Chuuka Ichiban! (1995)

Chinese cuisine is considered divine throughout the world, none more so than in China itself. Here, cooks are regarded as an elite group who create dishes that exceeds taste and originality throughout its four provinces: Szechuan, Guanzhou, Shanghai, and Beijing. Even the slightest failure can lead to shame and even death. The greatest of these cooks are known as Super Chefs, the highest honor that a cook may have. In a small village in Szechuan, 13 year old Liu Mao Tsing inherits the cooking genius of her late mother, the renown Pai, the Fairy of Szechuan. It is here he begins his epic adventure to create the greatest dishes known in China. He is challenged by masters around the country, and even faces off against the Dark Cooking Society, an evil group of chefs determined to control China through the influence of their cooking. But with his cooking prowess and the help of his friends, Mao overcomes his opponents and changes the future of Chinese cuisine.

Source: www.anisearch.com/manga/1485