<Tr> <Th> 37 </Th> <Td> 13 </Td> <Td> "Pomp & Circumstance" / "Pomp and Circumstance" "Ifudōdō" (威風 堂々) </Td> <Td> September 24, 2016 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="4"> At the end of the pre-open's final day, Shinomiya calls in his fellow alumni, along with his mother, for one final service, recalling what inspired him to pursue French cuisine . As the competition finally arrives, Soma uses about everything he's learned to put together a French take on a chicken and egg rice bowl using a quail stuffed with risotto . Despite ultimately deciding that dish isn't good enough as it is, Shinomiya helps Soma refine his recipé so that it can become an item on his menu, leading Soma to pass the Stagiaire . With the Stagiaire over, Soma returns to Totsuki, ready to take on anyone who challenges him to a Shokugeki . </Td> </Tr> <Table> <Tr> <Th> No. in series </Th> <Th> No. in season </Th> <Th> Title </Th> <Th> Original air date </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 38 </Th> <Td> </Td> <Td> "Challenging the Elite Ten" "Jukketsu ni Idomu" (十 傑 に 挑む) </Td> <Td> October 4, 2017 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="4"> In response to Kuga's condescending provocation at the Autumn Leaves Viewing, Soma decides to show off his cooking prowess in the upcoming Moon Festival which involves the setting up booths by groups or individuals on school grounds . Deciding to go up against Kuga directly, Soma approaches Miyoko Hojo, who also specialises in Chinese cuisine like Kuga . Miyoko explains that while she specialises in all forms of Chinese cuisine, Kuga's focus is on Sichuan spicy cuisine, and takes him to his mainstay, the Chinese Cuisine Research Society . Soma is shocked to see many chefs working in perfect unison and precision, trained all by Kuga himself . After tasting ten identical speciality dishes of mapo tofu, Soma gets more determined than ever to beat Kuga, going up front against him by claiming the booth area directly in front of his, and serving Chinese cuisine as well . Just as Soma submits his application form, Erina reveals to him that he will get expelled if his booth loses money, much to Soma's disbelief . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 39 </Th> <Td> </Td> <Td> "Má and Là" "Mā to Rā" (『 麻 』 と 『 辣 』) </Td> <Td> October 11, 2017 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="4"> The preparation for the Moon Festival is abuzz with Soma's indirect declaration of war on Kuga . This prompts the initially apathetic Alice to join in the festival, by capitalising on Jun's maternal instinct to include her and Ryo in the booth run by Shiomi Seminar, much to the annoyance of Hayama . After involuntarily tasting Soma's version of mapo tofu, Erina superciliously explains to him the concept of ` Má' (麻, lit . hot) and ` là (辣, lit . spiciness) in Sichuan cuisine, unintentionally giving Soma useful information, while Alice and Hisako explain that spiciness works on vanilloids receptors different from the sense of taste, rather on the sense of pain, which has addictive and medicinal effects . Back at the dorm, Soma starts experimenting with Megumi to catch up with Kuga's level; but ended up just making overly spicy dishes . The next day, Hojo lends them the Chinese department's open clay pot oven and they plan to make Hujiao bing to attract customers with its unique method of cooking . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 40 </Th> <Td> </Td> <Td> "Moon Festival" "Gekkyōsai" (月 饗 祭) </Td> <Td> October 18, 2017 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="4"> The first day of the Moon Festival commences and Kuga's restaurant immediately gets a long line of customers, while Soma manages to impress the few he is getting . The booths run by Isshiki and the Polar Star Dormitory, the Don RS by Ikumi and the pop - up Trattoria Aldini by the Aldini brothers all seem to be going well . By the end of the day, Kuga's restaurant has clinched first place in terms of sales in the Central area, and the only two booths that lost money were Soma's and Shiomi Seminar's, leaving Erina appalled as they were all competitors who made it to the main tournament of the Autumn Elections . Day 2 passes and Kuga's restaurant takes the first place again, while Soma manages to climb up five rungs from last place with the introduction of a new noodle dish created by slicing up the dough for the Hujiao bing into noodles and pairing them with garlic, shrimp stock, and the ground pork filling, improvising from ta - a noodles . Meanwhile, Alice decides to start over and cooperate with Hayama to make a dish that will satisfy customers . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 41 </Th> <Td> </Td> <Td> "A Pride of Young Lions" "Wakaki Shishi - tachi no Mure" (若き 獅子 たち の 群れ) </Td> <Td> October 25, 2017 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="4"> Day 3 passes without much improvement and Soma notices that even though Kuga is getting steady business, the long waiting time and the requirement for quick eating at peak times frustrates the diners . With Tomita's help on Day 4, Soma adds tables and chairs to his booth . Soma adds a remade version of his Yukihira - version of mapo tofu by adding noodles and a giant mystery meatball with curry in it . Its aroma and intriguing appearance appeals to Kuga's frustrated customers and slowly but surely, they begin to defect to his booth . Just as customer numbers begin to get out - of - hand, Mimasaka comes to help after image - training at Soma's restaurant . As Megumi handles customer service and evening falls, their friends from other booths and members of Megumi's Regional Cuisine RS arrive to help cook and draw in more customers respectively . Together, they pass Day 4 and defeat Kuga's restaurant in terms of sales in that area, clinching first place . Shiomi Seminar's booth also finally manages to attract customers and make up for their losses . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 42 </Th> <Td> 5 </Td> <Td> "The Darkening Dinner Table" "Kageri Yuku Shokutaku" (翳り ゆく 食卓) </Td> <Td> November 1, 2017 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="4"> Kuga beats Soma again on the 5th and last day of the Moon Festival, but he is not satisfied . A flashback reveals how Kuga had also challenged the Elite Ten as a first - year at the previous Autumn Leaves Viewing, with Tsukasa Eishi surprisingly accepting . While Kuga lost, he made a deal with Tsukasa: if Kuga clinched first place in sales in the Central area every day of the Moon Festival, just like Tsukasa did the previous year, they should have a rematch . Both sides lost, as Soma also didn't achieve his goal of beating Kuga in total sales . For consolation, 2nd Seat Rindou Kobayashi reserves a table for Soma and Megumi at Tsukasa's booth, consisting of a nine - course meal, all prepared by Tsukasa himself . Intrigued by the different level of dining the uptown area offers, Soma facetiously visits Erina's booth; only to find the Erina trembling in fear and her diners shocked by the unexpected appearance of her elitist father, Azami Nakiri . Soma and Megumi witness Azami mocking the gourmands that have come to taste Erina's food, and declaring himself the new headmaster of Totsuki, ousting Senzaemon after revealing that he has the support of 6 members of the Elite Ten . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 43 </Th> <Td> 6 </Td> <Td> "The Imprisoned Queen" "Toraware no Joō" (囚われ の 女王) </Td> <Td> November 8, 2017 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="4"> Gin and Joichiro meet coincidentally after many years, and in the midst of their reunion, Gin is informed of the replacement of Senzaemon by Azami, who was revealed to be the 3rd Seat behind the two of them . The news of Azami's new posting spreads like wildfire around the school, much to the shock of the students and the public . Azami dismisses Hisako from her post as Erina's secretary, with Erina unable to object . Sanzaemon meets with Soma, and the former director reflects on Erina's childhood as a happy little girl and how she was brainwashed, abused, and isolated by Azami to polish her "God's Tongue" to what it is today, leaving her traumatized by his presence . Azami also ripped up all the letters Alice sent from Scandinavia . Azami was exiled, but continues to build his strong base in other parts of the world . Although Soma seemed asympathetic about Erina's situation, he reiterates to Senzaemon his vow from when he first met Erina: to make her say his food is delicious . As Erina begins to despair alone in her room, Alice, Ryo and Hisako arrive to break her out of the Nakiri estate, and ultimately find refuge for her at Polar Star Dormitory . Upon learning about her past, the other residents' accepted Erina as part of the dorm . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 44 </Th> <Td> 7 </Td> <Td> "It Begins" "Hibuta wa Kirareta" (火蓋 は 切 られ た) </Td> <Td> November 15, 2017 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="4"> Azami announces the disbandment of all research societies and independent bodies in Totsuki, much to the horror of the student body and staff, and the formation of the Central Gourmet Society, or Central for short, a new authoritarian body that will decide what students should cook and create . Ninth seat, Eizan Etsuya, arrives at the Polar Star dorm with his goons to announce its closure . However, Soma explicitly asks if a Shokugeki can overturn the decision . In response, Eizan accepts and broadcasts live a Shokugeki with Kabutoyama Tetsuji, head of the Skewer Research Society, only to reveal that he has bribed the judges, and nefariously declares that the Shokugeki is dead . While the dorm residents lament their fate, Soma obstinately issues a Shokugeki challenge to Eizan for the survival of the dorm . As their Shokugeki begins, Eizan secretly directs his men to forcibly vacate the dorm, aggravating Soma . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 45 </Th> <Td> 8 </Td> <Td> "The Alchemist" "Arukimisuta" (錬金術 師 (アルキミスタ)) </Td> <Td> November 22, 2017 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="4"> Soma refuses to be intimidated by Eizan's tactics and continues cooking, infuriating Eizan . Meanwhile, the Polar Star dorm residents band together and repel Eizan's thugs . After further taunts from Soma, Eizan finally decides to cook seriously . With Satsuma Jidori Chicken as the theme, Eizan serves a Hainanese chicken rice dish that impresses both the judges and Soma . Soma responds with a special chicken wingtip gyoza dish that uses pork fat, parmesan cheese, and ketchup as special ingredients . He dares Eizan to try his dish, and as Eizan takes a bite, he reluctantly acknowledges that Soma's dish tastes good . Seeing Eizan's reaction and tempted by the smell of the food, the judges cautiously and curiously tastes Soma's dish . Amazed by its unique delicious flavor, despite unorthodox cooking methods, the judges vote unanimously for Soma . Eizan is forced to admit defeat, and Soma declares to the school that he will battle anybody who threatens his friends and Polar Star, including the Elite Ten . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 46 </Th> <Td> 9 </Td> <Td> "Hunting the Survivors" "Zantō gari" (残党 狩り) </Td> <Td> November 29, 2017 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="4"> With Soma's victory, Eizan's thugs are called off and Polar Star is saved . The residents celebrates the victory, along with Erina, Hisako, Takumi, and Isami . Isshiki then arrives and explains that thanks to Soma's victory, Central is now allowing school organizations to issue shokugeki requests which will be overseen by neutral judges . Several days later, Isshiki is dismissed from the Elite Ten, along with Kuga and 3rd seat Megishima, as they voted against Azami's installation . Meanwhile, the rest of the Elite Ten and other Central members begin to "hunt the survivors" by defeating the other school societies in their Shokugeki matches . Soma and his friends decide to observe the matches in order to gain intelligence on their potential opponents . As all clubs lost their matches to Central, Alice and Ryo arrive for the final Shokugeki of the day . Alice explains that she had inadvertently become the head of the Cutting Edge Cuisine RS, making her target in the hunt . Ryo accepted the challenge on her behalf, and prepares to face off against Central member Kusunoki Rentaro, with the main ingredient being salmon . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 47 </Th> <Td> 10 </Td> <Td> "The Salmon Will Dance" "Sake wa Odoru" (鮭 は 踊る) </Td> <Td> December 6, 2017 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="4"> As Ryo prepares his dish, it is revealed that Rentaro is an expert in low temperature cooking and makes use of a combi steamer and cryomill to create a salmon confit flamme with a side of salmon ice cream . Ryo responds by baking a coulibiac . As the judges deliberate on which dish is better, Rentaro impetuously boasts that he had submerged his salmon in olive oil while cooking it, which would prevent any of the moisture from escaping the meat and therefore preserving all of its flavor . However, the judges declares that Ryo's dish is superior . Ryo reveals that he had inserted a spinach crêpe, and a special spice mix he learnt from his stagiaire experience in a curry restaurant, into his coulibiac . In addition, Ryo's blend of various uneven flavors together accentuated the taste of his salmon, giving a dynamic sensation far better than Rentaro's salmon . Ryo was declared the winner, as Azami enters the arena . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 48 </Th> <Td> 11 </Td> <Td> "Der Weiße Ritter der Tafel" "Shokutaku no Shiro Kishi" (食卓 の 白 騎士) </Td> <Td> December 13, 2017 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="4"> Erina shows up at the arena just as Alice berates Azami publicly, and tells Erina to stand up for herself . The next day, Soma volunteers to be Tsukasa Eishi's sous chef during class, impressing Tsukasa with his advanced skills . At the end of the class, Tsukasa arrogantly offers Soma to join Central as his assistant, and Soma blatantly refuses . Tsukasa then challenges Soma to an informal Shokugeki and wagers his position as first seat, in return for Soma joining Central if he loses, while Erina, Hisako, and Megumi hide and watch from a distance . Soma then asks Tsukasa what Azami and Central's true plans are, and he reveals that Azami's ultimate long - term goal is to eliminate all restaurants in Japan and replace them with the fine dining gourmet eateries that only he approves of . Realizing that this means the end of many local restaurants, such as Yukihira Diner, Soma resolves to beat Tsukasa so he won't be forced to join Central . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 49 </Th> <Td> 12 </Td> <Td> "The One Who Aims for the Summit" "Itadaki wo Mezasu Mono" (頂 を 目指す 者) </Td> <Td> December 20, 2017 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="4"> Soma and Tsukasa finish their dishes, with Soma making a charcoal grilled venison thigh with sweet chestnut sauce, while Tsukasa makes roast venison back strap with peppercorn and berry sauce . Erina, Hisako, and Megumi act as judges and they reluctantly declare Tsukasa's dish as superior . However, Tsukasa changes his mind and decides not to force Soma into Central, citing how Soma's unorthodox and non-wavering cooking style will actually hinder him . The second Survivor Hunt begins a few days later, with Megumi, Ikumi, and Marui managing to save their respective clubs . That night, Azami pays a visit to Polar Star, where he is coldly received . As he leaves, Soma confronts Azami, who reveals that he was part of the Polar Star's Golden Generation, and he revered Joichiro and his cooking . Soma then tells Azami that Joichiro is his father, right as Erina walks in on the conversation, shocking both of them . Intrigued and curious, Azami then arrogantly declares the revolution he is planning is meant to bring down the food culture that "ruined" Joichiro, leaving both Soma and Erina wondering what happened between Joichiro and Azami . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 50 </Th> <Td> 13 </Td> <Td> "Advancement Exam" "Shinkyū Shiken" (進級 試験) </Td> <Td> April 9, 2018 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="4"> Tsukasa announces that with the end of the second semester, the Advancement Exam will take place for first year students . However, unlike past exams, all students are guaranteed to pass if they stick to the curriculum and follow Central's orders . Soma and his friends realize that Central will be using the Advancement Exam to eliminate all of the rebels who oppose Azami . As the Polar Star residents begin to lose hope at the situation, Erina visits Soma and confides to him that it was Joichiro's cooking that inspired her to be a chef, but with Azami's return, she's become conflicted over whether she truly wants to cook or not . Soma decides to inspire Erina again by cooking a special Yukihira dish: a tempura bowl that utilizes a fried frozen egg . Upon tasting it, Erina is reminded of how happy she felt tasting Joichiro's cooking and resolves to oppose Azami . Coming up with a plan, she leaves without telling Soma how his dish tasted . The next morning, Erina gathers all of the Polar Star residents and tells them that she will help them all pass the Advancement Exam . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 51 </Th> <Td> 14 </Td> <Td> "Onward on the Totsuki Train" "Tōtsuki - ressha wa Iku" (遠 月 列車 は 行) </Td> <Td> April 16, 2018 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="4"> Erina tells the Polar Star residents that the Advancement Exam will take place in Hokkaido, with the students traveling from the south end of the island to the north as they clear the stages of the exam . She then spends the next week teaching Polar Star everything she knows about Hokkaido ingredients and cuisine . On the day of the first stage of the Exam, all of the students are separated into teams, with Soma being teamed with Megumi, Alice, Ryo, and Yoshino . The first stage requires that teams prepare a single salmon dish, but Soma's team is deliberately given the lowest quality salmon . Since salmon is out of season in the winter, there is no way to get a fresh one through regular means . However, thanks to Erina's lessons, Soma's team remember that salmon can be frozen in brine when they are caught in the summer, preserving their flavor in the winter . They manage to procure one such salmon from a local vendor and prepare a Yuan - style Grilled Tokishirazu Salmon dish, which is so delicious that the judge has no choice but to allow them to pass . In addition, the other rebel teams manage to overcome Central's interference . The students then proceed to the second stage of the Exam on a special train . Soma visits Erina during the night and they catch a view of the starry night sky . Erina realizes that she no longer feels annoyed while she's in Soma's presence . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 52 </Th> <Td> 15 </Td> <Td> "Jeanne d'Arc Rises" "Tachiagaru Onna Kishi" (立ち上がる 女 騎士) </Td> <Td> April 23, 2018 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="4"> Soma and his friends arrive in Sapporo for the second stage of the exam, where they are tasked with making a noodle dish . However, the test is designed so that the rebels must go last, meaning that most of the ingredients have been used up by the other students and the arrival of a heavy blizzard prevents them from getting more from the outside . Regardless, Soma and his friends remember Erina's lessons and use leftover potatoes to make gosetsu udon . The examiner reluctantly lets them pass, noting how Erina has rallied the rebels under her leadership . The students then are allowed to explore Sapporo, and Erina takes the time to fully appreciate the new friends she's made . When they return to the train, they find out that the rebels have been split up on separate trains . Soma, Erina, Megumi, and Takumi, find themselves on a train with Rindou, who informs them that their next challenge is to defeat the newest Elite 10 member, Akira . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 53 </Th> <Td> 16 </Td> <Td> "Revenge Match" "Ribenji Matchi" (リベンジ ・ マッチ) </Td> <Td> April 30, 2018 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="4"> Soma is tasked with facing against Akira for the next stage in the exam, and Dojima arrives to judge, announcing that the theme ingredient will be bear meat . Soma quickly learns that bear meat is more difficult to cook than other meats due to the strong smell and gamey taste it produces, which gives Akira the advantage . Kuga then arrives and assists Soma by providing him a number of spices to work with, and Soma heads out into the mountains to observe the habitat of a bear when he figures out that he can use schisandra berries to counter the smell of the bear meat . However, Akira arrives and shows how he has already come up with the optimal spice mix to counter the smell, incorporating Cajun spices . He then further boasts that he will defeat Soma for a third time, just like in the Autumn Elections . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 54 </Th> <Td> 17 </Td> <Td> "The Umami Tightrope" "Umami no Tsunawatari" (旨味 の 綱渡り) </Td> <Td> May 7, 2018 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="4"> Soma talks with Dojima, who reveals that Akira was coerced into joining Central due to Azami holding all of Shiomi's research hostage, and the only way Akira could save Shiomi's career is to defeat to Soma . Angered, Soma chastises Akira for giving up to Azami so easily and challenges him to not to hold back . Meanwhile, the rest of the rebels with the exception of Erina are forced to face off against other members of the Elite 10 as well, and Kuga points out that it is unrealistic to expect all of them to pass . The third stage of the exam begins and both Soma and Akira decide to create fried bear dishes . Akira prepares a special sauce incorporating cajun spice and juniper berries, which alone is enough to impress the judges . Soma finishes his dish first, a fried bear meat cutlet, which impresses the judges due to the perfect taste and how Soma was willing to take a risk by using the smelliest, yet tastiest parts of the bear . However, Akira then presents his own dish, which everyone stares at in awe . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 55 </Th> <Td> 18 </Td> <Td> "For Whom" "Dare ga Tame ni" (誰が 為 に) </Td> <Td> May 14, 2018 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="4"> The judges taste Akira's chicken fried bear, and conclude that it is superior to Soma's cutlet, but they must also test the accompanying sauces . Akira's juniper berry gravy is powerful, but Soma creates a superior sauce using caramelized honey and balsamic vinegar . The final vote is close, but is ultimately decided in Soma's favor due to his particular use of honey from an amur cork tree, which Soma had figured out through trial and error and scouring the nearby mountains for potential ingredients . After being chastised by Dojima, Shiomi, and Soma, Akira comes to realize that he had lost sight of why he wanted to cook in the first place when he joined Central, as he had genuinely enjoyed cooking with his classmates and friends . Afterwards, one of Azami's aides arrives and informs Akira that he has been expelled from the school due to his loss . In addition, a number of the rebels have also lost their matches and been expelled . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 56 </Th> <Td> 19 </Td> <Td> "Declaration of War" "Sensen Fukoku" (宣戦 布告) </Td> <Td> May 21, 2018 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="4"> With the exception of Soma, Erina, Megumi, and Takumi, all of the rebels lose their matches against the Elite 10 and are expelled . They decide that the only way to overturn the expulsions is to challenge the Elite 10 to a shokgeki and win their seats, but they do not have anything to offer to Azami to convince him to agree to the challenge . Joichiro and Senzaemon then arrive and propose a team Shokugeki called a Regiment de Cuisine . Joichiro offers to join Central if his team loses . Tempted by Joichiro's offer, Azami agrees . Joichiro, Sanzaemon, and Dojima then proceed to personally train Soma and his friends, starting with a 3v3 cooking match with Joichiro, Soma, and Erina competing against Dojima, Megumi, and Takumi to cook Hachis Parmentier with an additional rule that nobody may speak to one another . In addition, both Joichiro and Dojima take steps that diverge from the standard hachis parmentier recipe to further test Soma and his friends . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 57 </Th> <Td> 20 </Td> <Td> "Erina's Diligent Studies" "Erina no Kensan" (えりな の 研鑽) </Td> <Td> May 28, 2018 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="4"> Soma, Erina, Megumi, and Takumi quickly catch on to what Joichiro and Dojima intend to do with their dishes and both teams manage to complete their own unique take on hachis parmentier . However, instead of judging the dishes traditionally, Senzaemon has both teams taste each other's dishes and decide on winner among themselves . Upon tasting each other's dishes, both teams insist that the other is the winner, and Senzaemon declares it a draw, pointing out how the exercise was successful in fostering teamwork among them and convincing Erina to leave her comfort zone and improvise in the kitchen . The group then goes to meet Azami to finalize the rules of the Team Shokugeki, with both sides agreeing that the rebels will take the Elite 10 seats if they win, or be expelled and have Joichiro join Central if they lose . However, Azami attempts to pressure Erina into siding with the Elite 10 since she is still a member . After some hesitation, Erina resigns from her seat and decides to join the rebel team . Azami adds one final condition that if the rebels lose, then Erina must join Central as well . With the rules decided, both sides leave to prepare for the upcoming showdown . </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Th> No. in series </Th> <Th> No. in season </Th> <Th> Title </Th> <Th> Original air date </Th> </Tr>

When does shokugeki no soma season 3 return