Joie (ジョア, Joa, pronounced "Juh-wa"; from the French word Joie, literally meaning "Joy") the Dark Chef (闇の料理人, Yami no Ryōrijin) is a legendary chef from long ago and one of the major antagonists of Toriko's Gourmet World Act. It was he who would have become the world's first "Super Cook", but due to his rule-breaking and dark deeds, his chances at fame were forever lost and his name was intentionally suppressed and buried in the annals of history.
He is the former personal chef of Darnil Kahn, the king of Jidar and is the leader of the secret organization known as NEO. He is the only man alive known to be able to completely remove the poison from a Poison Potato and is in possession of information related to many amazing ingredients including the phantasmal drink from Acacia's Full Course Menu, ATOM. Joie claims that the legendary "Chef Goddess" Froese is his "mother", but in truth he is a mysterious Food Spirit who took over Froese's body sometime after her death.
With the revelations of Joie's appearance and the identity of NEO revealed, the Dark Chef serves as one of the antagonist of the series during the second half of the Human World Act, and serves as a major antagonist during the events of the Gourmet World Act.