Focusing on the young protagonist Ban, an inspiring chef. The story begins as he lands a job in the kitchen of the popular Italian restaurant, Trattoria Baccanale. While having just finished culinary school, he quickly realized the workplace is like nothing he could ever be prepared for.
Starting from the bottom, the story progresses as he moves up the ladder, striving to earn a position as a cook for himself. The series really highlights what hard work and passion really is as no matter how far ahead Ban finds himself, everyone still calls him by his nickname Bambino meaning youngster. What makes this series so unique is that it displays a realistic reflection of the restaurant industry as well as gives a glimpse into the lives of the employees who work there. Unlike most cooking anime or manga that highlights the creative nature of chefs, Bambino highlights the hectic, fast-paced and the demanding workplace that is the kitchen. By no means is it ever a good workplace but a part of the pride of a cook is to be able to strive in such an environment and when it comes to creativity, it is maybe at best 10% of the job while the rest is all determination and hard work.
While I did say that Bambino displays a realistic portrayal of the industry, there are some parts that are a miss. It is a drama and there are parts that are less believable for the story's sake; however, it can still be entertaining.
Other then Ban the rest of the cast are made up of some rather interesting characters. From mentors to rivals, the story really takes its time to go into their personal life. The shit that some of them have to deal with and the choices they must make really displays the harshness of reality and how passion fits in with it.
