Mister Ajikko

 is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Daisuke Terasawa about a young boy cook.
It was later adapted into anime series, produced by TV Tokyo and Sunrise. The anime series was broadcast from 8 October 1987 to 28 September 1989 with a total of 99 episodes and one TV special. The broadcast time zone was Thursday from 19:30 to 20:00.
This work is known more for anime series than the original manga, and anime series attracted a lot of attention due to the exaggerated reaction of judges such as Ajiou. This exaggerated reaction is mentioned in Chibi Maruko-chan (original manga, 8th volume).
The series was unsuccessfully pitched for broadcast on the Food Network in the United States.
Plot.
Ajiyoshi Youichi is a culinary prodigy who manages a restaurant with his mother. One day, Murata Genjirou appears in the restaurant and is surprised at the delicious taste and delicate culinary skills of the katsu-don prepared by Youichi. Subsequently, Youichi is invited to the Ajiou (literally meaning taste emperor) Building in which he is involved in a spaghetti match with the in-house Italian chef, Marui. Youichi's novel culinary ideas, coupled with his enthusiasm of serving the best for his guests, allow him to defeat Marui in the match. From then on, Youichi begins to compete with other rivals in the race for the best tastes and dishes.
Characters.
Hinode Eatery.
Meaning "sunrise" the is a local restaurant in an unnamed part of Tokyo where Ajiou Company is also based. It serves cheap, simple Japanese fare and is largely patronized by working-class people, but as Youichi defeats more and more opponents, the winning dishes are added to the menu periodically.
Ajiou Company.
The is the largest conglomerate of chefs and cooks in the country. While it is never directly stated what the Ajiou Group does, it can be assumed they have restaurant chains, training schools, and other products related to cooking.
Aji Shougun Group.
The is a less reputable company similar to Ajiou; bent on driving many of the local restaurants (including Hinode) in Youichi's neighborhood out of business, having already forced Youichi's father to close of his former business - a traditional Japanese floating teahouse. Though they make good food, they also try to use flashy decorations or gimmicks like trailer trucks to attract more customers. Whenever one of members of this group shows up, the restaurant shop owner in danger usually comes to Youichi for help.
Other Rivals.
Youichi has many one off battles over the course of the series, however; there are several chefs whom he faces multiple times and considers to be personal rivals.