I’ve been a fan of Iron Chef since they started re-running the Japanese originals on the Food Network years ago, and have found myself continuing to enjoy the current American version, including the newer “Next Iron Chef” competition, where the winner is granted the title of “Iron Chef”.
But I do have to wonder just how prestigious this title is in the real world of the professional chef business. The cynical side of me thinks it’s probably just hype for the TV show.
My cursory googling of the topic hasn’t turned up much evidence one way or another, so I turn to my fellow Dopers to help me out.
Not sure about how highly respected the title of “Iron Chef” is, but from interviews I’ve read with people who have competed on the show (Rick Bayless comes to mind), the competition is intense and always called one of the hardest things the chefs have ever done. Also, a lot of the chefs that have competed on “The Next Iron Chef” have been really highly admired and respected members of their profession (Rick Besh and 1st season winner Michael Symon come to mind).
BTW, in case anyone wonders about how the chefs come up with so many recipes on the fly…They’re given a list of 4 or 5 possible secret ingredients ahead of time and they work up their dishes for each. They give their list of ingredients for all 20-25 dishes to the producers and they don’t know which secret ingredient has been chosen until The Chairman reveals it.
That provides some context for the reaction shots to the reveal of the “secret” ingredient. “YES! I wanted this one!” vs. “Oh shit, that weird fucking fish I’ve never cooked with before last week.”
The six chefs I personally know who were on the show told me that it is not even a list of 4 or 5 potential secret ingredients, but only three. And the three tend to be within a single genre of food styles so that the chefs can pre-prepare certain “stock” items to be used in the preparation of the final dishes.
Those I know don’t think it is particularly prestigious “in the world of cuisine,” but it DOES help promote name-recognition and business. Most of the chefs who appear as guests are happy enough to get on just to increase sales.
Most of the chefs then host an Iron Chef meal at their restaurant where guests can eat the dishes that were prepared. I have eaten Chris Cosentino’s both Battle Offal and Battle Garlic, Ron Siegal’s, Battle Lobster, and David Kinch’s Battle Cabbage. Are these chefs considered more prestigious because of their appearance? Not in San Francisco. We rate them on their food.
The Japanese fellow (Miramoto?) who is a US Iron Chef has a place in Napa County (near San Francisco) that get’s Michelin stars and is by reputation awesome. I may try to check it out Sunday.
I work about a hundred steps from the restaurant and it is called Morimoto. VERY expensive ($35+ entrées). Actually, it hasn’t been open long enough to have a Michelin star; he opened it last year. His Philadelphia restaurant has a Michelin rating.
Depends on what you are into and how much you want to spend. At Bouchon, I adore the mussels. They are served in an egg-shaped Le Creuset-like cast iron bowl with frittes that is perfectly outstanding. It is now crab season so there might be some specials showing up worth checking out. It is classic Cal-French cuisine which bodes well for the wines. At Morimoto, you are going to be eating Cal-Asian cuisine which – I think – is better for Sake and German whites. They are both excellent and memorable, although Bouchon is a bit more intimate.
Morimoto is thriving and at either place, you should get reservations.
Alternately, if you want to blow your mind, walk down Main Street to Ubuntu. It is vegetarian but you would never know it from the flavors and quality of the food being served. It is one of my most favorite restaurants in the world (and I’ve dined in a dozen countries).
Watching the original Iron Chef, it appeared to me Japan is chock full of expensive French, Italian, and Japanese restaurants featuring every contortion of endangered seafood, costing a week’s salary.
well, that’s the way it looks! must be for all the gourmet bigwigs, or special occasions, price no object.
There ARE more Michelin-starred restaurants in Japan than there are anywhere else… That has to tell you something right there!
I miss the original Iron Chef. I used to watch it on a Japanese-language station out of Los Angeles before it was dubbed or sub-titled. All I knew was an ingredient appeared on a rising platform out of the floor, the chefs scurried around in the kitchen, folks ate the food, and then one of the chefs was really happy. It was really fabulous except that I wished I could hear the commentary to know what was being prepared.
What I loved about the original Iron Chef was how incredibly, wonderfully, wackily, stereotypically JAPANESE it was. The Chairman’s schtick, the “Backdraft” theme music, the “Otah faction” that seemed intent on pursuing Morimoto to the ends of the earth. One of the best things about going to college in the late 90s was being there when Iron Chef caught on in the U.S. Why? Because it makes for an AWESOME drinking game.
My wife and I have been to Morimoto’s New York restaurant. It was for our wedding anniversary, so they gave us a great table overlooking the kitchen, and Morimoto was wandering around checking in on guests and posing for photos. We could really only afford the traditional sushi platter, but my God was it fantastic. The flavors are embedded in my memory to this day and all the other sushi I’ve had has paled in comparison. Highly, highly recommended.