The first year students at Totsuki Academy go to a training camp as their first major challenge, during which about half of the first year students usually receive a failing grade and are expelled. The students are given various challenges by alumni from the school, who are brought in to serve as judges. The first challenge for Soma's group, which includes Megumi and the Aldini twins Takumi and Isami, is to make a dish that can be served at a Japanese restaurant using ingredients gathered from the area surrounding the kitchen. They are judged by former 2nd seat Hinako Inui. Takumi, heir to his family restaurant in Tuscany, "Trattoria Aldini", challenges Soma to a duel to see who can cook the better dish, as they both specialize in diner-style dishes. While most of the students gather fish, the Aldini twins find a duck and are the first to complete a dish and pass the challenge.