ICC Exclusives – Kurumaebi – Nakamura vs. Kashima

It’s finally time for a new ICC Exclusives episode. This week, I have another 1997 Nakamura episode for you. The challenger trained in France, but he now specializes in Vietnamese cooking. This episode did not air on Food Network.

The chairman’s theme reveal is kind of clever this week. He talks about Vietnam being having the most motorcycles in the world. He then says something about people wanting their cars, then about the car of the sea. The Japanese name for the theme is kurumaebi. (“Kuruma” means car in Japanese.”) (And if that is way off, someone please correct me and my less-than-stellar knowledge of Japanese.)

I will try to catch up this week with the Japanese language episodes I have missed by not having TWICH the last few weeks. TWICH will return next week, and will continue on its regular schedule after that. Thank you to everyone who has been patient these last few weeks.

New in the database this week: 525OA Prawn

Happy Independence Day from the Iron Chef Collection

Today is Independence Day in the United States. To help you celebrate the Red, White, and Blue, I have picked some battles with an American connection or with a red, white, or blue theme. Enjoy.

• 610 – RED Snapper – Morimoto vs. Hirayama – The debut battle of the American-based Iron Chef Japanese Morimoto.
• 336 – Matsutake – Michiba vs. Noda – The first American-born challenger.
• 901 – 21st Century Battle – RED Snapper/Spiny Lobster – Sakai vs. Kandagawa and an All-American rematch featuring Morimoto and Bobby Flay.
• 324 – BLUE Crab – Michba vs. Mingxing
• 802a – New York Battle – Part 1 – The Iron Chefs tour New York.
• 802b – New York Battle – Rock Crab Battle – Morimoto vs. Flay – The first battle to take place in the United States.
• 802OA – Original Japanese version of the New York Battle – (Read this for a list of differences between the original version and the Food Network version.)
• 709OAa – Morimoto Retrospective – Iron Chef Michiba visits Morimoto in New York.
• Morimoto RAW – Special detailing the opening of Morimoto’s restaurant in Philadelphia.
• 636 – Lobster – Sakai vs. Siegel – The first American challenger to win in Kitchen Stadium

Enjoy some Iron Chef. Fire up the grill. Watch some fireworks. Have a great holiday.

This Week in Iron Chef History (6/21-6/27)

This week in Iron Chef History, June 21-June 27:

• 224 (6/24/1994) – Milk – Chen vs. Masahiko Miyamoto
• 325 (6/23/1995) – Sardine – Chen vs. Yukihiro Noda
• 426 (6/21/1996) – Bacon – Sakai vs. Phillipe Baton
• 524OA (6/27/1997) – Blacktip Grouper – Chen vs. Chow Kuen Chung
• 622 (6/26/1998) – Kamo Eggplant – Kobe vs. Yasuhiro Sasajima
• 723 (6/25/1999) – Black Pork – Sakai vs. Isao Makio

TWICH Notes: The milk battle features a challenger who trained under two of the top five chefs in France. Chen’s Sardine battle comes after two straight Iron Chef losses and a trip to the hospital for Michiba. You have seen the challenger from this week’s ICC Exclusive episode many times. When? You see him in every Food Network opening. He is the chef who enters behind the Hong Kong Colonial Flag and is wearing several medals around his neck. Now you finally get to see him in the Blacktip Grouper battle. Kobe takes on a chef known as “The Innovator.” Finally, we get to see Sakai make a visit to his hometown and cook for some of his school friends.

New in the database this week: 524OA – Blacktip Grouper – Chen vs. Chow Kuen Chung

This Week in Iron Chef History (6/14-6/20)

This week in Iron Chef History, June 14 – June 20:

• 223 (6/17/1994) – Sea Urchin – Sakai vs. Yuji Wakiya
• 324 (6/16/1995) – Blue Crab – Michiba vs. Zeng Mingxing
• 425 (6/14/1996) – Pomfret – Nakamura vs. Son Kangi (This battle did not air on Food Network. We don’t have a copy of it.)
• 523OA (6/20/1997) – Amberjack – Sakai vs. Kunio Sato (This battle did not air on Food Network. We DO have a copy of it.) 🙂
• 621 (6/19/1998) – New Potato – Chen vs. Kentaro
• 722 (6/18/1999) – Sushi – Morimoto vs. Keiji Nakazawa
• 722OA (6/18/1999) – Original Japanese language version of episode 722 (Sushi)

TWICH Notes: The Sea Urchin battle sees Sakai battling a chef who was eventually selected to be an Iron Chef. (He never did battle as an Iron Chef.) Michiba takes on an apprentice of the “Mother of Chinese cooking in Japan.” Our ICC Exclusives episode this week features a chef from the Izu Peninsula. New Potato sees the return of the Kobayashi family. Can the son be half as entertaining as his mother was? Finally this week, we have the first official Sushi battle in Kitchen Stadium. Remember that Morimoto started his career as a sushi chef. Does he still have what it takes to win a sushi battle?

New in the database this week: 523OA, 722OA

See you next week.

This Week in Iron Chef History (6/7-6/13)

This week in Iron Chef History, June 7 – June 13:

• 222 (6/10/1994) – Sweetfish – Michba vs. Katsumi Hanato
• 323 (6/9/1995) – Lamb – Sakai vs. Kazutaka Okabe
• 424 (6/7/1996) – Salmon Roe – Sakai vs. Yoshinobu Sonobe
• 522OA (6/13/1997) – Short Pasta – Kobe vs. Masahiko Hagiwara
• 620 (6/12/1998) – Sweetfish – Morimoto vs. Kenichi Miyanaga
• 721 (6/11/1999) – Giant Lobster – Kobe vs. Makoto Osada

TWICH Notes: The sweetfish battle pits Michiba against a challenger sent by Kandagawa. Sakai’s lamb battle is against a chef from Club Mistral. The Salmon Roe battle never aired on Food Network. (Unfortunately, we have not been able to find a copy of it.) Our ICC Exclusive episode is Kobe’s debut battle. The Iron Chef Collection is the only place you can see it. Morimoto takes on a chef who was a former Michiba assistant. He knows Kitchen Stadium better than the then new Iron Chef Japanese Morimoto. Finally, Kobe gets to use giant lobsters that cost up to $400 each. Enjoy.

This Week in Iron Chef History (5/31-6/6)

This week in Iron Chef history, May 31 – June 6:

• 221 (6/3/1994) – Natto – Michiba vs. Kuniyuki Ishikawa
• 322 (6/2/1995) – Onion – Sakai vs. Katsuo Omiya
• 423 (5/31/1996) – Cuttlefish – Chen vs. Ichio Goto
• 521OA (6/6/1997) – Conger Eel – Nakamura vs. Hisato Sakane
• 619 (6/5/1998) – Mishima Beef – Sakai vs. Kumiko Kobayashi
• 720bOA – (6/4/1999) – Indonesia Special (Part 2) – Michiba and Morimoto travel to Indonesia

TWICH Notes: The Natto battle features a match up of two certified Maestros of a Japanese chef’s association with more than 20,000 member. (Michiba was the head of the organization.) The challenger in the Onion battle is the owner of one of the top three diners in Japan and the first diner cook to do battle in Kitchen Stadium. Chen takes on a chef responsible for the menus at three of the top Italian restaurants in Japan. Our ICC Exclusive episode this week is a battle between Nakamura and the number two man at Kandagawa’s main restaurant. Sakai gets the privilege of using the best beef that Japan produces. Only 20 heads a year are available and cost $12,000 each. And we get part 2 of the Indonesia Special.

New in the video database this week: 521OA – Conger Eel