Iron Chef America

Please tell me is there somebody out there who allso is professionally offended about how the jury does it's job?!? I am for one VERY jealous that they get to be there, sit on their *** and taste all those amazing dishes and then put on those smug faces and give such comment without even having respect for the hard work those chefs did. Well that is how they come across to me. That is exactly why I never watch Chopped, because I could just hit those judges to reality, they are not celebs, or any kind of important people. They are just pretty damn lucky, that's what they are.

They should show the food by itself, not with the chef. I understand this is an older show and that it has been around for a while, but it is not fair to the competing chefs for the judges to know who's food is who. This show is always disappointing and just angers me how the judges just pile negative comments upon negative comments on the competing chef, then compliment the iron chef nonstop. The food should be shown separately without knowing who had cooked the dish. This way, the judges have no way of being biassed. Please take my view on this show into consideration.

I am no longer an avid Iron Chef America fan now that Batali is no longer a part. He was the Saki on Iron Chef America (ICA). What has happened to ICA? Even the judges are no longer as qualified to judge culinary arts. You have hired ICA chefs that are by no means of the quality and caliber of Mario Batali, and because of this, I am no longer an ICA fan :(

I think it's pretty terrible what I have read about that Batali and his labor dispute. Taking from his employee's. NASTY man, he looks like the kind that would climb the backs of the little man to get more. I use to love to watch Iron Chef. But when they show his fat face and sneeky RAT eyes all I can see is him TAKING from his employee's. Does he not get enough from this his tv shows, that he must take from people that work for him????
Once more I don't watch the Iron Chef when he is picked. SHAME ON YOU batali, nasty sneeky sweaty man and wash that greasy stringy hair.

Boy, Iron Chef America has sunk to a new low. A self-invented reality idiot, who has no class and certainly no culinary sophistication, judging food made by some of the best chefs in the world? By her own admission--"I dont eat sushi and I don't like mussels". GO HOME then and snack on the string bean-cream-of-mushroom soup-canned onion rings casserole you know and love. It was painful to watch and I am certain Zakarian and the other judges were horrified by this bimbo.

Totally agree with DavidSmith3. I'm surprised Geoffery's parents weren't on the judging panel. Now go back to the finale of the Next Iron Chef and it makes sense that Alex was the only chef to work for both of them. No respect for Iron Chef America.

Jill Zarin as a judge ... really ? Who did she pay? She was terrible as a judge.

First! Alexandra Guarnaschelli should NOT be a sous chef to Geoffrey Zakarian! Totally not fair to the other contestants.

Second! Find some qualified judges! Jill Zarin, really?? "I've never had sushi" yet she is an Iron Chef America Judge?? If you need someone qualified, call me... I have over 20 years in the food and hospitality industry, live in NYC, and certainly could add an opinion that holds some weight vs a wanna be celebrity! Come on Food Network, it's about as bad as when you had Phil Simms and his partner on there..... really.....let's try to keep some sense of credibility.... David Smith, Principal, Smith Hospitality Group.

I am a huge fan of Iron Chef America and have been for years, but I have to say that I was extremely disgusted by the judge, James Oseland during the episode aired 3/14/09 "Flay vs Kinch". He shoveled the food into his mouth and chewed with his mouth open, spoke with his mouth full (I felt sorry for Katie I think he spit food on her!) he was literally drooling and slobering. It was the most dispicable display of table manners I have ever witnessed in my life. On a good note I thought Kinch's food looked so appealing that I also was salivating but had the decency to cover my mouth with a napkin. I truely hope that if they invite him back they post a disclaimer stating " the following program may not be suitable for viewing by the squeemish".

I think many remember the original Iron Chef. Sure, that show was wacky, but wacky in an exotic way. Well, Food Network has started their own version of the hit Japanese T.V. and, well...



I thought the pilot series was done well enough, it was entertaining and seemed kind of like an actual competition, even though we all knew it wasn't. The pilot was such a success, Food Network gave a full series the green light. At first, the show carried itself fairly well. Ok, for the first two or three episodes it carried itself well, but as the show goes on it gets more and more silly.



At the core of all of this goofy, corn ball dialogue is the "chairmen's nephew". Apparently the nephew of the chairman from the original series! Wow! Apparently, in the chairmen's spare time, he likes to act in really bad movies on the Sci-Fi Channel. All I can say is, I don't know how the guy keeps a straight face as he says half of what he says, it's just too ridiculous. The chairman is also accompanied by his own corny sound effects. Color commentary is provided by Alton Brown, who I normally like, but in this series I just can't stand his goofy jokes and his enjoyment of calling the audience "kids".



While the competition is enjoyable to watch for five minutes, the corny dialogue just doesn't make up for it. Please Food Network, at least try to make it serious.

Saw Iron Chef today Mosimoto vs Love. Great. Judges a little off today. None the less always like Iron Chef.Love the episodes with Flay. He is another of my favorites. I always thought Mario Bateli was a wonderful chef. I would love to try his food. I'm not much for Calimari, buffalo and some of those other weird dishes. I'm like Paula Deen I'm a southern gal and love the food from the south. Therefore every southern dish you have on the shows I'm dashing for my paper and pen. It would be fun on the Iron Chef to have the chefs cook collard Greens, or cornbread. Wow How much fun would that be.LOL Well keep up the good work on the chef and give my regards to chairman. I saw one of his movies today on t.v A devoted fan.

Iron Chef America is just as enjoyable as the original Japanese Iron Chef. This series is about average chefs taking on top chefs of the nation to compete in a battle of creative cooking skills for the recognition as a top chef themselves. My favorite Iron chefs are Masaharu Morimoto, Mario Batali (before he was replaced by Michael Symon) and Cat Cora. It's interesting to see the chefs create 5 different dishes focused around a secret ingredient that they are presented with at the beginning of the competition. It's outstanding what some of the chefs can create, especially when sometimes the secret ingredient is as simple as eggplant or as farfetched as squid. Alton Brown also does a good job narrating what goes on in the kitchen. Iron Chef America is definately one of my favorite food competitions to watch.

I don't know why everyone hates Michael Symon so much... he was a great choice for the new Iron Chef... Can you really see yourself watching Chef Besh compete in that area everyweek... Dripping sweat into all his food... Disgusting, I'm sorry...



The great thing about this show is that there is so much more interaction between the hosts, the judges and the chefs now than in the past.



I love Cat Cora for always having fun, I love Bobby Flay for always smiling, Mario Batali for being the only redhead I've ever seen speak such perfect Italian and Morimoto for always kicking butt...



And now we have Michael Symon... maybe I have a soft spot for bad boys, but I'm excited about him as the new Iron Chef!



Why don't you all give him a chance before tossing him into the fire...

Ahead of its time, HA not a chance the original maybe, but the chairman was in a dmx action movie this is supposed to be real are you kidding me, the iron chef always wins and the ingredients are unlimited wow seriously a rewound backflip in the begginging credits, looks at the pepper and bites an apple? and nobody eats an apple that way turn it on its side for goodness sake. Get someone no one recognizes from bad action movies to be in charge and fix the host's Alfalfa hairdoo. And whats with the judges not eating some things. I miss Ota from the real iron chef and yes i undersatnd its done thus the Morimoto sell out to this one but Jamie Oliver lost really? Yeah its a rant but if anyone appreciates food they will tell you at least get the show off the air and quit wasting the food networks time.

What a joke!!! If the task was to replace Batali, what better choice would there have been than the chef who trounced him 55 to 49 in the battle of andouille sausage, John Besh. Over the weeks of the competition, Besh was consistently at the top of the group while Symon was hit-or-miss. In the finale, Symon served up grainy filling in his raviolis and two dishes that were declared to be underseasoned. What did he need to do to lose? (But wait, one of the judges did blab that Symon was the 2-to-1 favorite going into the competition.) Since the finale was staged in the kitchen stadium, why wasn't the usual taste-plating-originality points system used?

With Mario's departure came the contest to find the Next Iron Chef. I was unimpressed with the judges. The last and final test I was glad to see the Iron Chefs sit in. Cat Cora is a woman after my own heart. But, for the life of me, I can't understand why they didn't choose Chef John Besh! Symon was okay but not Iron Chef material. I will boo his every match! I will root for the challenger! That's a promise! This is my Sunday night, before the work week starts, culinary fix. I may have to find what CBS has on when Symon battles. I hope Food Network gives Besh a show. He's proven his worth. I am soooo disappointed!

this show is basically the same thing japans "iron chef"

the iron chefs win most of the time but sometimes the challenger does win too sometimes though and usually by only a couple of points

but i do think it is getting a bit old that its the same thing over and over again they need to do something to spice it up a bit more make it more exciting

i like how they do the special ingredient

i think the special episode were they did the double iron chef one was one of the best episodes

i give it a 7.6

i dont think it will be on much longer if it continues as its going though

I can't believe you take an idea and turn it around... change the accent, the dynamics and make it your own. Sooo Sad and it's not the first time. Eg. Coupling - originally from the UK - you guys just don't have the same sense of humour and can't make it work the same. You American's are sad & sorry. Can't you watch anything that doesn't have an American accent and appreciate and enjoy it?? The original Iron Chef kicked ass... Get Over Yourselves and venture outside the square you live in.



Can you understand our written language??

This show is okay but i liked the old show better. in the old show i liked how the were "if memory sevres" flash backs and how there was always a little dity about the theme ingredant and how the battle would start with a gong. i don't like how this show calls the theme ingredant "the secret ingredant" and i don't like how the Chairman shouts "let the battle begin." i do like the music though. i think that this show should bring in challengers from other parts of the world and not just from America, which as far as i know is the only country the chalangers have come from.

This show got me hooked on watching the Food Network in the evenings. I had just moved into a new apartment with none of my things set up except for my TV. I was flipping through the channels and on a Sunday evening, there was nothing on. For whatever reason I started watching Iron Chef America and the rest is history. I love watching this show, if for nothing else, the quirkiness of it. As someone who appreciates fine dining, it's always interesting to see the creativity and originality of the day's secret ingredient. I hope Iron Chef America enjoys continued longevity!

The summary says it all, Iron Chef America is no where as exciting as the original Iron Chef. Whent he show was first announced I was expecting it to be so much more then really is.

Bobby Flay, Mario Batalli, and Wolfgang Puck! Is this really the best we have to offer? I was pleased to see a fresh face added to the show in Season 2 with Cat Cora. It was nice to see Food TV bring a woman on board but I was suprised they did not have Rachael Ray do this show as well.

The critics featured on iron Chef America would probably more at home at McDonalds rather then eating gourmet food. most of the comments are unoriginal and lead me to believe the show is fixed as I can not imagine a single person eating some of that stuff Bobby Flay has put in front of them..

I loved this show the first time I watched it. It seemed like nothing new and I knew it wasn't going to BLOW MY MIND. But, as i seemed to watch it more, I found i was disliking it more and more as the episodes went on. The announcers don't know what they are talking about and the chefs are anoying. The guy that announces the foods in the beginning is so over played it is redigulace. (I have to admit I found this funny in the beginning but after a while it is just plain stupid). In my opinion, not an everyweek show.

The original Iron Chef series was quite entertaining. It featured some of the most unappetizing theme ingredients yet somehow made them look almost edible. This show was about style and inovation, it cut edges and introduced some of the worlds most creative chefs, in all their humility.



I do think that both series lose their competitive objectivity because the judges can see who is making what dish. This leaves too much room for favoritism. If I were watching Bobby Flay versus almost any other chef, I'd choose the other chef just because Flay really turns me off. I'm sure the judges face this sort of dilema themselves, so the competition isn't fair from the start.



The American version is a mock version of the original. The Iron Chef's themselves seem more entertained by their own egos than the view is in watching them scream at their underlings. Who says slavery is dead? Just because you pay someone a couple bucks an hour and constantly verbally abuse them....slap as much makeup on that pig as you want, it's still a pig!



This show did offer the opportunity for this viewer to see his favorite all time chefs. The Too Hot Tamales (Mary Sue and Susan RULE!!) were are will always be my favorites to ever grace this network. They didn't seem trapped by their own egotism and let their grub take a back seat as most of the chefs on the network now do.



And how do they choose the judges on this show? For the most part, they're uninteresting and probably wouldn't know a sorbet from a souffle. The American palate is, after all, very under educated. We'll eat anything as long as a commercial tells us it's good.



I'd say get grab the remote and find something really informative to watch when this show comes on. Not only because it's a horrid, cheap knock off of an original, but because it's hard to cram Bobby Flay and Alton Brown's big ego bloated heads into one television screen.

I don't even know the words to describe how wonderful this show is. I used to make fun of it, but then I sat down and actually watched it I was hooked. I love to cook , although I am not the best at it. And in watching this show I have learned a lot about the basics and the gourmet. There are four chefs but I tune in to see 1 (mainly). Iron Chef Bobby Flay. (He is married to Stephanie March, formerly of Law & Order: SVU, but currently on Conviction). Each week they have 3 judges, sometimes they are tv or movie stars, sometimes they are Food critics and authors of world renowned cookbooks. It is so interesting to see how they make all these different foods based on the secret ingredient. One week a challenging chef made ice cream out of turkey!!!! (She didnt beat my man, Bobby though!). I give this a 9.4 out of 10 only becuase the host guy kinda drives me nuts. But, I would recommend this to anyone who has an interest in food. Cooking or eating it!!

One thing that I really love about this show is the way that it really shows respect for the food, the chefs, and cooking in general. Alton Brown does a great job keeping us informed with what's going on and the Iron chefs are all top notch chefs for their time. Always a different theme and sometimes I'm really just blown away with the creations they come up with. This is one of the best cooking shows on TV and the reason I enjoy it more than the original (Japanese) Iron Chef is because you don't get stuck dealing with those rediculous voice overs. Something is lost in translation between Japanese and English, that's for sure. I would say check this show out and you won't be disapointed in the least!!

Any show that has Alton Brown as a commentator is going to be a good one! This show has just the right balance of fenzy and fun. I do miss some of the more bizzare secret ingredients of the shows name sake, but that said, watching Bobby, Mario, Cat, and Masahru, throw thwmselves around the kitchen and seeing what they can create in an hour makes the show worth watching.

I never thought I’d get hooked on a cooking show. But “Iron Chef America” ain’t your ma’s home ec class. With humor, incredible food combinations and a hearty helping of wit, the US version of the popular Japanese show doesn’t disappoint.



In case you haven’t seen the show, picture this: it’s an hour competition to prepare five or more dishes all featuring a “special ingredient”. And while that resembles my college experiments with Ramen noodles, *I* never had to deal with acerbic judges, commentators and a whole stadium of spectators. It’s essentially the culinary equivalent of a sports competition.



The show’s mythos is that the Chairman, a rich, foppish Japanese lord, has so much money he built a Kitchen Stadium for his Iron Chefs to compete in. Here in the American version, we watch his “nephew”, theoretically given funds to bankroll his own chefs and stadium.



In each episode, one of the four Iron Chefs, Batali, Flay, Morimoto and Cora, is matched up against a “challenger” – a well-known chef in their own right. The Iron Chef must defend their title as they prepare dishes that are graded on taste, presentation and originality (trout ice cream, anybody?).



Each of the Iron Chefs has a distinct culinary style and personality in the kitchen. My personal favorite is Batali, with his huge red rubber kitchen clogs and generous nature, although Chef Morimoto is an imaginative competitor who’s also fun to watch. Inevitably, Chef Flay earns his surname as he slices himself with a knife during competition, while Chef Cora exhibits unrivaled concentration.



Alton Brown and Kevin Brauch are the show’s commentators, guiding us at home through the mores of Kitchen Stadium (and identifying star anise, ramps and funeral rice for the mac and cheese set). Brown especially brings his own brand of humor to the show, and his puns and food-based couplets are hilarious.



The three judges are a rotating group that changes with each episode. They taste the competing chefs’ meals at the end of the show and offer their opinions, varying from “can I have another helping” to “this is inedible”. Especially noteworthy is Jeffrey Steingarten, a Harvard-educated curmudgeon who loves to argue about the food. In the duration of a show he usually manages to tick off his fellow judges without thick skin.



I’ve read some complaints that this show doesn’t live up to its Japanese heritage – some think the American offering is an unsatisfying “lite” version. But I came to the Iron Chef franchise with this show and although I have gone back to watch and enjoy the Japanese Iron Chef, I prefer the American program. Maybe it’s ‘cause they use ingredients that I actually have in my fridge. Not that I’m dissing unagi. Also, the Chairman’s nephew is hot.



To summarize this show, it’s best to turn to his catchphrase that starts each battle:

So America, with an open heart and an empty stomach, I say unto you in the words of my uncle: Allez Cuisine!



Or at least, allez TiVo.

Trying to capitalize on the success and popularity of Japan's Iron Chef, Food Network introduced Iron Chef America in 2004. Unfortunately, however, something's missing.



Part of the charm of the original Iron Chef came from the quirky personality and garish wardrobe of Chairman Takeshi Kaga. Fellow actor Mark Dacascos brings an elegant and sophisticated presence as the Chairman of Iron Chef America, but he lacks Kaga's intensity. Kaga fully immersed himself in his role as Chairman. It's good that Mark's low-key approach doesn't mimic Kaga's, but I don't think his role is adequately defined. In particular, his version of "Allez cuisine!" seems misplaced considering his on-screen personality.



Right now, the Chairman role is dull and uninspiring. One way to remedy this would be a change of wardrobe. Mark's current all-dark getup is unflattering, especially for someone as handsome and gentlemanly as he is. Perhaps more camera time would also help. I'd like to hear him comment on the food he's tasting.



The Chairman role is not the main problem, though. It's not even a major problem. Where Iron Chef America falls short is in its selection of Iron Chefs. To me, Food Network didn't look far enough to find talented chefs with personality. Hiroyuki Sakai and Chen Kenichi became fan favorites not only because of their creative talents in the kitchen, but also because of their outgoing yet respectful demeanors. They always seemed to be having fun in the kitchen. Bobby Flay, in particular, certainly doesn't lack cooking ability, but he severely lacks personality. To me, the ICA Iron Chefs just don't seem to be enjoying themselves that much. I always cheered for the Japanese Iron Chefs. With Iron Chef America, I always root for the challengers.



That's not to say that Iron Chef America is without its redeeming qualities. I still eagerly anticipate the unveiling of the secret ingredient. (Fortunately for the ICA competitors, no one has had to kill a live octopus yet!) Alton Brown brings great insight and knowledge as the announcer. It's always good to be introduced to chefs you might not otherwise hear about. Best of all, it's fun to just watch the differences in how the chefs approach the night's challenge.



Iron Chef America could be a fine follow-up to the original, but only if it can overcome its present lack of charm.

I don't think so! This version of Iron Chef is TERRIBLE! I really miss Kaga and all the pomp and circumstance of the original. Alton Brown is cool, but he's no Fukui-san, and lets be honest, Kevin is NO Ota! The Chairman SUCKS big time! Kaga should give him lessons!I really miss Kaga and all the pomp and circumstance of the original. Alton Brown is cool, but he's no Fukui-san, and lets be honest, Kevin is NO Ota! The Chairman SUCKS big time! Kaga should give him lessons!

It's a good idea which hasn't reached its potential. The commentators are flat, the judges uninteresting and the whole demeanor of the show has neither the faux gravity of the original nor the lighthearted joking that I think they were going for. The original treated the preparations like a mystery to be solved, guessing at the ingredients, the treatment and the menu the chef had in mind. The commentators joked with one another and bet on who was on the right track. They talked about the history of the ingredients, their common usage and sometimes their prices. The guys in this version are so bland and straightforward, it's not even fun.