He’s young, brash but has an excellent pallet and culinary understanding. His father, Kaibara Yuzan, is also his biggest critic and competition creating a similar menu for a rival paper. His criticism of his son is both harsh and at times fair and just part of the somewhat lazy Yamaoka’s challenges as he travels and samples those rare and ordinary Japanese cuisine to create the ultimate menu. These stories are just a part of his journey and show the challenges faced when tasked with creating The Ultimate Menu.