This BKS video features the girls of Morning Musume, the popular Japanese idol group, and their attempt to cook like the Iron Chefs. You might remember a couple of these girls from previous BKS videos. Nozomi Tsuji and Kago Ai were featured in Ryori no Tetsu-Kappa. The Iron Girls enter Kitchen Colosseum. The girls will split into two teams: Italian (Green) vs. Chinese (Red).
The master chef teaching the Italian team is two time challenger in Kitchen Stadium; Hiromi Yamada (217 – Cabbage vs. Chen, 1994 Mr. Iron Chef).
The master chef teaching the Chinese team was also a challenger in Kitchen Stadium; Nawasaka Matsuo (539OA – Spare Rib vs. Chen.)
The girls are getting lessons from the chefs. The pasta looks OK, but Nakazawa Yuko seems to be having a little bit of trouble with the fish. In the red kitchen, Ishikawa Rika watches the chef take a thin slice of pepper and says, “Muri.” (Impossible), but she still makes an effort.
It’s time to finally begin. We don’t get our usual Fukui-san, but we do get to see the ever present Dr. Yukio Hattori. The guests include a familiar face to IC fans. Tatsuo Umemiya (guest and challenger in ep 245), Hayashiya Kobuhei (actor), Imori Miyuki (actress). And the most familiar voice in Kitchen Stadium, Shinichiro Ota is also on hand.
The three theme ingredients are: Red Pacific Sea Bream (Tai), Matsuzaka Beef, Ostrich Eggs.
The teams will be cooking one at a time. The Chinese team is selected to cook first. The rules are that the master chef can give advice during the first 50 minutes of the battle, but he must not touch anything. During the final 10 minutes, he is allowed to directly help the girls with their dishes.
Chinese Team – Round 1
Abe Natsumi quickly removes the scales from the fish while Rika almost removes her fingers while cutting off a slab of beef. Fortunately, the chef reminds her to tuck her fingers under when doing knife work. They are stuffing the fish with oolong tea. Yaguchi Mari is preparing salt for a salt-crust grill treatment for the fish. They seem to be taking a long time to cut into the ostrich egg so they can start their dessert. They are going to make an ostrich egg meringue and a mango puree.
Rika forgets the rule that the chef can’t touch anything, so he can’t even taste her dish. She decides on her own that it is “O.K.” Abe grows impatient waiting for her fish and says the oven is “osoi” (slow).
Italian Team – Round 2
Nakazawa Yuko was chosen to do the main dish but doesn’t seem too excited about working with the fish. The Italian side also has abalone, squid, and shrimp. While the Chinese team took the time to saw through their ostrich egg, the Italian team is going after theirs with a hammer. They ask Nakazawa what she is feeling, and while I’m not sure what she says, I would imagine it is something about not wanting to put her hand in the fish. They put a huge slab of beef on the grill. Of course, they are making pasta. The chef really has to move fast during his ten minutes of action. After it’s done, they ask Nakazawa if that was her first time cooking fish. (I think.) She said, “Yes.”
It is time for the judgment, but not before Morning Musume performs their #1 song Happy Summer Wedding. (Subtitled PV here.) Anyway, back to the judgment.
Umemiya – Chinese Team 16, Italian Team 16
Kobuhei – Chinese Team 18, Italian Team 17
Imori – Chinese Team 18, Italian Team 19
Totals – Chinese Team 52, Italian Team 52
A tie!! Oh well, at least we got to see Morning Musume have fun in the kitchen.
New in the database this week: Ryori no Tetsu-Musume