Soma and Megumi look for a club to join and stumble upon the Don Research Society, who is targeted for disbandment by Erina for her expansion project. One of Erina's enforcers Ikumi Mito challenges the club president Kanichi Konishi telling him that no matter what he cooks that his dish will never beat her A5 grade meat. Seeing the events unfold, Soma volunteers to partake in the Shokugeki in Kanichi's place with the challenge being to cook a donburi dish. The stakes are that a victory results in the club staying with Ikumi joining, while a defeat results in Soma's expulsion and the club disbanding. In preparing for the Shokugeki, Soma makes numerous donburi dishes through research and modifies them with the realization that the club's budget is limited. Soma settles on the Chaliapin steak, while Ikumi contacts her family to deliver the best cut of A5 grade beef available.