Spice. - Season 1

First aired: 3/27/2025 10 episodes

Episodes

1. Cardamom-scented green onion and chicken keema curry/Mobara City, Chiba Prefecture

Aired: 3/27/2025

A cabaret club in a local city. Driver Kitano Yuki (Honda Kyoya) works as the personal driver for the top cabaret club hostess Sugimoto Natsuki (Yoshida Rinne). One day, he clashes with the manager over Natsuki's absence without permission. Yuki visits Natsuki and finds out that it is the 49th day memorial service for her deceased mother. Natsuki, who has now sorted out her feelings, suggests that they quit the club together and leave the town in the kitchen car that the manager borrowed for shuttle service. While driving the kitchen car without any plan, Yuki and Natsuki happen to pass by a curry chain restaurant. When they enter the restaurant, they are hit with a shocking aroma of spices that is not found in chain restaurants! Then, a young man comes out of the kitchen shouting, "You're fired!" and runs out of the restaurant. It is Morita Akira (Okuno So), who is in charge of cooking at the restaurant.

2. Chinese-style pork curry with peanuts / Asahi City, Chiba Prefecture

Aired: 4/3/2025

Natsuki (Yoshida Rinne), who sees potential in Akira's (Okuno So) skills as a chef, suggests that they start a mobile curry sales business using a food truck. However, Yuki (Honda Kyoya) and Akira are not keen on the idea at all. They have very little money on hand. Natsuki uses her meager savings to force Yuki and Akira into the idea. Natsuki prepares the necessary items, Yuki applies for permission from the health center, and Akira reluctantly sets about procuring ingredients. When they stop at a supermarket, Akira stops in his tracks when he sees that peanuts, a local specialty, are being sold there. They somehow manage to get the store ready to open, and are ready to open in a good location! But just when they think it's empty, there are no customers, let alone passersby. Then Yuki comes up with the perfect place to sell the food.

3. Vietnamese coconut curry topped with fried catfish / Yoshikawa City, Saitama Prefecture

Aired: 4/10/2025

Natsuki Shokudo receives its first request. The request comes from a nursing home that regularly invites professional chefs to hold dinner parties, and they want them to serve delicious spicy curry. Natsuki (Yoshida Rinne) feels more sentimental about the request than anyone else, as she sees her late mother (Yagi Akiko) as a resident. However, the person in charge asks her to let them try the spices because she is not sure whether the elderly will like them. Akira (Okuno So), angry that the taste of the curry he makes is not trusted, runs out of the kitchen car. Yuki (Honda Kyoya) and Natsuki chase after Akira, but they cannot find him. When Natsuki gives up and returns to the kitchen car, she sees Akira! In fact, Akira has purchased catfish, a local specialty, and is thinking of a recipe that is easy for the elderly to eat. Catfish and curry unexpectedly go together perfectly, and the first request is a great success. Meanwhile, Natsuki has a certain thought in her mind.

4. Spicy chicken wing curry with pickled plum / Ogose Town, Saitama Prefecture

Aired: 4/17/2025

Although they received their first request, the business did not take off. As their operating funds continued to dwindle, the three decided to earn money through day labor. While Natsuki (Yoshida Rinne) worked part-time, Yuki (Honda Kyoya) tried to make money by playing pachinko, but failed miserably. Meanwhile, Akira (Okuno So) suggested that they set up an SNS account to advertise. They immediately received a direct mail. It was from a butcher shop whose client had been taken over by a major company. The wife (Kudo Ayano), unable to bear seeing the owner (Kozono Ryo) not working, asked them to buy their meat. After purchasing a large amount of good quality ingredients at low prices, the three discovered that the area they visited was famous for its plums.

5. Red snapper broth curry / Ito City, Shizuoka Prefecture

Aired: 4/24/2025

A new request comes in on SNS. The request is to make one serving of curry and if the client is satisfied, they will receive a reward. The three immediately head to the client's house, but Akira (Okuno So) freezes when he sees the name on the nameplate. It is the home of Shichigosanki Hana (Yui Ryoko), the head chef of the three-star restaurant where he used to work. Yuki (Honda Kyoya) and Natsuki (Yoshida Rinon) go inside to hear about the request, but the client asks them to bring the chef. Yuki goes to pick up Akira. When Yuki looks inside the kitchen car, he finds that Akira is gone...

6. Full of Refreshing Flavor! Squid and Lemon Curry / Ito City, Shizuoka Prefecture

Aired: 5/1/2025

Natsuki Shokudo receives a request to make curry for use as a prop in a movie shoot. Akira (Okuno So) refuses, saying that the curry he makes is not a prop, but the client, the director Oda (Takenaka Naoto), suggests that they don't care about appearances and won't remake the curry, as they are both professionals. Akira agrees to take on the job on this condition. Oda's request is for the "memorable taste" of the main character of the movie. Akira is troubled, but Yuki (Honda Kyoya) advises him to use a taste that is memorable to him. Akira then remembers his own childhood and is inspired by overnight dried squid to make a curry.

7. Oyama Tofu and Shiitake Mushroom Veggie Curry / Isehara City, Kanagawa Prefecture

Aired: 5/8/2025

As Natsuki Shokudo becomes popular, cook Akira (Okuno So) and waitress Natsuki (Yoshida Rinne) become hot topics on social media, while driver Yuki (Honda Kyoya) receives no attention and feels left out. He gets into an argument with Natsuki, who says she doesn't show him any appreciation, and Yuki announces he's quitting the restaurant and storms out. While drinking to drown his sorrows in the downtown area, Yuki meets snack bar hostess Ayaka (Hashimoto Manami) and they start drinking together. Ayaka senses something about Yuki, who has nowhere to go, and decides to take him under her wing. Meanwhile, Natsuki and Akira start a food truck business and start selling curry made with Oyama tofu that they found in the shopping district. Ayaka comes to them and tells them that she is living with Yuki.

8. Spicy Curry Udon Noodles / Fujiyoshida City, Yamanashi Prefecture

Aired: 5/15/2025

While on their way to their next business destination, the food truck breaks down. While it is being repaired, the three leave the car, with Akira sourcing ingredients, Natsuki promoting the restaurant, and Yuki doing his laundry at a laundromat. While Yuki is waiting for his laundry to finish, he meets the strangely dressed musician Mimura Tokio (Tama Shinya). Mimura left his band due to differences in direction, and ended up in town by chance. Seeing Tokio thinking about going somewhere far away, Yuki remembers his father, who was also a musician, and to cheer Mimura up, offers him a job working in a snack bar. On the way home, they ask the snack bar owner for directions on where they can operate a food truck. However, there is a condition that they must use "certain ingredients".

9. Beef and maitake mushroom pulao / Hinode Village, Tokyo

Aired: 5/22/2025

A famous food influencer likes Natsuki Shokudo's social media. Natsuki sees this as a great opportunity and decides to expand into the city. However, while on the way, he sees Tachibana Kaori collapse and tries to take her to the hospital, but..

10. Komatsuna Saag Chicken Curry / Edogawa-ku, Tokyo

Aired: 5/29/2025

As Natsuki Diner prepares to open a food truck in a park in the city center, Akira receives a call from Morita Food Services, a large company run by his father. As opening time approaches, Yuki and Natsuki wait, confident that Akira will return, but..