Despite the hurdles and despair you face, you continue on because that is what it means to move forward
While some people perceive the way they can move forward through paths that manifest in front of them, Souma is able to transcend such a constructed perception and instead sees an open sky, one in which he is free to go where-ever he desires. That ability of Souma really does make him immensely enjoyable to watch, especially seeing how he takes existing dishes and evolves it further with that unrestrained mind he has.
Erina made an extremely valid point in chapter 85 concerning the different food settings in which food is tasted in. In an high-class environment, a chef really does need to maximise the effect of their dishes flavour in the “first bite” whereas with general restaurants, it is perfectly fine to spread that over the whole dish so the customer doesn’t get tired of the food and is able to eat the whole meal. Like Souma initially, I wasn’t conscious of this difference in food settings, but it makes total sense.
For Souma to be able to continue constructing his dish even when cooking during the challenge is something incredibly amazing, how strong spirit and mind does he have to be able to overcome the pressure and panic one would feel in such a situation. The way Souma views the world and cooking is quite spectacular and fascinating.
To be able to take everything he has learned so far and apply it to his cooking, what a talent Souma is
I was wondering how Souma would go about surpassing his Beef Stew dish he created when he was younger and while I had expected Souma to change how he handles the meat, I honestly did not expect him to create an amusement attraction of different types of beef with his dish. Being able to take into account how Subaru would read him and take his beef stew dish one step further, Souma was completely aware of how Subaru would read him and react and in turn Souma came up with a way that surpassed his previous dish and Subaru’s all the while conveying exactly the type of chef he is (refreshing and unique). I also have to admit, “Yukihee-Land” looks and sounds like one amazing amusement park! (Lucky judges).
Souma inspiring Subaru to continue cooking even after the ‘disgraceful’ defeat Subaru suffered was a great touch to conclude the battle, I now look forward to seeing how the “reborn” Subaru would comeback into the story once he learns to dedicate his energy towards creating original dishes. Subaru is a skilled chef no doubt, so it will be interesting to see what he can accomplish once he directs his efforts and talents towards a more productive and positive goal. With the Akira vs Ryou match beginning, it will exciting to see who ends up facing Souma in the final of the Autumn Election.
12Dimension 
October 22, 2014 at 2:22 pm
Some things I’d like to note is that I wonder if this ‘redemption’ of Subaru will play a big factor in Souma’s inevitable confrontation with Eizan in the future. Eizan’ didn’t have much face time during this arc so I wonder what his reaction to this result will be.
Also, glad to see Erina get a bit more involved in the story, I hope it isn’t just a cameo appearance in this arc only and that she makes consistent appearances with the rest of the main cast and go through some character development in her interactions with them, especially with Souma. Hisako leaving on her journey was probably the best thing to happen for that in a sense, given it removes one of those social barriers that would normally cut Erina off from such casual meetings due to her higher social stature.