Iron Chef
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{{dablink|For the American version of this show, see [[Iron Chef America]].}}
[[Image:Iron Chef.JPG|thumb|right|All seven Iron Chefs and Chairman Kaga together in Kitchen Stadium. From left to right: Sakai, Ishinabe, Morimoto, Michiba, Chen, Nakamura, and Kobe]]
'''''Iron Chef''''' is a [[Japan]]ese television program produced by [[Fuji Television|FujiTV]]. The original Japanese title is {{nihongo|'''''Ironmen of Cooking'''''|料理の鉄人|Ryōri no Tetsujin}}.
The television show began airing on [[October 10]], [[1993]] as an hour-and a-half show with preliminary contests between Chefs, then final battles. After 23 episodes, it was shortened to a one-hour format, dropping the preliminary contests. The show ended on [[September 24]], [[1999]], but had television specials until [[2002]]. The series aired over 300 episodes.
The program has an eccentric flavor even for a [[game show]]. Its host is the flamboyant [[Takeshi Kaga]], known on the show as {{nihongo|'''Chairman Kaga'''|鹿賀 主宰|Kaga Shusai}}. Its production values are highlighted with extensive commentary made by two regular commentators and one to two guest commentators (who also serve as judges). The commentary presents thorough background information (e.g., ingredients, past history of contenders) to give a viewer context for what is happening in the kitchen; it also serves as entertainment, as friendly banter is shared among the four commentators.
The supposed "story" behind ''Iron Chef'' is played at the beginning of every episode. It is said that Kaga had "realised his dream in a form never seen before" and specially constructed a cooking arena called "Kitchen Stadium" in his castle. There, visiting chefs from "around the world" would compete against his Gourmet Academy, led by his three (later four) Iron Chefs. Chairman Kaga himself is a showpiece, dressed in outlandish examples of men's formal attire.
The English name ''Iron Chef'' comes from the show itself: Kaga would use this translation of the Japanese title when summoning his chefs at the beginning of the battle.
While always a success in [[Japan]], ''Iron Chef'' became a surprise cult favorite in the United States when it was picked up by the [[Food Network]] and [[dubbing (filmmaking)|dubbed]] in English. Much of the U.S. appeal was due to the dubbing, which gave the show a [[camp (style)|campy]] charm that evoked English-dubbed [[Cinema of China|Chinese]] [[kung fu movies]] of the 1970s. Audiences also found amusing some of the over-the-top culinary concoctions regularly featured on the show.
==Format==
{{TOCright}}
On each show, a challenger, typically a famous chef from [[Japan]] or elsewhere, is pitted against one of the Iron Chefs (with each Iron Chef specializing in a different kind of cuisine—[[Cuisine of Japan|Japanese]], [[Cuisine of China|Chinese]], [[Cuisine of France|French]], and later [[Cuisine of Italy|Italian]]). Although challengers appear to choose an opponent on the spot, the matchups are determined well beforehand, as sometimes the challengers, especially those from Japan, are asked to participate because of a rivalry with one of the Iron Chefs.
These are the Iron Chefs who have appeared on the show (some have retired and have been replaced by successor Iron Chefs) along with their records (win-loss-tie) [http://www.ironfans.net/faq/#win]:
* Iron Chef Chinese {{nihongo|[[Chen Kenichi]]|陳 建一|Chin Ken'ichi|67-22-3|75.3%}}
* Iron Chef French (I) {{nihongo|[[Yutaka Ishinabe]]|石鍋 裕|Ishinabe Yutaka|7-1-0|87.5%}}
* Iron Chef French (II) {{nihongo|[[Hiroyuki Sakai]]|坂井 宏行|Sakai Hiroyuki|70-15-1|82.4%}}
* Iron Chef Italian {{nihongo|[[Masahiko Kobe]]|神戸 勝彦|Kobe Masahiko|15-7-1|68.2%}}
* Iron Chef Japanese (I) {{nihongo|[[Rokusaburo Michiba]]|道場 六三郎|Michiba Rokusaburō|32-5-1|86.5%}}
* Iron Chef Japanese (II) {{nihongo|[[Koumei Nakamura]]|中村 孝明|Nakamura Kōmei|24-11-1|68.6%}}
* Iron Chef Japanese (III) {{nihongo|[[Masaharu Morimoto]]|森本 正治|Morimoto Masaharu|16-7-1|69.6%}}
Originally, challengers vied with each other in preliminary "battles" to earn the right to face an Iron Chef in a 90-minute competition, and should a challenger win twice against Iron Chefs, the challenger would be given the title of "Honorary Iron Chef." However, this format proved unpopular, the preliminary round was scrapped and the main contest was reduced to the now familiar 60 minutes. The awarding of honorary Iron Chef titles was also discontinued (although this was largely a moot point as few challengers ever defeated two Iron Chefs in separate contests), except as an emeritus title for a retiring Iron Chef. Once honorary titles were no longer issued, challengers who beat an Iron Chef had to settle for, according to the English version's introduction, "the people's ovation and fame forever."
In each episode, chefs have one hour to cook and improvise a multicourse meal around a theme ingredient that must be present in each dish. Before the actual taping, the chefs are given a short list of possible themes, allowing the producers of the show to get any ingredients that may be needed. Judges' primary goal was said to be determining which chef was able to "best express the unique qualities of the theme ingredient." In rare cases, the format changed—[[angler fish]] battles were typically 75 minutes in length, and [[noodle]] battles had the Iron Chef stop after 50 minutes of cooking, only to resume after the challenger's dishes were tasted so that the noodles could be served right after cooking.
Featured ingredients tend toward the exotic and expensive. Many theme ingredients reflect the Japanese origin of the show—river [[eel]], [[tofu]], [[udon]]—though ingredients more familiar in the West, such as [[bell pepper]]s, summer [[sweetcorn|corn]], and [[peach]]es, are spotlighted as well. In one episode devoted to [[asparagus]], the challenger boasted that he used over $1000 worth of [[lobster]] (which he then discarded) simply to flavor his asparagus in this battle against Iron Chef [[Masaharu Morimoto]]. In another episode, Iron Chef [[Hiroyuki Sakai]] made [[cod]] [[roe|soft roe]] [[ice cream]], which was pronounced inedible by the panel.
Initially, a minimum of three dishes were to be prepared, although some challengers have finished only a single dish; four is the typical number. The record for highest number of dishes prepared for a battle was eight, first set by challenger [[Kenji Kaji]] against [[Rokusaburo Michiba|Iron Chef Michiba]] in "Battle [[Umeboshi]]." Five (later six) servings of each dish are prepared: one each for the Chairman and judges, and one for photography and presentation.
Each chef is also given two assistants, who are supposedly students of Kaga's "Gourmet Academy" (in reality, they are students of [[Hattori Nutrition College]]). If the challenger does not speak Japanese, students who can speak in the challenger's native language are sometimes provided. In a notable exception, San Francisco chef [[Ron Siegel]] struggled with his assistants, who did not speak English. (One assistant, [[Kenichi Miyanaga]], became a challenger himself, taking on Iron Chef Morimoto in a [[sweetfish]] battle.)
Throughout the cook-off, running commentary is made in a booth near the cooking area by an announcer, [[Kenji Fukui]]; a commentator, [[Yukio Hattori]], and one or two of the guest judges, with one floor reporter (sometimes two; normally [[Shinichiro Ohta]]) providing details of the action in on each side. The commentators and judges discuss the style of cooking, culinary traditions and unusual food preparation. At the end of the hour, after end-of-battle interviews with both competitors, each dish is presented to the camera, with a description of its properties (written by the show's screenwriters based on the chef's explanation) read by the announcer. Then, a panel of three (later expanded to four and, later still, five) judges, of which typically one is a professional critic, tastes the dishes and judges them based on taste, presentation, and originality. Each chef may be awarded up to 20 points by each judge, with ten given for taste and five each for presentation and originality. The chef with the greatest score wins the competition.
Chairman Kaga tastes the dishes along with the judges. While he occasionally makes comments and seeks input from judges during tasting, he generally does not participate in scoring; he did, however, during the ''2000th Dish'' Battle. During this episode, a team of French cuisine chefs--captain [[Hiroyuki Sakai]], the original Iron Chef French [[Yutaka Ishinabe]] and [[Etsuo Joh]]--battled a team of Chinese cuisine chefs comprised of captain [[Chen Kenichi]], [[Sozo Myamoto]] and [[Yuji Wakiya]]. To break the tie, Chairman Kaga asked them to allow him this one instance of selfishness, and he cast his vote for the French team.
In the case of a deadlock (as was possible during the era of the four-judge panel), first place is awarded to the chef with the greater number of points. On the rare occasions that the scores were also tied, an immediate "overtime battle" was held to determine the winner. In overtime the chefs are given 30 minutes to prepare dishes with a different key ingredient, having to make do with what remains of their pantry or with items that were previously prepared for the main battle. The overtime battles are aired as a separate episode. On one occasion, the overtime battle itself resulted in a tie, prompting Chairman Kaga to declare both the Iron Chef and challenger winners <ref>This occurred during a challenge between Iron Chef [[Chen Kenichi]] and French challenger [[Dominique Corby]] of the [[Tour d'Argent]] in episode #IC1C16, where the main theme was [[foie gras]], and in episode #IC1C17 (overtime), where the theme was [[asparagus]].</ref>.
==Notable challengers==
Certain challengers have made repeat appearances, or have been particularly memorable.
(Japanese names are not in the traditional Japanese style [i.e. family name first] but have been written in standard European style [i.e. family name last].)
* [[Dominique Corby]] - a chef at la Tour d'Argent Tokyo, who fought iron chef Chen Kenichi in battle 300. He is the only competitor to have tied the Iron Chef twice - once initially and again in the overtime battle; he and Chen were subsequently declared joint winners of that battle.
* [[Alain Passard]] (Episodes 204 & 297) - Three star French chef and owner of L’Arpege, located in Paris. Ties Iron Chef Koumei Nakamura in the 1997 World Cup championship and was the final challenger in Kitchen Stadium, losing to Iron Chef Hiroyuki Sakai in the finals of the "King of Iron Chefs."
* {{nihongo|[[Kazuhiko Tei]]|程 一彦|Tei Kazuhiko|episode 6}} - First challenger to defeat an Iron Chef. The theme ingredient was [[octopus]].
* {{nihongo|[[Tadamichi Ohta]]|大田 忠道|Ōta Tadamichi|episode 110}} - Leader of the "Ohta Faction" (大田軍団) of traditional Japanese chefs. The Ohta Faction regularly challenged Iron Chef Morimoto and his neo-Japanese style (episodes 248, 252, 265, 272 (win), 276+277). Ohta Faction was the name used in the translated version shown on FoodTV. In the original Japanese version (shown in the U.S. and transcribed by the Iron Chef Reporter in southern California) the group is called ''Ohta’s Party of Heaven and Earth'' (OPHE; 大田天地の会).
* {{nihongo|[http://www.sanshoad.co.jp/kagata/ Kyoko Kagata]|加賀田 京子|Kagata Kyōko|episode 21}} - The first female chef to appear on the show, and the youngest chef to be victorious. Challenged Chen Kenichi. An interesting side note is that the second female challenger (episodes 42 and 65) also faced Chen. The second indirectly picked Chen because she allowed Kaga to pick for her. Chen lost to the first and second, and purportedly caught some flak from chef-friends of his. Chen fought another two female challengers in episodes 94 (Takemasa; Kandagawa's faction) and 251 (Kagata again) and won.
* {{nihongo|[[Toshiro Kandagawa]]|神田川 俊郎|Kandagawa Toshirō|episodes 17 (win), 60, 107, 214 (win), 301 (win)}} - Regular challenger who aligned himself with the Ohta Faction and often led his army of fellow chefs and protegés into Kitchen Stadium during challenges. Kandagawa has taken part in several battles wherein he supported apprentices to battle an Iron Chef (episodes 15, 16, 32, 40, 65, 77, 94, 119, 150, 185 (win)). Kandagawa also participated in several "battle special" episodes, including the '''21st Century Battle'''. Rokusaburo Michiba is his main rival.
* [[Bobby Flay]] (New York Battle and 21st Century Battle) — Flay entered into a bit of a rivalry with Iron Chef Japanese Morimoto during the show's special '''New York Battle'''. Flay complained that his side of the kitchen was poorly laid out (it was noted in an Iron Chef America "Behind the Scenes" episode that the kitchen was hastily set up in the provided forum). At one point Flay received an [[electric shock]], transmitted by a wet floor and faulty wiring, when he grabbed a metal pan on the range. When Flay stood triumphantly on his cutting board at the end of the battle, Morimoto declared that he was "not a chef" for disregarding the cleanliness of one's cutting board. Morimoto won, and Flay demanded a rematch. He got his wish, and his revenge, in the '''21st Century Battle''' in Japan, where, at battle's end, he tossed the cutting board off the counter before climbing on it, so as not to offend Morimoto again. Flay is now an Iron Chef alongside Morimoto on [[Iron Chef America]].
* [[Ron Siegel]] (Episode 250) - Then of Charles Nob Hill in San Francisco and currently Chef of the Dining Room at the Ritz-Carlton, also in San Francisco. In Battle Lobster, became the first American chef to defeat an Iron Chef (Hiroyuki Sakai).
* [[Michael Noble (chef)|Michael Noble]] (episode 284) - The first Canadian to appear on the program, challenging Morimoto in Battle Potato in 1999 and losing.
* {{nihongo|'''Serie A'''|セリエA|extra=also known as the "''Big Leaguers''"}} - A group of Italian chefs which named itself after [[Italy]]'s [[Serie A|top football league]] and frequently challenged Iron Chef Italian Kobe (i.e. [[Mario Frittoli]]; episode 223, [[Costantino Gemmoli]]; episode 264, [[Franco Kanthoniel]]; episode 275). No group member ever defeated Kobe, although one member did defeat Morimoto (pasta specialist [[Marco Paolo Molinari]] in a porcini mushroom battle; episode 257).
* {{nihongo|'''Club Mistral'''|クラブミストラル}} - A group of young specialists in French cuisine that targeted Iron Chef French Sakai in a similar fashion, although they took on Iron Chef Chinese Chen and Iron Chef French Ishinabe once each as well. Only one of them managed a win (Kazutaka Okabe (岡部 和隆) versus Sakai, in a lamb battle; episode 83) despite several attempts.
* '''[[Heichinrou]]''' (Episodes 255, 260, 262 (win)) - The oldest restaurant in [[Yokohama Chinatown]] sent three challengers to challenge Iron Chef Chinese Chen in 1999, losing two battles with Chinese ingredients before winning the final.
* {{nihongo|Dr. [[Yukio Hattori]]|服部 幸應|Hattori Yukio|episodes 26, 220}} - A [[gentlemen's agreement]] went on between the Chairman of Gourmet Academy (Kaga) and the President of Culinary Academy (Hattori) where the Doctor agreed to battle an Iron Chef. If he won, he would be given a spot alongside the Iron Chefs and if he lost he would keep working for Kaga. As he remained a commentator until the end of the series, one can easily deduce the outcome of that battle.
*'''Takashi Saito''' (not to be confused with [[Takashi Saito|the baseball player]]), top apprentice of [[Chen Kenmin]], and coach of Chen Kenichi. Chen beat his tutor in a prawn battle. Saito recreated Kenmin's original prawns in chili sauce, while Kenichi created his father's modern version of the dish (Canapé Style with ketchup).
*'''Keiichi Miyanaga''' (Episode 234) - a graduate of [[Hattori Nutrition College]], he was an assistant chef for several battles in Kitchen Stadium, and was eventually hired by Iron Chef Michiba after his retirement. He challenged Iron Chef Morimoto in a battle involving sweetfish.
*'''[[Yuji Wakiya]]''' (Episodes 33, 174 (win), 245) - A master of "neo-Chinese" cuisine, Wakiya lost to Iron Chef Sakai in Battle [[Sea Urchin]] but defeated Iron Chef Chen with [[papaya]]s. He later became part of Chen's team for the 2000th Dish Special.
*'''Junichi Itoh''' had one of the most interesting cooking styles in the world. He started French cooking at age 18 and left for France at age 28 to further his skills. However, he left for Italy three years later and joined [[Enoteca Pincchiori]], the same place [[Masahiko Kobe]] was trained. At age 32, he began training at a top Japanese restaurant to learn Japanese style cuisine. When he was 35, he opened his restaurant [[Herle Quin]] in Tokyo, Japan. His French-Italian-Japanese fusion style cooking led [[Takeshi Kaga]] to ask him to be a challenger. Itoh accepted and went to Kitchen Stadium with [[Asako Kishi]]. To everyone's surprise he chose Chen Kenichi as the opponent, saying he is interested in Chinese cuisine, but had never been trained at it. Kaga chose a difficult theme ingredient, plain yogurt. Itoh was smiling while Chen was under great pressure. However, according to Kishi's comments at the end, all of Itoh's dishes used the yogurt as a supporting ingredient instead of the main focus of the dish. This resulted in all four judges voting for Chen. (Surprisingly, Chen confusingly pointed to himself the moment Kaga announced him as the winner.)
* Female challengers include: [[Kyoko Kagata]], {{nihongo|[[Katsuyo Kobayashi]]|小林 カツ代|Kobayashi Katsuyo|episode 42 (win)}}, {{nihongo|[[Fuyuko Kondo]]|近藤 冬子|Kondō Fuyuko|episode 64}}, {{nihongo|[[Yoshie Urabe]]|卜部 吉恵|Urabe Yoshie|episode 65}}, {{nihongo|[[Yoshiko Takemasa]]|武政 佳子|Takemasa Yoshiko|episode 94}}, {{nihongo|[[Katsuko Nanao]]|七尾 かつ子|Nanao Katsuko|episode 130}}, [[Gillian Hirst]] (Australian; episode 182), {{nihongo|[[Kumiko Kobayashi]]|小林 久美子|Kobayashi Kumiko|episode 233}}, {{nihongo|[[Miyoko Sakai]]|酒井 美代子|Sakai Miyoko|episode 241}}, {{nihongo|[[Gyokubun Sai]]|崔 玉芬|Sai Gyokubun|episode 273 (win)}}, and [[Meisyuku Ri]], currently known as Myungsook Lee (李 明淑; episode 78; defeated by Chen).
==Notable judges==
Die hard fans note that a given show will be greatly influenced by the lineup of judges, which changes from show to show. A list of some of the more memorable judges includes:
(These names are not in the traditional [[East Asian]] style [i.e. family name first] but have been written in standard European style [i.e. family name last].)
* [[Joël Robuchon]], a famous French chef who was titled "Chef of the Century" by the guide Gault Millau.
* [[Akebono Taro|Akebono]], [[Yokozuna (sumo)|Yokozuna]]
* [[Jackie Chan]], actor, director, and martial artist
* [[Asako Kishi]], aka the "East German Judge", a food critic and nutritionist. By far the most frequently-appearing judge. Has tasted the most dishes (after Kaga, of course) according to the 2000th Plate Special Episode.
* [[Shinichiro Kurimoto]], politician ([[Diet of Japan|lower house]] member). Has made the second highest appearances as a judge, according to the 2000th Plate Special Episode.
* [[Toshiki Kaifu]], former [[Prime Minister of Japan]].
* [[Tenmei Kanoh]], photographer
* [[Chua Lam]], VP of [[Golden Harvest]]
* [[Kazuko Hosoki]], popular [[fortune teller]] and holder of the [[World Record]] for ''Most Best-selling Books'' (81 books)
* [[Korn (rapper)|Korn]], a Japanese rap artist
* [[Tamio Kageyama]], novelist (deceased)
* [[Yasushi Akimoto]], lyricist
* [[Kazuhiro Sasaki]], baseball player (then with [[Yokohama BayStars]], later with [[Seattle Mariners]], still later returned to BayStars)
* [[Nagisa Oshima]], film director
* [[Mayuko Takata]], actress, wife of [[Taro Hakase]], a [[violinist]]
* [[Julie Dreyfus]], French actress, also fluent in Japanese and English. Notably refused to eat one dish prepared by [[Toshiro Kandagawa]] because it contained whale meat.
* [[Ryuichi Sakamoto]], Japanese [[musician]], [[composer]], [[record producer|producer]] and [[actor]]
* [[Ukyo Katayama]], former [[Formula One]] driver
* [[Shigesato Itoi]], famous director, writer, producer and video game designer.
* [[Masaaki Hirano]], [[Rosanjin]] scholar
* [[Yoshiko Ishii]], [[chanson]] singer, typically substituted for Asako Kishi when she was unable to appear.
* [[Ryutaro Hashimoto]], former [[Prime Minister of Japan]], judge for the final battle.
* [[Kazushige Nagashima]], aka "Junior," former pro [[Baseball|baseball]] player and sports commentator
==Show staff==
* [[Kenji Fukui]], Announcer/Commentator (English voice: [[Bill Bickard]])
* Dr. [[Yukio Hattori]], Commentator (English voice: Scott Morris)
* [[Takeshi Kaga]] (''as Chairman Kaga''), Host (English voice: [[Duncan Hamilton (actor)|Duncan Hamilton]], [[Kent Frick]])
* [[Shinichiro Ohta]], Kitchen Reporter (English voice: [[Jeff Manning]])
* [[Dave Spector]] served as translator and commentator for "New York Special."
==Broadcast history==
The stage setting for the show, {{nihongo|"Kitchen Stadium"|キッチンスタジアム|Kitchin Sutajiamu}}, the high-quality (and sometimes very expensive) ingredients used in the cooking battles, and Kaga's extravagant [[costume]]s required the show to have a budget far higher than that of most other [[cooking show]]s. Some statistics: 893 portions of [[foie gras]], 54 [[Bream|sea breams]], 827 Ise [[shrimp]], 964 [[matsutake]] mushrooms, 4,593 [[egg (food)|eggs]], 1,489 [[truffles]], 4,651 grams of [[caviar]], and 84 pieces of [[shark]] fin were used during the show, bringing the total grocery bill to [[Yen|¥]]843,354,407<ref>Foreword by Takeshi Kaga, "''Iron Chef'':The Official Book" (Kaoru Hoketsu, translator) (Berkley Books, 2001)</ref> (or about [[United States dollar|$]]7,115,520). One of the most expensive battles was Battle [[Swiftlet#Culinary use|Swallow's Nest]], which ran over $40,000 solely for that ingredient, not counting large quantities of shark's fin; for the battle, the producers were permitted to return any unused portions to Hattori Nutrition College.
For the show's grand finale, the Iron Chefs faced off against each other with the winner to face French chef [[Alain Passard]], owner of Michelin three-star restaurant L’Arpege, with the winner dubbed the "King of Iron Chefs".
In the first round Iron Chef French Sakai defeated Iron Chef Japanese Morimoto in Battle Bell Pepper. The other first round match saw Iron Chef Chinese Chen defeat Iron Chef Italian Kobe in Battle Pork. In the semi-final match, Sakai defeated Chen in Battle Homard Lobster.
In the final match in Kitchen Stadium, with all of the current and previous Iron Chefs looking on, Iron Chef French Sakai defeated [[Alain Passard]] in Battle Ronkonkai Chicken. Thus, Hiroyuki Sakai was dubbed "King of Iron Chefs."
There were two reunion specials produced in [[2000]]. The first was "The Millennium Special"; the second was "New York Special", staged in a makeshift Kitchen Stadium at [[Webster Hall]] in New York City, and was the first appearance of Bobby Flay. Another reunion episode of the show (entitled "Iron Chef: 21st Century Battle") was produced and broadcast in [[2001]]. A final reunion episode was produced and broadcast in [[2002]], entitled "The Japan Cup".
The show was presented in the [[United States]] and [[Canada]] on the [[Food Network]], [[dubbing (filmmaking)|dubbed]] and/or [[Subtitle (captioning)|subtitled]] into [[English language|English]]. It is also broadcast on [[Special Broadcasting Service|SBS TV]] in [[Australia]]. In the case of SBS this is unusual as the network has a policy favouring in-house subtitling. It may be felt that the tone given to the show by its American dub is essential to its charms, heightened perhaps by the fact that in most episodes, the flamboyant Chairman is subtitled instead of dubbed.
The show is also currently being broadcasted on the [[Finland|Finnish]] channel [[SubTV]] and on the [[Sweden|Swedish]] channel TV400 ([[TV4 (Sweden)|TV4]]). ''Iron Chef'' was also broadcast on [[Challenge]] in the [[United Kingdom|UK]] in [[2003]] and [[2004]], as part of its "Japanese Christmas Cracker" and "Japanorama" strands.
The show is once again airing in the U.S. on the [[Fine Living]] Network as of May 5th, 2008; however, all the music has been changed, with none of the music from [[Backdraft (film)|Backdraft]] being used, largely due to legal rights of [[NBC Universal]]. The stations that have carried the series, Fine Living and Food Network, are owned by the [[E. W. Scripps Company]].
==Notable dishes==
During the 2,000th Dish Battle, Chairman Kaga selected the five best and three worst dishes from the history of the show.<ref> ''Iron Chef:2000th Dish Special'', Fuji Television Network, 1998</ref>
===5 Best Dishes===
* [[Prawns]] in Chili Sauce Canapé Style (Iron Chef [[Chen Kenichi]])
* [[Foie Gras]] and [[Flatfish]] with Citrus Sauce (Iron Chef [[Rokusaburo Michiba]])
* Foie Gras and Scallops in [[Cabbage]] (Challenger Hiromi Yamada)
* Sea Eel Royale with [[Truffle]] Sauce (Iron Chef [[Hiroyuki Sakai]])
* [[Scallop]] Salad with Vinaigrette Sauce (Challenger Maurice Guillouet)
===3 Worst Dishes===
* Smoked Asparagus Stick Salad (Iron Chef [[Masaharu Morimoto]]), the Asparagus was smoked so strong it tasted bitter and all judges commented negatively
* Potato Dumpling Soup (Iron Chef [[Komei Nakamura]]), the smell of Foie Gras killed the aroma of the Potatoes and nobody was able to finish it
* Soft Roe in Sake with Truffles (Challenger and commentator [[Yukio Hattori]]), gave [[Joël Robuchon]] the wrong impression of Japanese Sake
==Spin-offs==
===Iron Chef USA===
{{main|Iron Chef USA}}
The U.S. [[UPN]] network presented two one-hour episodes of ''[[Iron Chef USA]]'' hosted by [[William Shatner]] around Christmas 2001. These shows were neither a critical nor popular success, perhaps because the show focused little on cooking—a major part of the Japanese program. The show had a small audience section with bleachers, and the audience yelled relentlessly during the show (sounding much like a sports audience). Shatner walked around the kitchen sampling the more expensive items, the chefs refused to say what they were doing, and the cameras rarely showed the food preparation.
===Iron Chef America===
{{main|Iron Chef America}}
In [[2004]], Food Network announced that they would show an Iron Chef special, called "[[Iron Chef America]]: Battle of the Masters", featuring Sakai and Morimoto dueling with American Iron Chefs [[Bobby Flay]], [[Mario Batali]], and [[Wolfgang Puck]], all Food Network personalities and renowned [[United States|American]] [[celebrity chef]]s. (Morimoto and Flay battled in two previous Iron Chef specials that were made after the original series aired.) The specials featured [[Alton Brown]] as the announcer and [[Mark Dacascos]] playing the role of The Chairman. Even though both [[Todd English]] and [[Kerry Simon]] from ''Iron Chef USA'' have competed on ''Iron Chef America'', there has been no mention of their ICU tenure.
The show received high ratings and rave reviews and in October 2004, Food Network began taping weekly episodes that premiered starting in January 2005. Some changes were made to the show, most notably replacing Puck with Morimoto as an Iron Chef (and a fourth, [[Cat Cora]], was added later), and the location was moved from [[Los Angeles]] to [[New York City]]. The fifth Iron Chef, [[Michael Symon]], was added for his win in The Next Iron Chef.
===The Next Iron Chef===
{{main|The Next Iron Chef}}
In [[2007]], a competition was held to determine who among eight chefs would become the new Iron Chef. The show ran for six episodes, and followed the contestants through a series of eight culinary challenges taking place in the United States, France, and Germany. Contestants would be eliminated by a panel of judges at the end of each episode, until the final two chefs returned to the United States to compete in Kitchen Stadium. The final battle featured [[swordfish]] as the [[secret ingredient]], and was judged by Iron Chefs Flay, Cora, and Morimoto. Chef [[Michael Symon]] was declared the winner of the competition, and subsequently joined the cast of ''Iron Chef America''. <ref name="nextironchef">{{cite episode | title = Attain Greatness| series = The Next Iron Chef | serieslink = The Next Iron Chef | airdate = 2007-11-11 | season = 1 | number = 6}}</ref>
===Krav Sakinim===
In [[2007]], [[Krav Sakinim]] ({{lang-he|קרב סכינים}}, Knife Fight), a show based on Iron Chef, began airing on [[Israel]]'s [[Israel 10|Channel 10]]. Each episode features a different prominent Israeli chef, who competes against one of the show's featured foreign chefs. All Israeli winners compete against one another in the finals and the winner competes against a foreign chef for the title of season champion. Season 1 featured only [[France|French]] chef [[Stéphane Froidevaux]], who won the season's finale, while season 2 saw the inclusion of [[Italy|Italian]] chef [[Alfredo Russo]]<ref>[http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/960454.html One dish too many], Haaretz, Retrieved [[March 19]], [[2008]]</ref>, meaning both [[Michelin Guide|Michelin star]] holders would have to compete against each other for a spot in the final bout. The show is actively hosted by actor [[Oded Menashe]] and the regular commentators are chef [[Yaron Kastenboim]] and catering company owner Ran Shmueli. While in season 1, the panel of judges was made up mostly of celebrities from the entertainment industry, season 2 features renowned persons from the culinary industry, such as restaurant critics and chefs. The competitors prepare a three-course meal, with each dish given a score of up to 10 points by each member of the panel and commentators, accumulating up to 150 points per chef (compared to 90 points in season 1, where the commentators had relatively more points to give).
===Video game===
An ''Iron Chef America'' [[video game]], titled ''Iron Chef America: Supreme Cuisine'', is currently being developed for the [[Wii]] and [[Nintendo DS]] by Black Lantern Studios. It will be published by [[Destineer]]. The game will feature "a series of fast-paced and intense culinary challenges" and include the likeness of Mark Dacascos.<ref>[http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/10/iron-chef-america-supreme-cuisine-officially-cooked-up-for-wii/ Iron Chef America: Supreme Cuisine officially cooked up for Wii, DS], Joystiq, Retrieved [[March 10]], [[2008]]</ref>
It is expected to be released in the second quarter of [[2008]].<ref>[http://www.siliconera.com/2008/01/02/rumor-confirmed-an-iron-chef-game-is-in-the-oven/ Rumor confirmed: An Iron Chef game is in the oven], Siliconera, Retrieved [[January 3]], [[2008]]</ref><ref>[http://gonintendo.com/?p=32857 Another confirmation of the Iron Chef Wii game], Go Nintendo, Retrieved [[January 8]], [[2008]]</ref>
==Footnotes==
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==See also==
* [[Dotch Cooking Show]]
* [[Iron Chef America]]
* [[Top Chef]]
==External links==
* [http://www.foodtv.com/food/show_ic/0,1976,FOOD_9970,00.html Food Network site]
* [http://nylon.net/ironchef The Iron Chef Exchange]
* [http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~yl8h-ksg/ Japanese fan site] (in Japanese)
* [http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~yl8h-ksg/E-index.html Japanese fan site] (in English)
* [http://www.ironfans.net Iron Fans Online] (in English)
* {{imdb title|id=0220265|title=Ryori no tetsujin}}
[[Category:Japanese television series]]
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