Last night was the season premiere of The Next Iron Chef. For the elimination challenge, each of the ten industry vets was asked to cook using a different extreme ingredient. The list ran the gamut from unlaid eggs with fallopian tubes still attached to jellyfish, eel, and sea cucumber.
The putrid-smelling elements, like stinky tofu and durian, would've been the toughest to work with, simply because, when it comes to food, aroma is a component that can't be compromised. But it was the fallopian tube attached to the unlaid egg that really made my stomach turn.
To those of you who tuned in to watch the first episode: Which ingredient was the hardest to work with — and which was the most off-putting? What are your initial thoughts on the show in general?
Liz Carine
Tom Tailor
La Senza
I was ok with the challenges and their format but felt let down by the candidates. I understand WHY Bobby Flay and Mario Batali were/are chosen as Iron Chefs. They really ARE the at or near the very pinacle of their profession. Who were these contestants??? I know a little of Amanda Freitag but not the others. I'd like to know why these folks were chosen. I'm not saying they aren't qualified to be there, but that the show failed to educate me to that capacity.
1I went into it rooting for Chef Nate Appleman, but doesn't it seem like he can't stomach any criticism at all on the show?
2Huck, a decent number of these chefs are pretty damn talented. The general public knows Flay, Batali and Morimoto from Food Network; they were in the public TV eye before Iron Chef America. I can't say this across the board (I simply don't know all of them), but there's talent there.
And I agree, YumSugar. Nate seemed to not be able to take any of the negative criticism well.
3I thought Nate was a little bit of a punk, and I almost wonder if that means they'll keep him on longer because of it. I also don't know what was up with the judges. I don't know if they were encouraged/edited to be so contentious, but I did not appreciate it. Disagreement is one thing...even fervent disagreement, but they just took random stabs at each other...unprofessional, sure, but it's the first episode! A little too soon to be bickering in my opinion.
4My husband and I watched Mehta on Iron Chef America and he was my favorite from the start, but it looks like if he doesn't kick it up a couple of notches, he won't be staying too long. :-\
Do they really need a new Iron Chef? I thought the addition of Michael Symon was great, but no need for another. I am happy with the amount they have now & the times they each get for a challenger. I really had never heard of any of these contestants unlike the Michael Symon series, I did recognize Freitag but that was it...
5ncs- I agree that they are all deserving. I went to foodnetwork.com and there are great bios for each. My comment was simply that the show could have brought more of that to us instead of just one more food competition. I thought Top Chef Masters was terrific as we know so much about all the participants.
6None of the chefs are familiar, well except mannish, Fugly aMANda Freitag. He, er, I mean, she competed against Bobby Flay. Freitag is very annoying and so arrogant. If she were to be chosen as Iron Chef, I would never watch any of her competitions.
7The second episode was aired last Sunday and it was good. Tensions seem to be rising on the set. Chefs are now rushing to gather ingredients and tools and knocking each other out in the bargain. The food they make still looks good and (I’m sure) tastes good. How do they do it all in an hour? I know that when I make bouillabaisse it takes me an hour just to cook all the meats properly. Chef Jehangir Mehta also finds time to ensure that his plating is done just right. A lot of people are sitting up and noticing him this week. After watching the second show, I feel the top contenders most likely to become the Next Iron Chef are Jose Garces, Jehangir Mehta, Seamus Mullen and Roberto Trevino. Despite a brilliant performance this week I don’t think any of the women will make it to the top spot.
8I missed episode 3! My television set was obeying Murphy’s Law. It decided to crash at 8:45 pm. I’m going to have to catch the re-run later. I read the description of this particular episode on the FN website and it says that the chefs had to prepare a completely new dish that was a combination of Asian flavors and American culinary sensibilities. I feel Chef Jehangir Mehta has an advantage this time considering that he runs a restaurant (Graffiti) that specializes in Asian and eclectic cuisine. Besides, he has an amazing knack of adapting to ingredients. I really can’t wait to watch this episode.
9I'm really into the show, though I agree it's getting a bit crowded on the Iron Chef America platform.
If memory serves me right, there was an American chef named Ron Siegel from San Francisco who was the first American to win the original Iron Chef Japan. He had to face Iron Chef Sakai with two assistants who didn't speak English, yet came up with five perfected lobster dishes in 1 hour.
Siegel defeated Sakai in a 4-0 sweep, so my question is, why isn't this guy on Iron Chef America, since he's already a proven force?
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