Part comic, part cookbook. In the narrative, a hard-working middle-aged gay couple in Tokyo come to enjoy the finer moments of life through food. After long days at work, Shiro and Kenji will always have down-time together by the dinner table where they can discuss their feelings and enjoy delicately prepared home cooked meals. Not only is food incorporated into the narrative, but the frames actually take readers through the process of preparing meals...

"...For centuries different types of sake have played the same roles in Japan as wine and beer have in the West, from inexpensive everyday drink to refined single-batch rarities. Above all, sake has been enjoyed as an accompaniment to a meal, and after a revelatory moment one night, Yamaoka decides that drink pairings must be an integral part of the Ultimate Menu. So which foods go best with which drinks? Sit down, pour yourself a glass, and read...

In this second installment of Fumi Yoshinaga's deliciously charming slice-of-gay-life, we delve into the beginnings of Shiro and Kenji's relationship. Shiro continues to expand his culinary creativity while dealing with problomatic clients and his well-meaning but misguided mother, who comes to rely on him when a health scare hits close to home.

"Yamaoka and his father, Kaibara Yūzan, have never enjoyed an ideal father-son relationship. In fact, it's about as far from ideal as possible, and when they start arguing about food--which they inevitably do--the sparks really fly. In this volume of Oishinbo the subject of dispute is fish, starting with the question of whether mackerel can ever be truly good sashimi. Later, things come to a head during the "Salmon Battle," which pits father against...

"Let the shokugeki begin! Soma has challenged Totsuki graduate Chef Shinomiya in order to prevent Megumi's pending expulsion. However, thanks to a condition levied by Gin Dojima, the match turns in an unexpected direction! With such a foolhardy challenge, can Soma and Megumi win to survive another day?" -- from publisher's web site.

"Shino and Shuhei deal with busybodies worried about their health. Tabuchi figures out how make his latest girlfriend try new things in the kitchen. Shiro and Kenji meet up with Kohinata and Wataru to ring in the new year... but as the quartet of friends get older they learn to be more practical in their celebrations. And Kenji's boss makes a surprising decision for the future of the salon." -- Provided by publishr.

"Few foods inspire as much passion and partisanship as the dish of noodles in broth known as 'ramen.' Hot or cold, plain or miso, from fancy fusion creations to humble roadside takeout, ramen is truly a beloved food, one that can give rise to fierce loyalty or fiercer criticism (not to mention the occasional fistfight). In this volume of Oishinbo, Yamaoka and company inquire into the 'soul of ramen,' from the flour used in the noodles to the chickens...

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...

"Shiro and Kenji are now well past their youthful years, and with a stable relationship and a stable career for them both, what could possibly go wrong? But Kenji finds himself in a bind one evening after a few drinks with one of his hair salon regulars. Meanwhile, a mysterious and beautiful woman greets Shiro with a friendly smile on the street during their grocery shopping, and Shiro insists that he doesn't know her."--Provided by publisher.