’s a country where insulting a top chef or messing around with cooking can land you in jail, and impersonating a top chef is considered a usurpation of power. Chefs compete with one another for respect and even power, but they also face the possibility of losing everything.
Beijing, Szechuan, Shanghai, and Guangdong are the four major regions of China. The story begins in Szechuan, the birthplace of Mao Zedong.
Following the of Mao’s mother, Pai, the ‘Fairy of Cuisine,’ Mao becomes a Super Chef in order to take over his mother’s restaurant as Master Chef. However, before taking over as Master Chef from his mother, he continued to travel China in order to learn more about the various art of cooking and new cooking techniques in the hopes of becoming a legendary chef like his mother. During his journey, he meets great friends as well as fierce rivals who want to compete with him in the kitchen.
Isekai Izakaya Nobu
Another series depicts a modern setting with a door leading to another world. This show is unique in that the entire series focuses more on alcohol and the amazing food that goes with it.
Each episode features a variety of meals to pair with a beverage, as well as a live-action segment on the meal. It’s not your typical anime format, but it’s still entertaining to watch. I completely understand why some people may dislike it, but if you’re open-minded, I recommend giving it a shot.
Characters don’t always make a one-time appearance in the other world, which is more medieval. So there’s a mix of food and alcohol appreciation, as well as an examination of what makes the meal unique. This is a simple but unique type of anime to enjoy.
Piace: Watashi no Italian
Morina Nanase takes the opportunity during her summer vacation to start a new part-time job as a waitress at an Italian restaurant, the Trattoria Festa. Morina quickly falls in love with her work as she finds the restaurant charming and convenient to her home.
However, the job she just accepted has a variety of eccentric coworkers and tasty Italian food she has never sampled before. In this restaurant, typical pasta dishes such as penne arrabbiata and tiramisu are complemented by rich desserts such as tiramisu. Get to know your coworkers, and then serve your customers with a smile at Morina’s Ristorante.
Koufuku Graffiti (Gourmet Girl Graffiti)
According to Ryou Machiko’s grandmother, to be a fine wife, one must be an accomplished cook. While Ryou’s cooking skills are remarkable for his age, recently, the food that he has prepared has lacked flavor. Even after learning that her aunt says she’ll be living alone for the rest of her life, the art student is inspired when she hears that Kirin Morino, Ryou’s second cousin, is going to begin staying with her every weekend because Kirin wants to attend the same cram school in Tokyo that Ryou does.
Despite her cousin’s arrival, Ryou discovers that her cooking has greatly improved, with the experience being apparently more important than her skills in the kitchen.
Yuru Camp (Laid-Back Camp)
Rin Shima’s perfect strategy of spending her days off is camping alone at the base of Mount Fuji. She has done everything on her own by pitching a tent and then collecting firewood; she has no intention of leaving her very little solitary world.
However, what initially started out as an ordinary camping trip for Rin quickly became an unexpected surprise for two when Nadeshiko Kagamihara, the lost Nadeshiko, had to camp on her land due to an emergency. Originally, Nadeshiko had planned to view the beautiful view of Mount Fuji on her own. But her plans were disrupted when she fell asleep en route. Her only other option is to find someone who might be able to help. Even though they have only just met, the two girls are nonetheless enjoying a cold night by the campfire, as they are eating ramen and talking with each other while the campfire keeps them warm. In the end, Nadeshiko’s sister picks her up, but neither girl comments on the fact that another campout might be in the cards.
Ristoranto Paradiso
As a child, Nicoletta’s mother, Olga, left to remarry in Rome and left her behind. In the 15 years since Mary has grown into a young woman, and on her way to Rome, she plans to make her mother’s life miserable. When Nicoletta walks into the restaurant Casetta dell’Orso, everything changes. It’s a strange place where the only people are elderly gentlemen wearing glasses, and she can’t help but fall prey to their warm smiles and soothing voices. Nicoletta hasn’t noticed yet, but her plans for vengeance have started to dissolve, and she’s completely enraptured by Italian daily life.
Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma
15-year-old Souma Yukihira has worked as a sous chef in his family restaurant since he was a child, helping his father. Although Souma began to become interested in pleasing his customers through his creative, skilled, and daring culinary creations several years ago, he has developed a deep appreciation for these activities over time. His ultimate goal is to become the head chef of his family’s restaurant.
Souma is sent to Tootsuki Culinary Academy, an elite cooking school where only 10% of the students graduate, after his father decides to close the restaurant to prove his culinary talents in a number of different restaurants around the world. “Shokugeki” or “food wars” is also commonly known as a food rivalry at the culinary school, and competitors vie in intense, high-stakes culinary competitions.
During the grueling experience that is Tootsuki survival school, Souma faces greater and more challenging food battles, putting all of his years of learning under his father to the test.
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Yumeiro Patissiere
Although she has a strong passion for eating cakes, Ichigo Amano has never achieved anything in her life. Ichigo’s amazing tasting abilities are discovered after an encounter with Henri Lucas, a famous patissier. He notices her ability and offers her the opportunity to enroll in St. Marie Academy, a renowned pastry school that is dedicated to pastries.
Ichigo, despite being a beginner and lacking skills, is assigned to the highest-level group because of Henri’s recommendation: “Sweets Princes.” Each of the three princes was an all-star when it came to their unique types of traditional Japanese treats. As for Prince Sennosuke, who was a master of traditional Japanese sweets, Satsuki Hanabusa, who had a knack for candied flowers, and lastly, Makoto Kashino, who was a talented chocolatier, were celebrated in the school for their unique skills. While Ikkaku and the Sweets Princes—along with their Sweets Spirits—pursue their goals in the competitive world of sweets, Ichigo works to achieve hers.
With so many cooking anime out there, we can not possibly list them all. But we’ve compiled a list of 25 of the best and most popular food anime about delicious dishes and the food industry for your viewing pleasure. We hope you find something to enjoy! If not, feel free to leave us a comment on what other types of shows you’d like to see or if any that should be included in this list were left out. Which one is your favorite?
