Yukihira is a popular neighborhood restaurant where Yukihira Soma helps out in the hopes of surpassing his father as a chef one day. But land sharks are after their restaurant, and one day Soma tells them that the restaurant will close if they couldn't serve satisfactory food to their customers. The land sharks are only too happy to sabotage the restaurant's fridge and gleefully orders Soma to serve them a meat dish...

Under his father's orders, Soma attempts to transfer into one of Japan's top culinary schools, Togetsu Tea House Culinary Academy. His examiner, Nakiri Erina, is a student said to possess humanity's best palate: the God Tongue.

Just barely squeaking past the academy's transfer exam, Soma causes and uproar at the opening ceremony by making a brash speech in front of the entire class. In his very first class, he's paired with Tadokoro Megumi, a girl who is at risk of expulsion and is intent on keeping a low profile in order to survive.

Soma arrives at Polar Star Dormitory with high expectations, only to find it a creepy, run-down place. He is then informed by the dorm warden, Daimido Fumio, that he can only live at the dorm after he impresses her with his cooking. Soma rises up to the challenge!

Isshiki Satoshi is the only second-year from the high school division in Polar Bear Dormitory. Full of ambition to join the Elite Ten, Soma challenges Isshiki right away, but he learns there are many rules that must be met in order for a formal challenge to occur...

Soma is drawn to Donmono Research Society, one of the academy's many cooking clubs, and takes Megumi with him to check it out. But they only find the club leader, Konishi, who's distraught over his club's imminent demise at the hands of Erina.

The Shokugeki between Mito Ikumi and Yukihira Soma has begun! Everyone, including Erina, is convinced that Ikumi, the Meat Master, will win. Soma, on the other hand, is greeted by jeers the moment he enters the arena. Will Soma be able to save Don RS?

The training camp is considered the first trial by fire for students in Totsuki's high school division. Dozens of students are said to be expelled and sent away every day, and the number of students is said to be reduced below half by the camp's end. Intent on survival, Soma and his friends embark on their journey to the hellish camp in one of Totsuki Resorts' hotels.

Inui Hinako, a Totsuki alumna, has tasked Soma's group with making a Japanese dish using available ingredients in the area. Anything other than condiments and spices must be procured from their immediate environs. Soma, provoked by Takumi Aldini's challenge, has a flash of inspiration and dashes out with Megumi to find ingredients for their dish!

The Polar Star members have managed to survive the first day of camp. Megumi starts to build some confidence by successfully supporting Soma. But now, she and Soma have to face the second day with a genius of French cuisine, Shinomiya, who'd already expelled more than 30 students the day prior...

Soma recklessly challenges Shinomiya to a Shokugeki in order to have him retract his decision to expel Megumi. Shinomiya refuses, but Dojima half forces him to accept. However, Dojima also imposes a condition on Soma and Megumi--Megumi must be the main chef! If they lose, Soma will also be expelled. The unofficial Shokougeki is about to begin!

The unofficial Shokugeki between Shinomiya and the Megumi-Soma pair has begun. With expulsion on the line, the judging is underway. Megumi's first dish as the main chef is her own take on the nine-vegetable terrine Shinomiya assigned--the Rainbow Terrine, made from seven types of vegetables!

Third night of camp. Soma and the others manage to make it through their arduous trials. But now they're given a new trial for the next morning: to come up with a menu item that uses eggs.

The students have been tasked with creating an egg-based breakfast menu item for a buffet, and they must persuade guests to consume 200 servings before two hours' time. Soma's souffle omelets keep deflating before the guests have a chance to take the dish. With only 30 minutes remaining, Soma has served less than 10 guests--with defeat imminent, Soma recalls Joichiro's advice and decides to make a last-ditch effort to make a comeback!

With the camp over, surviving students return to Totsuki Academy. Soma manages to miss his bus, but so does Erina, so they end up going back on the same car. As awkward conversation ensues, Soma learns from Erina that the Autumn Elections are coming...

When Soma's father, Joichiro, suddenly shows up on Polar Star Dormitory's doorstep, Soma finds out that his father was an alum of Totsuki Academy and Polar Star Dormitory. Joichiro challenges Soma to a cooking duel to find out how far his son has come. How will the family duel end?

Soma goes back home for the first time in a long while over an extended break. Stormed by people who were waiting for Yukihira to reopen, Soma decides to serve his customers. But among them are the leaders of the shopping district, who tell Soma that the shopping district is on its last breath as a new shopping complex at the train station steals all of their customers...

Home to Diner Yukihira, Sumire Avenue Shopping District is on its last legs after the karaage specialty store, Mozuya, has taken all their customers. Soma recruits Kurase and Nikumi to help devise a plan to recoup customers: the Walk-n-Eat Karaage. The summer karaage campaign is about to begin!

As the first semester draws to a close, the names of students who'll participate in the Autumn Elections are posted in Totsuki Academy. The assigned topic is a curry dish, leading Soma to seek out a certain alumna Joichiro told him about.

Fully aware of how deep curry can go through their encounter with Hayama, Soma and Megumi join the other first-years in preparing for the Autumn Elections over the rest of the summer. Now, the time has finally come for the preliminaries...

The Autumn Elections preliminaries have finally begun! Only four students from each group can advance to the main tournament. In Soma's Group A, the favored candidates get all the attention while Soma toils on. Meanwhile in Group B, Megumi is passed over by everyone as being uninteresting, but then she suddenly pulls out a unique ingredient...

The battle continues in the Autumn Elections preliminaries. From Group B, Alice, Hisako, Takumi and Megumi all make it through. Meanwhile, in Group A, Sendawara Natsume keeps giving contestants 0's and no one has scored a high overall score. Next, Alice's aide, Kurokiba Ryo is up. The mysterious chef finally reveals his true colors!

Akira's dish, which on top of its powerful fragrance also uses the power of holy basil and yogurt, earns a score of 94 from the judges, two of which gave him a perfect 20. Finally, Soma presents his own fragrance bomb, combining his past two failures into a curry risotto omurice containing a mango chutney that deepens the flavor. The dish earns Soma 93 points, landing him second place behind Akira, though it is noted that three of the five judges ranked the dish higher than Akira's. As the contestants hold an afterparty celebrating and lamenting their victories and losses in the preliminaries, Soma becomes determined to improve his cooking finesse.