Ryôri no tetsujin

A fantastic cooking show, designed to push chefs to their creative limits. Especially if you take it light-heartedly, you can really enjoy the format of the show as well as enjoy watching the Iron Chefs and the challengers prepare their dishes, all of which must utilize the theme ingredient. While it is dubbed from Japanese into English, the dubbed voices are rather funny and make for a laugh. And even if you think the show is somewhat of a joke, all the chefs are truly amazing in their cooking abilities and in making unique dishes in less than an hour. I highly recommend Iron Chef as an alternative to cable television prime time programming. An American version is in the works!

I am surprised that more people haven't written about this show. It has caused a cultural revolution, and has made such an impact that SNL even bothered to mimic the show. It is supposed to be melodramatic, and I love the dubbed voices. Almost every one I know who knows of this show loves it, and is addicted. Even though I would not want to eat some of the dishes at times, watching them put those dishes being put together is always interesting. Every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night I tape The Iron Chef. Its one of the best shows on television.

I love this show. The melodrama's the best part. I love the way it's set up like a sports show. I love the way the host is dressed like Liberace. I love the dramatic entrance of the theme ingredient. "And the theme ingredient is..." (tension mounts...what is it? what will it be???) "BROCCOLI!!!" Enter an enormous load of broccoli. I love the way some (not all) of the Japanese celebrities are so haughty, which makes them look like a fool since we Americans haven't heard of them. I like the way other celebrities are so honest, simple, and likable (like that fortune-teller). She's cool.

I like cooking, but being a staunch vegetarian I don't often watch cooking shows that regularly feature slaughtered animals as ingredients. However, this show I can't tear myself away from. That's how much fun it is. I once watched an Iron Chef make an ice-cream-like dessert out of sardines. What's not to love?

(I will concede, however, that some of the English voice-dubbing is annoying after awhile. But it's worth it.)

These chefs really are awesome, by the way. They are creative and boy do they know their craft. All kidding aside, I bow to the Iron Chefs, and those brave enough to challenge them.

I love Iron Chef. What an idea for a show!! I love the premise of bringing renowned chefs from all over Japan and the world to challenge Chairman Kaga's Iron Chefs, and to have them create dishes on the spot using the theme ingredient announced at the beginning. It's also fun to listen to the play-by-play announcing; you'd think this was a sports events.

The fact that these chefs can prepare 4-6 dishes on the spot in one hour attests to their amazing skills and imagination, especially when an Iron Chef of one cooking style is confronted with a theme ingredient they normally don't use. I wish I was there to taste some of their amazing creations.

What astounds me about the show is how seriously some challengers take this, like the Italian expatriate chefs and their battles against Iron Chef Italian Masahiko Kobe, and the Ohta Factions' (a society of Japanese chefs who are staunchly traditional in their cooking techniques) war against Iron Chef Japanese Masaharu Morimoto.

I can't wait for IC3 next month. My local cable company just recently added the Food Network, so I didn't see the original Bobby Flay/Morimoto contest. After watching what Morimoto has done in previous episodes, I really can't see Flay winning. I've also thought about whether Emeril would someday appear on Iron Chef, but I think he's a bit too laidback for something as tense and fast-paced as this.

There is no other show like this anywhere on television. Shown in the USA on cable TV's Food Network (complete with awkward English dubbing). this show is part Frugal Gourmet, part Worldwide Wrestling Federation, and part Japanese monster movie. There are so many small touches that make the show a surrealistic trip - the fact that everyone's voice is (badly dubbed) except the master of ceremonies, who speaks Japanese while English subtitles are flashed on the screen; this same man's mysterious smile as he bites into a yellow pepper during the show's opening sequence; the breathless commentary from the reporter on the floor, who shouts "Fukui-san!" every fifty seconds or so; the seemingly bottomless knowledge on the finer points of gourmet cooking displayed by various actors, pop singers, news anchors, and other celebrities who sit on the panel of judges every week; the mixture of bravado and faux humility shown by both Iron Chefs and challengers, seen in the United States only in professional athletes; etc.

There is simply no way to encapsulate the atmosphere of this show in a few lines of commentary. It has to be seen to be experienced. and once you buy into the premise of the show, you will find it very entertaining.