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I'm going back in time quite a ways in the timeline, but there's a very good reason for that.
Yes, you're reading that right. Episode 1, as in the very first Iron Chef episode to air anywhere in the world. It was recently rebroadcast in Japan on a premium channel (as a companion to the new series, I suppose), as have been many classic episodes never before seen in the United States. Now, thanks to the wonderful Iron Chef Collection, I can dutifully recap this very special episode here.
Note: I'm watching the original Japanese--no subs, no dubs. So I'm trying as best I can in what little Japanese I understand. I'll admit I've learned a lot just from watching this show, but I've got a long way to go.
That being said...on with the show!
BATTLE DATA FILE
Episode: 1
Japan Original Airdate: 10/10/1993
The format of these first episodes was slightly different from what we know today...more on that in a little while. Meanwhile, Kaga's first monologue begins in his library. He mentions Béchamel from France, Enbai from China, and Rosanjin from Japan--three great chefs of the world. We get an interesting shot of what appears to be concept art for what we've come to know as Kitchen Stadium--before we see Kaga step into the real thing, into the opening sequence we all know so well.
Kaga then explains the concept behind the Gourmet Academy. But before the Iron Chefs make their appearance, we need to have...a preliminary battle! We join Fukui on the Iron Chef's side of the stadium, where five chefs are examining the layout of the kitchen.
Speaking of the stadium, a red curtain is hiding the half where Kaga usually stands.
The format of the preliminary battles is as such: a theme "dish" (not ingredient) is presented. The chef who best articulates that theme dish will face one of the Iron Chefs. In this case, today's theme is...gyoza!
And after a monologue from Kaga about gyoza, we meet the tasting panel:
--Novelist Tamio Kageyama
--Newscaster Mitsuko Ishii
--Rosanjin Scholar Masaaki Hirano
We start the preliminaries with Seiji Yamada, 33. He wraps whole shrimp in a gyoza skin, putting those into a hot chili sauce. And a dessert dish is also prepared--strawberries were definitely involved, but wrapped in gyoza skins? Hmm. He gets presentation points from me, though.
Kageyama likes it--I can't tell what Hirano says, but he brings up the sauce.
Next to face the panel: 57-year-old Masatoshi Kondo. I think I heard pork and shrimp went into his gyoza--which are, for some reason, colored green across the top. Apparently this is called "fei tsai fa yen" in Chinese.
Kageyama says something about the color--he might've said something about it being a little strange.
Third up: 18-year-old Takahiro Yamakura. Gelatin goes into his gyoza, which he boils and serves in a kind of soup. Some other kind of meat went in there, but I couldn't catch what kind.
The fourth man is the first international chef: from Nepal, Piremu Rama. He grinds some spices, combines them with pork, and serves it in a rather large gyoza the tasters have trouble picking up. Two sauces are included: coriander and (I think) tomato.
Kageyama says it's good, but Ishii is clearly having trouble picking up the large dumpling with her chopsticks.
Last up: Takeshi Maryuama. Ground meat, green onions, and shiitake mushrooms are combined into a filling for his gyoza, which look like little purses. Those are stir-fried. He calls it "nira-manju." (Anyone with info about that name, please comment below.)
Judging by the panel's reactions, I think they all like it...but then we turn to Kageyama for the announcement of the winner of the preliminary...Takeshi Maruyama! He'll face one of the Iron Chefs shortly.
After the break, we see Maruyama waiting behind the challenger's curtain as Kaga makes his first entrance. This is the first time I've seen him acknowledge any crowd at all, as he openly waves and thanks those in attendance. He's behaving a bit more like an emperor than a chairman, but that's just me...
He then welcomes Maruyama, the very first challenger, into Kitchen Stadium--and this is an odd sight--Maruyama strides into Kitchen Stadium without applause or any narration from Fukui. Hmm.
Well, no matter...for the first time, we hear Kaga's immortal words: "Come to life, Iron Chefs!"
And for the first time ever, the world meets the Iron Chefs:
Chen, Ishinabe, and Michiba. The invincible men of culinary skills make their appearance for the first time...with no introduction of their background. But the question is, who will be thrown into the shark tank first?
With determination, Maruyama calls out...Ishinabe! The man in green, the one they call the Visconti of the culinary world, the God of Sauces, acknowledges Maruyama's challenge with a raise of his bell pepper and descends to the kitchen floor to take part in the first-ever battle.
Of note--Michiba is still standing at the dais while Kaga is announcing the theme ingredient. Speaking of...the first theme ever comes with Kaga's invitation to use any of the wide range of ingredients the Gourmet Academy has to offer. With that, Kaga rips off the red tablecloth for the first time and reveals...salmon! (Quite dramatically, I might add.)
And after a proverb about salmon from Kaga, he booms forth the now-familiar call to battle: "ALLEZ CUISINE!"
The gong is banged, and the first battle--which has a time limit of 90 minutes--is underway rather slowly as both men approach the ingredient stand with trepidation. Fukui and Hattori are alone in the announcer's booth, but they'll be here to guide us through this culinary confrontation all the same.
Maruyama is going grocery shopping on his side of the stadium, while Ishinabe seems puzzled by the available plates.
Maruyama's wok is fired up, and he makes a sign about wiping sweat off his brow. On the other side, the first action we see is Ishinabe chopping onions and carrots, while his assistants look on. After an edit that magically takes us 25 minutes into the battle, we see Maruyama finally beginning to break down his salmon. Takes him a couple of cleaver chops to do so.
Ishinabe has a deconstructed Ise-ebi (Japanese lobster) in his food processor, which shakes violently as he starts in. 30 minutes into the battle (which isn't announced, but shown on-screen), we get our first report from Ohta on the challenger's side: I don't know what Ohta just said, but Maruyama seems embarrassed for some reason.
Back to the Iron Chef's side, Ishinabe is deboning his salmon with tweezers (or is that forceps?). We swing back to Maruyama, who has a hunk of salmon in his wok. Ishinabe is slicing up his salmon into smaller, more manageable fillets, while we get another report from Ohta about the challenger--I think he may have said the challenger is intimidated by the cameras.
Ishinabe has scallops and Japanese lobster meat on this side. And as Hattori speculates about a mousse of some kind, Ishinabe acknowledges in kind! Fukui flips out as Ohta confirms that Ishinabe is indeed making a mousse.
A graphic reveals that there are about 15 minutes left in the battle. Maruyama has a minced mixture that he's stir-frying in his wok, while Ishinabe's salmon fillets from earlier have hit the skillet for a sauté. The commentators are trying to figure out what Maruyama's mixture is...all they conclude is that it's ground meat of some kind and vegetables. Kinda stating the obvious, but then...
Ishinabe's scallops are laying on top of the salmon fillets in the skillet, and the lobster joins it. Maruyama is arranging a circle of Chinese cabbage on a plate, while Ishinabe magically has a green spinach sauce. Fukui is quick to point out that said sauce matches the color of his costume.
10 minutes to go (hey, the first time call!), and Ishinabe's salmon has hit the plate, as has Maruyama's ground meat mixture. Ishinabe is dotting his salmon with the green sauce, adorning the plate with a lobster head. Maruyama's plate gets some slices of lemon, while the challenger dashes off to the fridge to fetch some lettuce. It doesn't appear as though Maruyama has used a lot of his fish--a shot reveals what he hadn't used, and there's still a considerable portion left!
Ohta comes in with a report that makes Fukui sound like he spit his coffee out--something about salmon, that much I understood...and somehow, we fast forward to 15 seconds left in the battle...Maruyama is preparing some lettuce to serve alongside his ground meat dish...but does he make it in time? The final gong rings just as Maruyama chucks some unusuable portions of lettuce into the trash (and as he does, you can hear some beeping in the background...maybe that was their official clock at the time?).
Now, for the first dishes ever presented on Iron Chef:
Challenger Maruyama has just one dish:
Iron Chef Ishinabe has two dishes:
And in a move that we probably won't see until Iron Chef America many years later, Iron Chef Ishinabe's dishes are tasted first. But a surprise--the chefs themselves are not present to provide commentary on their dishes!
I don't understand much Japanese, but what I *do* understand while Maruyama's dish is being tasted: Ishii makes a face as she looks over the lettuce wrap, and says, "Where's the salmon?" This alone probably doesn't bode well for Maruyama...
But after all that...who takes it? Will it be the Iron Chef or the hero of Chinese cuisine? Whose cuisine reigns supreme?
"Tetsujin, Ishinabe Yutaka."
Kaga doesn't shout the verdict as we've become accustomed to him doing...he just plainly states it like that, and without any postmortem from Fukui, the show fades to credits.
And that's how it all began on that one October day in nineteen hundred and ninety-three.
My thoughts: Obviously, every show experiences some growing pains when they first start. And while this is such a fantastic look into the episode that started a legend, I think we can all agree that it's a good thing they changed the format. It was pretty obvious Ishinabe was going to win once the battle was over, but personally, I love seeing this first show and wondering what must've been going through everyone's minds.
Watch this battle at the Iron Chef Collection here.
BATTLE DATA FILE
Episode: 38
Japan Original Airdate: 7/22/1994
The Challengers: Joel Bruant and Masafumi Furutaka. Bruant, who has been cooking since the age of 13, trained under Paul Bocuse, the "Emperor of French Cuisine." Furutaka is his top apprentice.
The Iron Chefs: Rokusaburo Michiba and Chen Kenichi. Sakai lost last week...can the Iron Chefs avoid taking one loss each in the span of just two battles?
The Battle:
Before we say anything more...can I just comment on how ridiculous Bruant's dubbed voice is in the intro film? It's almost like the guy's *trying* too hard to have a French accent.
Anyway, joining Fukui and Hattori in the broadcasters' box today is another new face, actress Kazuko Katoh.
This is the first time Kitchen Stadium will hold a 2-on-2 showdown, to honor--as Kaga says in the opening--the upcoming summer vacation.
"This has been one of my dreams," Kaga says before he brings on the two challengers, introducing them as literal heavyweights ("weighing in at over 500 pounds," the subtitles say--he actually says 250 kilos). And then he proceeds to ask if the kitchen is a bit too small for the both of them. Way to call them both fat, Kaga.
Anyway, we get a really cool angle from the kitchen floor of the Iron Chefs ascending into view. Once the dry ice clears, it is Bruant who makes the call--they want to take on Michiba and Chen! No chance for French redemption for Sakai this week. They don't mention Chen and Michiba's combined weight, but Michiba alone probably makes sure that the scales aren't tipped at all. He isn't a very big man at all.
But now to the business of the theme ingredient. "What would be a suitable ingredient for this special match?" Kaga asks. "A fish that is comparable to red snapper in the summer months. As its Japanese name suggests, it is very smooth. What kinds of Japanese, French, and Chinese dishes will we enjoy today?" And Kaga can barely contain his excitement as he unveils...sea bass!
And speaking of the best sea bass in summer, good sea bass makes a rainbow on sashimi, according to Kaga.
But this first doubles match gets underway as Kaga booms forth the familiar call to battle: "ALLEZ CUISINE!"
And the notes indicate that the 2-on-2 match means no assistants for either side. Hattori notes the fish has the most fat on it in the summer. Hattori says he overheard Michiba making Japanese dishes and Chen making Chinese dishes: "Not exactly earth-shattering news there," Fukui notes.
Furutaka is already doing some dirty work with the sea bass, while Michiba is already filleting away. And we find that he can really move--that's the first time I've seen him run in Kitchen Stadium!
The French team has diced sea bass, minced prawns, and eggs in their food processor. As we swing back to the other side, Fukui notes that he might expect sashimi from Michiba, but we won't have time for a menu, apparently...he fooled Katoh when he unrolled some paper towels instead. And Chen is peeling grapes, while Ohta notes he heard him saying, "Hey, I got the easy job today!" Hmm.
Furutaka is preparing what Hattori thinks will be a croute, with sea bass and the food processor mixture stuffed inside a pie. Michiba is skewering sea bass steaks, while Chen has a mixture in the food processor of his own. They say it might be the exact same as the challenger's side. And Ohta notes that, without assistants, Michiba's a bit lost--he has no idea how to work the salamander oven! Soon after he notes that the challengers have giant pie sheets sandwiching a whole fish.
While all that was going on, the 15-minute call was announced, while Fukui unwittingly gets in a Yu-Gi-Oh reference by saying Chen is in "attack mode," while Michiba barely saves his skewered sea bass steaks from burning. The challengers' pie crust is getting some scale patterns in it--that'll earn them definite presentation points. And into the oven it goes, as does the mousse that went into a circular cake mold earlier.
Chen's wok is in action, with some dumplings from his food processor (egg whites and lychee, Ohta says--later corrected to say the grapes are indeed there).
30 minutes gone now, and Bruant has chopped truffles to bits for a Sauce Perigeux. Michiba, meanwhile, drops a load of chopped-up fish into the steamer. The French side has a sauce Choron (with tomato purée) in preparation, and now Ohta notes that Bruant, perhaps flustered by the pressure of the battle, has switched tongues to French, and nobody knows what he's saying!
20 minutes left now, and Chen is working with sea bass innards--Hattori thinks he'll cure them with salt. Michiba is arranging the sea bass steaks from earlier, while the challengers are making a soup. And it looks like Furutaka put food coloring on lemon peels!
The broadcasters' box is noting how the challengers appear to have an edge with the overall flow of their dishes, because Michiba and Chen appear to be a bit disjointed...
Challengers are decorating a large silver dish, while Michiba extracts his chopped fish from the steamer with 10 minutes to go. Bruant, flustered earlier in the battle, says they'll make it on time just fine, while the Iron Chefs appear to be lost...Chen says it's gonna be close.
The mousse on the challengers' side doesn't want to come out of the mold...and after a short struggle, it eventually does come out, even if Furutaka has to do some reparative surgery to it. The Perigeux sauce will go over that.
Michiba is stuffing ginkgo nuts into some red blossoms, but nobody cares about that--the challengers' fish pie has just come out of the oven with 5 minutes to go! (Bless you, Michiba..."someone hand him a hanky," Fukui says.) That goes on the silver dish they were decorating earlier.
Chen has some potato strings in the formation of a nest for plating in his wok, while Michiba is plating sashimi onto winter melon and chicory.
3 minutes to go, and Bruant sounds a bit pressed for time...but he might not have anything to worry about, it's the Iron Chefs who are in trouble--Chen is frantically chopping things up with two and half left!
Chen's stir fry goes down on the potato nest from earlier, and the Perigeux sauce is down on the challengers' side. Michiba's putting some finishing touches on his sashimi, while Chen is on the run! That man can really hustle.
1 minute left, and the challengers' are putting finishing touches on their dishes, while the Iron Chefs have bigger fish to fry than just presentation with just 30 seconds left...the final seconds are ticking down as the Iron Chefs look like they just barely make it...
"And THAT'S IT! The cooking's done, the Sea Bass Battle is OVAH!"
The French team is offering four dishes:
--Chilled Sea Bass in Basil & Oil Sauce
--Sea Bass Mousse with Truffle Sauce
--Sea Bass Soup, Provence Style
--Sea Bass Pie (with Choron sauce)
The Iron Chefs are offering five dishes:
--Chilled Sea Bass Sashimi
--Salt-grilled Sea Bass
--Stir-fried Sea Bass & Vegetables
--Sea Bass Stew
--Lychee & Muscat in Sea Bass Dumpling
On the panel for the Sea Bass Battle are:
--Former Lower House Member Shinichiro Kurimoto
--Actress Kazuko Katoh
--Actress Mayuko Takata
--Rosanjin Scholar Masaaki Hirano
The long table is out today! Four, rather than three members are on the panel today...I wonder if they accounted for the possibility of a tie?
Kurimoto likes the texture and sauce of the challengers' first dish, while Takata likes the skin.
Katoh, on the second dish, is having an "I Can't Believe It's Not Sea Bass" moment.
Hirano says the soup needed a bit more salt for more depth of flavor, saying they held back too much. Takata says it's too oily--Bruant counters that he didn't have enough time.
And now the two men serve their sea bass pie...
Hirano likes how they preserved the original form of the fish, while Takata really likes the taste as well.
Now the Iron Chefs are up--I wonder how they'll do?
The sashimi is generally well-received, as are the grilled sea bass steaks. Chen's stir-fry gets a nod of approval after a few mellower dishes. Takata notices it "tastes like chicken."
The stew is jointly served, and Kurimoto has a politician moment when he describes it as "Japan shaking hands with China."
Hirano likes the clever approach of how the fruit was wrapped, while Takata notes it's a very lady-like dessert. But perhaps the nail in the coffin for them--Kurimoto doesn't sense a unifying theme across their courses.
But ultimately, it's the panel as a whole that determines whose cuisine reigns supreme. Will it be the Iron Chefs or the French cuisine heavyweights?
"Challengers, Bruant and Furutaka!"
"Yes, they have rolled over the Iron Chefs!" Fukui apparently can't help but get in one more fat joke before this battle is over. Le sigh.
My thoughts: If it were two-on-one, it may have been a very different story. But I think the Iron Chefs were done in by a lack of coherence in their courses. That and Chen's stir-fry didn't seem terribly original to me. I'm sure they all tasted great, though.
Watch this battle at the Iron Chef Collection here.
BATTLE DATA FILE
Episode: 37
Japan Original Airdate: 7/15/94
The Challenger: Tadaaki Shimizu, former sous-chef and head chef of the Japanese location of La Tour d'Argent, a very famous French restaurant that opened in 1582. He once cooked for the Crown Prince of Japan during his time at La Tour d'Argent in Paris. His own restaurant, La Tourelle, is in Tokyo. His claim to fame is his use of sauces.
The Iron Chef: Iron Chef French, Hiroyuki Sakai. Last time out, he defeated Yuji Wakiya in Battle Uni, who's gone four in a row in this timeline. Can he extend his streak?
The Battle:
Joining Fukui and Hattori in the broadcasters' box today is NOT Mayuko Takata for once, but rather another actress, Shoko Tamura...a self-proclaimed French cuisine enthusiast. Fukui goes so far as to dub her an "expert," as she's experienced Belgian flavors as well. Let's see how she does as she comments on this battle...
And here comes Shimizu into Kitchen Stadium, confidently shaking Kaga's hand as he reaches the center. And as Kaga's audio gets a little hot as he summons his Iron Chefs, the lights dim, the men rise out of the floor, the dry ice clears, and Shimizu calls out another French chef--Sakai! (Still undefeated in Kitchen Stadium, might we add.)
"What would be a suitable ingredient for this genius French chef?" Kaga asks, adding that it didn't take him very long to decide. "When you hear 'La Tour d'Argent,' you think of a certain dish with that bird." (I presume he means the duck dish the Crown Prince dined on that he mentioned in the opening.) "But that's too straightforward," he quickly dismisses. "So instead, I chose the most popular expensive seafood in France." And as he says that, Kaga makes clawing motions with his fingers, indicating that the theme is indeed...(live) homard lobster!
Apparently, the French say the left claw of the homard is the best part...
But now this all-French confrontation begins with the Chairman's familiar call to battle: "ALLEZ CUISINE!"
Fukui is quick to note they're still alive, and Hattori says these are imported, hence the use of the French word "homard" (which actually means lobster in French). Shimizu has skewered the tails of two whole lobsters, and into a pot of boiling water they go. Sakai appears to be doing the same thing, sans heads.
Shimizu has the corail, or the livers of the lobster, in a bowl. Sakai, meanwhile, has a court-bouillon (soup of herbs) to do away with the fishy smell.
Shimizu sticks a pair of lobsters soaked in olive oil into the oven before he works on breaking down a chicken. Sakai has lobster roe in a bowl, and there's the 15-minute call already!
Lobsters in a frying pan on Shimizu's side (which gets a little flambé over the replay), and down they go into a bigger pot ("double play flambé," Fukui says). Sakai has boiled lobster tails from the court-bouillon, which he's slicing up...Ohta is quick to note that he overheard Sakai say this ingredient is a piece of cake. Hmm.
Shimizu has the beginnings of what appears to be a lobster bisque on his side, and after adding a creamy liquid of some kind, he's peeling some tomatoes with care. And as he does that, we get a shot of his wife in the Royal Box. And suddenly...rose petal tomatoes! So that's why he was being so meticulous about it.
Sakai's fighting words come out as he basically says the food from La Tour d'Argent "wasn't too impressive," adding that he wasn't into classic French dishes that much. Speaking of Sakai (and as the 30-minute mark is announced), he's got some rectangular molds which he's putting in okra and lobster pieces minced together.
Radishes on Shimizu's side, which he's making for a salad...while Sakai has pears, avocados, peaches, and mangoes. Sweet stuff...yum.
The rest of the tomatoes Shimizu used are being used as bowls for that mayonnaise salad with the radishes from earlier. Sakai is making a fruity sauce with all those fruits we mentioned earlier, as he gives 'em a spin into the blender.
Shimizu has already plated his tomato hors d'oeuvres (the "amuse," Hattori calls it). 20 minutes to go, and Sakai is cracking claws. He also has halved lobster tails with some kind of sauce spooned on top (that found the salamander oven), while Shimizu is still plating something else...while caviar goes down on the tomatoes.
Sakai's peaches find some glass bowls, paired with some lobsters, while Shimizu's chicken is now in the oven. Hattori speculates he's trying to imitate a duck dish, but substituting a lighter-flavored meat. Meanwhile, Sakai's fruity sauce goes down over the peaches and lobster.
Shimizu apparently has time for an additional dish (15 minutes, to be exact), while Sakai is plating the items in the rectangular molds. Shimizu's fifth dish appears to be lobsters stewing in saffron, veal stock, shallots, garlic, and butter. Fukui is quick to note that it looks a bit like Chen's prawns in chili sauce.
Sakai is plating some lobster tails, shells and all...while Shimizu's soup appears to have hit the blender to get a smoother texture.
Some more frantic activity from both sides, and Fukui once again mentions that Sakai is the only Iron Chef that's still undefeated in Kitchen Stadium. Five minutes to go, and Shimizu's saffron lobsters go down over some cucumbers. Sakai's lobster tails get an additional sauce that Hattori says is made from lobster stock. Shimizu's chicken and lobster dish hits the plate, while his soup also finds some bowls (Hattori says his soup looks like a cappuccino).
One minute left, and sauces are going down on both sides all over the place...Shimizu appears to be done with a few seconds to go, while Sakai is finishing with some sauces as the final seconds tick down...
"And THAT'S IT! The cooking's done, the Homard Lobster Battle is OVAH!"
Challenger Shimizu is offering five dishes:
--Homard Lobster Tartare
--Homard Lobster Salad
--Homard Lobster Soup, Cappuccino Style
--Chicken & Homard Lobster Combo
--Homard Lobster Stewed in Saffron Sauce
Iron Chef Sakai offers three dishes:
--Homard Lobster & Peach Salad
--Homard Lobster Galette
--Roast Homard Lobster
On the panel today for the Homard Battle are:
--Former Lower House Member Shinichiro Kurimoto
--Actress Shoko Tamura
--Rosanjin Scholar Masaaki Hirano
Challenger Shimizu is up first, and he says the first thing he thought about was the flow of his dishes.
Kurimoto loves the texture of the tartare, while Hirano actually says something meaningful for once--he likes the way the lobster was chilled.
The salad is generally well-received across the board, as is the soup--Hirano says the flavor is so profound, while Kurimoto sense the "wrath of the lobster." Whatever that means. He doesn't like the chicken/lobster combo, though.
Hirano says the final dish was unnecessary...while Kurimoto says he thought it was a good way to end the courses.
Now for Sakai--he tried to combine in-season ingredients with the lobster, he says.
Kurimoto says peaches and lobster is a strange combination, but it works. Tamura likes the texture of the peach.
Hirano says the softness of the okra makes the second dish playful, but Kurimoto thinks it's a tad overpowering. He does like the last dish, though, saying the lobster is perfectly grilled. Tamura especially loves the sauce.
But ultimately, who takes the day? Will it be the Iron Chef or the genius of the silver tower? Can Sakai stay undefeated? Whose cuisine reigns supreme?
"Challenger, Tadaaki Shimizu!"
Holy--! Down goes Sakai! DOWN GOES SAKAI! It's almost as if the Chairman couldn't even spit the words out, but eventually he did. Shimizu becomes the first man to take down Iron Chef Sakai, and how!
My thoughts: I definitely think Sakai won in terms of presentation. But I liked the way Shimizu's dishes had that clear flow Hirano talked about. In the end, I guess it came down to personal taste preference, and everyone knows you can't judge that unless you're actually there.
Watch this battle at the Iron Chef Collection here.
BATTLE DATA FILE
Episode: 36
Japan Original Airdate: 7/8/94
The Challenger: Takashi Mera, who wields the longest cooking knife in Japan (twice the size of a regular knife). He is the head chef of a restaurant which is frequented by many Japanese Prime Ministers. Kaga says Mera reminds him of a samurai character in a Japanese novel (Sasaki Kojiro, Kaga later says, if that means anything to you).
The Iron Chef: Iron Chef Japanese, Rokusaburo Michiba, who's been specifically called out for this battle because his use of foreign ingredients in Japanese dishes have earned the ire of the challenger. It's been a while since we saw him last, but he won a convincing victory against Hanato in the Sweetfish Battle. How will he fare against the man with the longest knife in Japan?
The Battle:
Joining Fukui and Hattori in the broadcasters' box is, once again, actress Mayuko Takata.
And striding confidently into Kitchen Stadium comes Mera, with knife in tow (in its own bag and all!). Looks a bit like a sword at his side as he brings it in. He's about to unsheath it, when Kaga stops him and tells him to swing it around after the gong. But after the formalities are complete, and the dry ice clears, Mera calls out--to the surprise of absolutely no one--Michiba.
"The challengers in my stadium of late all seem to be guessing what the theme is," Kaga begins. "Today, both chefs might be thinking of a certain ingredient. Summer. A certain fish is in season. The challenger is probably wanting to use his long knife to cut into the bones. Am I right?" Kaga cheekily asks. And then he fakes everyone out by announcing the theme as pike eel (hamo), before ripping off the veil for real and revealing...tuna!
And as Kaga later proclaims, to enjoy tuna, "cook it on your tongue." (If the fishmongers at Tsukiji Fish Market are to be believed.)
But these chefs won't be cooking tuna on their tongues, they'll be cooking it in all sorts of ways in Kitchen Stadium soon after Kaga's familiar call to battle: "ALLEZ CUISINE!"
And the battle begins with both sides frantically scrambling up to the ingredient stand to get a hold of this tuna that apparently cost over $10,000. One whole fish in pieces on the stand today, and only one head up for grabs, and Mera...wait, no, Michiba gets it! Apparently he told one of his assistants to grab it for him. Cheeky devil, that Michiba.
Hattori says the fish weighs 60-70kg, or about 150 pounds. Michiba straightaway looks to extract the eye, and both sides wanted the head, according to Ohta...but Michiba got there first.
And Mera is writing a menu a la Michiba, who appears to be a little late with his. But then, Michiba's busy extracting the eyeballs from the head, so it's understandable.
And here comes Mera's famous long knife, which Hattori comments looks like a sword. As he's busy filleting his tuna, Michiba has his Broth of Vigor on the stove. Fukui provides some context with Sasaki Kojiro, who had the longest sword in samurai lore...and Mera shows off a bit by twirling his knife before setting it down. Impressive.
Michiba is skewering the eyeballs for some grilling treatment, and he finally gets to the task of writing his menu. Grilled skin is mentioned as he does so, as is a tuna carpaccio.
Mera is mincing tuna and green onions (for negitoro, says Hattori). Further investigation of Michiba's menu reveals plans for six dishes, one of which will be sushi.
15 minutes gone already, and Mera is skewering eggplants which head over to the oven. Michiba has the skin of the belly on his side, and he's got some double-barreled chopping action on his side. He's quick to point out that in the samurai novel they keep referencing, the guy with the longer sword lost. So...
Chutoro (moderately fatty fish) is being wrapped in yuba on Mera's side, while Michiba is mixing pine nuts and ginger into the tuna he was double-barrel chopping. And the eyeballs have come off the grill as well!
Mera apparently overheard Michiba talk about the samurai tale, and quickly retorts that we're living in modern times, and that this isn't a fairy tale! As he says that, he takes rice out of the cooker. Fukui notes vinegar and light soy sauce as well, but Mera adds sesame seeds to his rice...maybe not for sushi? But he does have a roller on his side...
Michiba, meanwhile, puts down green onions on top of the tuna/pine nut/ginger mixture, while Mera is indeed rolling a sushi roll with negitoro and ginkgo leaves (or was that shiso?)
Michiba is deep frying a cut of the most expensive part of the tuna (otoro). Fukui notes as Michiba's slicing it that it looks like a tataki-style treatment. Mera is also doing some deep-frying as well, deep-frying the sushi rolls in a plum sauce of some kind. Hmm.
Michiba is making some incisions into some raw tuna, which Takata and Hattori note that it will open up at some point. His frying pan, which contains tuna cheek meat, mirin, and soy sauce, flares up a bit...
Mera's eggplants are off the grill, and topped with the negitoro. Uni has joined that mixture. He's also preparing an uramaki (rice on the outside sushi roll), which joins the eggplants under the salamander oven. Michiba, meanwhile, is preparing his sushi rice as well.
The sushi roller is still in action on Mera's side, this time with cucumber skins. Michiba is now forming his sushi, which Hattori says will be wrapped in persimmon leaves. Mera's wrapped item with the cucumbers contains yuba bean curd and grated daikon, which leaves Takata wondering where the tuna is...which is already inside the yuba skins.
Michiba's sushi goes down on the persimmon leaves with 15 minutes to go in the battle, while Mera is dicing tuna for sashimi. Michiba drops the tuna (coated with something) with the incisions he made earlier into a pot of hot water.
Mera has some glass boat bowls to plate his cubed tuna sashimi on top of a shiso leaf, and now 10 minutes left in the battle...Michiba plates his tataki which Fukui says looks a bit French. Iwatake (a type of mushroom) joins Mera's sashimi.
Tuna skins have been plated on Michiba's side, while Mera is working with some kudzu jelly. That goes on top of the sashimi as the 5-minute mark is announced--Mera is completely under control, according to Ohta.
Michiba's carpaccio is being plated on top of a miso sauce of some kind (Fukui is quick to point out that he thinks he's watching Sakai instead), topped by some caviar. And Mera is slicing his sushi rolls.
3 minutes left now, and Michiba's scored tuna is in a bowl, to be joined (perhaps) by his Broth of Vigor. And Mera's sushi is being plated, quite nicely I might add...
1 minute left, and Michiba looks like he has branches in his hand...both sides, putting finishing touches on their dishes as the last few seconds tick down...
"And that's it! The cooking's done, the Tuna Battle is OVAH!"
Challenger Mera is offering four dishes:
--Tuna Sashimi with Okra Paste
--Tuna and Cucumber Roll with Cured Plum Sauce
--Tuna Braised on Eggplant with Miso
--Tuna Sushi Rolls, Two Flavors
Iron Chef Michiba offers seven(!) dishes:
--Tuna Soup
--Tuna Skin Appetizer
--Tuna Carpaccio
--Grilled Tuna Cheek Meat
--Fried Toro Sashimi
--Tuna Sushi, Michiba Style
--Salt-Grilled Tuna Eyeballs
On the panel today for the Tuna battle are:
--Former Lower House Member Shinichiro Kurimoto
--Actress Mayuko Takata
--Culinary Critic Asako Kishi
Challenger Mera's dishes are up first, as always...who says he made it a point not to overcook any of his dishes.
As his tuna sashimi is served, Kaga notes that the dish is "difficult to eat." But Kishi says it's all connected. Kurimoto says it would go well with sake, but Takata notes the okra is too strong.
Kurimoto loves the cucumber rolls, saying you can taste the layering.
The eggplants are universally liked across the board, with Kurimoto saying something along the lines of "I can't believe it's not tuna." Kishi notes the eggplant is overpowering, however.
And the sushi rolls...Kurimoto says it needed a bit more cured plum. Whatever that means.
Michiba's now up...
Kurimoto doesn't like how the soup is a bit sour, but Kishi says it's a bit salty. Michiba counters that the salt was necessary to keep the tuna in check, but he acquiesces...for now.
The carpaccio gets "mms" across the board...Kurimoto is lost for words, saying there's no Japanese (or French) words to describe it.
Kishi likes the cheek meat, and Kurimoto is (again) rendered speechless by it.
Kishi thinks the seaweed on Michiba's sushi is unneccessary, but Takata likes the whole package.
And as Michiba serves the eyeballs, he sneaks a bite for himself! And for good reason--everyone likes them. Kurimoto says he could really go for some sake, and after all this...so could I!
But now, it's time to know...whose cuisine reigns supreme? Kaga notes that, "performance wise, the challenger wins. But what about taste?" Will it be the Iron Chef or the samurai chef?
"Tetsujin, Michiba Rokusaburo!" (To the surprise of nobody.) One has to wonder if getting the head first was a factor, but even if it weren't in play on either side, Michiba made a pretty convincing showing.
My thoughts: There's not a whole lot else to say. When you look at Michiba's dishes against Mera's, there's no comparison. Michiba blew him out of the water, and it's not because he outnumbered him by number of dishes, either.
Watch this battle at the Iron Chef Collection here.
Taking a break from reviewing classic episodes to reviewing (several weeks late) the premiere of Iron Chef Japan 2012. Brand-new Kitchen Stadium, brand-new Iron Chefs, same great show we've come to know and love. So let's dive right into this!
(Note: I am watching this episode in Japanese with no subtitles, so...let's see how this goes.)
Original Airdate: 10/26/12
Episode: 1
The scene opens with who I presume to be the new Chairman kneeling by...a grave. Oh, right...the last episode of the original series, Japan Cup 2002, killed off the character of Chairman Kaga. Anyway...nice touch with an overlay of moments from the original series. We now see the new Chairman (one Hiroshi Tamaki) stride into the new Kitchen Stadium (or "Studium," as the caption reads). Looks bloody gorgeous.
I have no idea what the new Chairman is saying in his opening monologue, but I will say that the commentator sounds a lot like Fukui-san from the original series. I don't think it's the same person, but man, they sound remarkably alike.
Also, the music...it doesn't hold a candle to the soundtrack of Backdraft, but then nobody was expecting it to.
I love how it sounds like Tamaki set up a council to select the Iron Chefs. And is that Dr. Hattori I see?
So there will be *four* Iron Chefs. And now, Tamaki calls upon his first Iron Chef to a strike of lightning...the screen lowers to reveal a young man in blue, Iron Chef Japanese: Jun Kurogi.
Each of the Iron Chefs sounds like he'll get his own introductory video. I don't understand very much of it, but I *do* understand is that Kurogi, 34, owns a restaurant in Tokyo called...well, "Kurogi."
Interesting that they seemed to have eschewed the moniker "Tetsujin" of old...
Now, to meet the second new Iron Chef...the screen lowers to reveal a man in yellow...hey, wait a minute, he looks familiar...and I'm not talking about Chen Kenichi!
Meet the new Iron Chef Chinese: Yuji Wakiya!
And...oh, hey, they mention his battle vs. Chen Kenichi from the original series all those years ago. Hattori's very familiar with this guy.
So, we have Japanese...Chinese...it's only natural that this guy would be Iron Chef French, no? He *is* in red...
Your new Iron Chef French: Yosuke Suga, who apparently just got back from France just two days before this show taped. He trained under Joel Robuchon, whom they referred as the "God of French Cuisine" in the original series. Of course, now, it doesn't seem like Robuchon has aged well. But then, that's why he has his young protege in Suga...who doesn't look that old at all.
So...then that leaves one...Iron Chef Italian, perhaps? The screen lowers to reveal...nobody?!
Not sure what that was all about, but now we're introduced to today's "nominator," who will introduce the challenger. And who should it be but none other than Iron Chef Chinese, Chen Kenichi! (He hasn't aged a bit, if at all.)
Chen sounds like he's giving his well-wishes to the new guard, even getting a few laughs in the process. He's holding a scroll of some kind, which he unfurls to reveal a message...gasps from the crowd. Apparently they recognize who it's by, because showing up in the introductory video that follows is none other than Iron Chef Japanese Rokusaburo Michiba. He's aged pretty well, all things considered--he's 81 now, if that can be believed.
That being said, his number one apprentice, Kenichi Miyanaga (who was an assistant to Michiba and some of the challengers from the original series), appears to be the first challenger--or "nominee" in this case--for the new series. Hang on a second, what's this image of an x-ray they're showing on screen? Miyanaga appears emotional in the interview that follows...Michiba can't be *dying* yet, can he? In any event, the x-ray must explain why Michiba's not there in person, but...that bit of news is disconcerting.
But the show must go on...the new floor reporter (who is definitely cuter than Shinichiro Ohta ever was) interviews Miyanaga on the floor. Now the question remains...which Iron Chef will he be up against?
"Iron Chef...Yosuke Suga!" Tamaki proclaims. That there's some pretty dramatic music they're playing there.
So now there's only one thing left to do: reveal the theme ingredient. Tamaki mentions something about October 1993, when the original series premiered...hmm, I wonder...
And the theme is salmon...the very first theme ingredient from the original series. How 'bout that.
Now for the Chairman's call to battle...
"Good gastronomy!"
What the...no "Allez cuisine"? Hrm. Anyway, Suga is beginning to pull the roe out of one of his salmon, while Miyanaga is taking a page out of Michiba's book and writing a menu. Suga meanwhile has taken the roe he just extracted and making a broth of some kind with it.
And in another move characteristic of Michiba, Miyanaga is preparing katsuobushi. We have another floor reporter who actually fulfills Ohta's role, and we learn that the new Fukui's name is actually Sano. (Only because the guy says it twice..."Sano-san, Sano-san!" That's gonna get annoying very fast.)
And Miyanaga's kids are in the Royal Box, who give a wave. D'awww.
We saw Suga pick the bones out of his salmon while all that was going on, and Miyanaga has a couple of kinds of mushrooms in his food processor.
15 minutes gone already, and Miyanaga is working with the head of the salmon. I hear the word "hizu" in there, which is the cartilaginous flesh in the salmon's head. I've seen Sakai work with it before.
Suga is cracking eggs open on his side, while the ice cream machine is in action on Miyanaga's side. Speaking of Miyanaga, the salmon head appears to have gone into a pot of vegetables for a stock of some kind. He's also shaving bits of the skin from the head of a different fish off--there's that word "hizu" again--for later use.
Suga, meanwhile, has potatoes with bits of salmon snaked around them, which is skewered.
Back to Miyanaga's side...salmon steaks filled with the bit from his food processor, topped with matsutake mushrooms. Suga, meanwhile, has...scrambled eggs?
Oh, I see what Miyanaga's doing...the salmon steaks were taken out of the fish, filled with the mushrooms, then reconstructed into the body of the fish.
Suga's side is working with wasabi, along with a honey mustard mixture. I hear the word "risotto" tossed around on his side as well. Hey, I thought he was Iron Chef *French*...
30 minutes gone (the audience is rather quiet today), and Miyanaga is covering fish balls in flour. "Surimi" was mentioned on his side--it sounds like those balls were covered with tapioca. And that cute floor reporter is getting a word with the nominee's kids.
Shirako (cod roe) has hit the frying pan on Suga's side, sauteed in butter and a honey/soy sauce mixture. A sort of ghetto teriyaki sauce, if you will...
And Miyanaga struggles with the food processor before he finally gets that going...didn't catch what went in there, though.
Suga's potato/salmon skewers have also hit the frying pan for a quick saute in butter, while Miyanaga is stuffing a kind of cheese into some tomatoes he had lightly boiled earlier. And he's now trying to peel a giant daikon (kabu, I heard)
15 minutes left now, and Suga is grilling some salmon fillets, while Miyanaga sandwiched what looked like a salmon skin between two cooling racks and put that over a flame. The giant daikon he was working with is being shredded...and do I hear trouble with the ice cream maker? They had to pull out dry ice.
Suga's side has some crisped salmon skins out...and what on *Earth* is going on on the other side, did they just put the dry ice *in* the ice cream machine? Oh boy...
10 minutes left, and the other floor reporter has now started shouting "Sano-san" three times instead of the usual two. Suga is filling the eggshells he had emptied earlier with a yellow mixture of some kind...and it looks like Miyanaga, ditching his hat, is taking his ice cream mixture over to the Iron Chef's side with just 5 minutes to go.
Plating is underway on both sides, and the shirako Suga was grilling earlier goes down on top of a risotto. And *now* the audience decides to make some noise!
Suga's eggshells get some gold foil, while Miyanaga's reconstructed fish comes out of the oven. A sauce goes down on Suga's risotto (perhaps the ghetto teriyaki sauce we saw earlier), and perhaps as a result of a bad edit, we now only have 30 seconds left! And the Kitchen Stadium goes relatively quiet as the time expires...
Now, the moment of truth...tasting and judgement. Normally this is when I recount who's on the panel and the names of each of the dishes...but since I don't know any of that, a picture of the dishes from both chefs can be found here.
But now, the moment of truth...will it be the Iron Chef or Michiba's hero?
"Winner...Iron Chef, Yosuke Suga!"
And he wins in a 4-1 romp, to boot! What a way to inaugurate the new series...even if I didn't understand much.
Oh hey, I've been away for a long time. And in my absence, Iron Chef appears to have returned to Japan.
I'll probably review one or two of the newer episodes, given that my Japanese is very rudimentary at best and I won't understand everything. That being said...it's a very faithful adaptation to the original.
I wonder how it's doing in the ratings, though...
BATTLE DATA FILE
Episode: 35
Japan Original Airdate: 7/1/94
The Challenger: Koichi Tabata, so far the oldest challenger to appear in Kitchen Stadium at the age of 70. He has been cooking since the age of 13--at the time of this episode, over half a century--57 years, to be exact. He survived WWII, having been sent to Saipan in 1941, and resumed his training at the age of 21. He has worked at over 500 restaurants all over Japan, having worked freelance his whole life. Kaga's opening monologue calls him "The Gypsy Chef." His challenge comes on his 70th birthday. He hasn't even seen or heard from his son in over 23 years.
The Iron Chef: Iron Chef Chinese, Chen Kenichi, the youngest of all the Iron Chefs. Tabata has said he's not going to let some young whippersnapper get the best of him...will the Iron Chef have something to say about that, and pull off the hat trick?
The Battle:
Joining Fukui and Hattori in the announcer's booth, yet again, is actress Mayuko Takata, who is three times younger than the challenger, according to Fukui.
"Over time, food can go bad," Kaga says, "but chefs never do." With a blood pressure of 132/94 (perfectly normal), striding confidently into Kitchen Stadium is indeed challenger Koichi Tabata. And his son actually is in the flesh here in Kitchen Stadium--the first time the both of them have met in 23 years!
And as the Iron Chefs ascend into the ethereal atmosphere of Kitchen Stadium, challenger Tabata calls out the youngest of the Iron Chefs, Chen Kenichi! His father would be just five years older than Tabata, if he were still alive, says Fukui.
"70 years old," Kaga begins. "When I first heard his age, I thought he could be out of touch. But when I met him, I realized I was wrong. He was in shape and shining. That gave me an idea; a vegetable that is shaped nicely and shining."
And to the surprise of absolutely no one (ha ha, yeah right), Kaga unveils...EGGPLANTS!
32 years of difference between today's competitors...all that thrown out the window today as Kaga booms forth, ALLEZ CUISINE!
And with a deep, respectful bow to Tabata, Chen is the first to the ingredient stand. Hattori mentions that the key to today's battle will be the use of oil with today's eggplants. He's interested to see, noting that Tabata has enjoyed eggplants in season for 70 years, how this "research program" pans out.
Looks like both regular eggplants and "kamo" eggplants on the stand today. Kamo is more round, and doesn't lose its shape.
As one of Tabata's assistants shaves bonito flakes, he adamantly states to Ohta that the way Michiba does it (taking a bunch of 'em from the plastic bag and throwing them into the pot) isn't the way to do it. He insists that shaving them himself is the proper way.
Speaking of Ohta, his voiceover's a little different today. I *thought* something sounded off.
Chen, meanwhile, is making some decorative incisions into his eggplants, and Fukui jokes that he might make "mapo-eggplants" (a play on mapo-dofu, the extra-spicy tofu dish).
The challenger is stewing eggplants in red (and white) wine, and he's frying others in oil. Hattori notes that it's a primarily French technique.
Chen also has a ton of pots full of eggplant on his side, while Tabata has broken out filet of beef. Hattori thinks he'll stuff that beef into the kamo eggplants he was hollowing out earlier.
Chen has thrown eggplants cut various ways into the steamer, to make them softer...but we're not sure what he's going to do with them yet. And Hattori was spot on with the challenger's beef--that indeed has gone into the hollowed-out eggplants.
15 minutes gone, and Chen has ramen noodles on his side...Hattori and Takata wonder why, but Takata speculates it might be chilled later. And to Tabata's beef and hollowed eggplants, the challenger is adding pine nuts and a miso sauce. Hattori says he might broil it further from there.
Diced eggplant being deep-fried over on Chen's side. And according to Ohta's report, Chen might actually attempt a mapo-eggplant, or something close to it.
Tabata's wine-boiled eggplants are out of the pot and onto skewers, and we get another plot point about his son in the Royal Box. Chen, meanwhile, has his wok fired up...
Eggs yolks have appeared on Tabata's side, in the frying pan...wonder where that one's going. And his miso-beef-stuffed eggplants have gone under the salamander oven. Takata, meanwhile, called Chen's move with the noodles right on the nose.
Eggplants and honey on the Iron Chef's side, while Tabata is working with a hollowed-out lemon...poking holes in the rind (like an ocarina, Fukui notes). But Hattori thinks he'll use the parts he punched out instead, not the actual shell.
Man, the challenger's miso/beef-stuffed eggplant is looking really good...and the ocarina lemons might serve as a boat, Takata speculates.
Meanwhile, the Iron Chef has some Chinese soup spoons on his side, with eggplants in them ("Make no mistake, these are eggplants!" Ohta reports, to which Fukui says something to the effect of "Thank you, Captain Obvious").
Back on the challenger's side, the wine-soaked eggplants get a treatment of gelatin and bonito broth (not white wine, as the commentators originally thought). Fukui is still curious about that lemon-peel ocarina...
...while the chicken that went into Chen's food processor is out--well and truly processed. That mixture goes over the eggplants in the spoons from earlier, and Hattori says this will be steamed, seeing it through his crystal ball. Kamaboko (fish cakes) also join that spoon. And Hattori and Takata are throwing down...a bet over what Chen will do with it? Hmm.
Tabata is plating his miso/beef-stuffed eggplants into glass boats, while Ohta misreports Chen's swallow's nest as "sparrow's nest." That goes on top of the spoons that Hattori and Takata are *still* arguing over.
Bamboo bowls appear on Tabata's side, with a broth being poured into it (the same bonito/gelatin broth from earlier, I think).
20 minutes to go now, and something went into Chen's steamer...and his wok is in action yet again.
Tabata's lemon ocarinas are going down as a lid over his fried egg yolks and...some kind of eggplant. And Chen is taking the eggplants in the spoons...out of the spoons. They look a bit like goldfish, as has been bandied about by the commentators.
10 minutes left, and Chen appears shocked at that. Challenger Tabata appears done, and chases off Ohta after the latter asks him if he's getting tired.
Chen is plating his mapo-eggplant over some plain noodles, while Tabata is preparing for a fourth dish after all (he had previously mentioned he would only make 3). But he's doing it with just 5 minutes to go...
Chen's eggplant goldfish gets an extra sauce, while Tabata is frying more eggplant pieces in oil. Fukui wails, "What about the lemon?" Will he do anything more to that lemon, or is it decoration only?
Chen has a dessert on his side that he's now plating...either a raspberry or blackberry sauce going over honey-glazed eggplants. And Tabata's fourth dish is coming together, but Hattori notes that it's a very simple dish...dried bonito flakes top that one. And he did that in just four minutes!
Less than a minute to go now, and finishing touches are happening on both sides of the stadium...Tabata is well and truly done with about 20 seconds to go, and it's all cruise control to the end as the final seconds tick down...
"And THAT'S IT! The cooking's done, the Eggplant Battle is OVAH!"
There's a part of me, though, that just wishes they got an interview with Tabata's son during the battle. They talked about him so much, you'd think they would've gotten a word from him eventually. But nevertheless...
Challenger Tabata is offering four dishes:
- Wine-stewed Eggplants
- Fried Eggplant in Broth
- Mikasa-style Eggplant
- Stuffed Eggplant
Iron Chef Chen also offers four dishes:
- Szechuan Fried Eggplant
- Steamed Eggplant with Sweet Sauce
- Cold Noodles with Hot & Spicy Sauce
- Chilled Eggplant with Raspberry Sauce
On the panel today for the Eggplant Battle are:
- Former Lower House Member Toshio Yamaguchi
- Actress Mayuko Takata
- Rosanjin Scholar Masaaki Hirano
First up, as usual, the challenger...Koichi Tabata. His wine-stewed eggplants are up first...and Takata says she thinks she's having a fruit instead of a vegetable. Hirano remarks he's young at heart.
Nothing notable is said about his second dish (aside from the fact that it was good)...but Yamaguchi notes on Tabata's third dish that it doesn't really taste like eggplant. Takata says something about something a bit strong for the dish, while Hirano says the seasoning needs some work. The sweetness is a bit strong, he says.
As for his last dish, Takata likes the pine nuts, but Hirano doesn't like the beef--he says the quality is to be questioned. Hmm. Nevertheless, it was a bit tough for him, and think it would've been better if the beef were in smaller pieces.
And douche comment of the day from Hirano: "In the future, you may want to consider how to make it a little easier for the people tasting the dishes to eat."
Okay, Jerkface Hirano, let's see you try and do the same.
Nevertheless, Chen's now up. Let's see whether Hirano says anything similar along the way.
Chen's Szechuan Fried Eggplant is generally well-received by the tasters; the spiciness is the key. Hirano says Chen hit them with his A-game out of the gate.
The goldfish eggplant receives accolades for the presentation, of course.
The cold noodles get praise for the spiciness and subtlety within.
"Can't tell it's eggplant until you're told," Kaga says of Chen's dessert. Takata also thinks the same way. And Hirano ends on some poetic comment that we don't care about.
But in the end, it's judgement time...will it be the 70-year-old veteran challenger or the whippersnapper Iron Chef?
(Sidenote...Takata appears to have disappeared from the judges' lineup joining Kaga at the dais. Hmm.)
"Tetsujin, Chen Kenichi!"
Wow. Definitely not the way the script would have ended it, but Chen definitely takes the day, and cements his place as a legend in the culinary world in his own right! And that's a hat trick for him...can he extend the win streak longer?
My thoughts: Ultimately, it came down to creativity. While I think both were very much on par with taste and presentation (Tabata's one misstep notwithstanding), it really came down to how original each dish was. And that's where the Iron Chef pulled ahead; the challenger made primarily traditional dishes, and really didn't do a whole lot to expand upon tradition. The counterpoint to that, of course, is that Chen's dishes just tasted better. Tabata may have been good, but Chen was just a little bit better.
Watch this battle at the Iron Chef Collection here.
