I couldn’t decide which fish movie to use for this post. I decided to go with the one I had seen most recently. The most recent film released in Japan by the great Hayao Miyazaki is called Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea (Gake no ue no Ponyo/Ponyo on the Cliff). Chairman Kaga would be pleased that this title of this movie seemed to fit so well into the theme of this week’s Episodes of the Week. All of our episode this week feature fish. Don’t worry. There were no signs of Ponyo or Nemo being cooked during these battles.
- Salmon (335) – Sakai vs. Bruant – The challenger was part of the first tag team battle in Kitchen Stadium. Now he is back on his own to challenge Sakai again.
- Cod (702) – Sakai vs. Kamimura – The challenger is a rice connoisseur from Niigata, an area known for its rice and sake.
- Sturgeon (708) – Chen vs. Asou – The challenger is endorsed by French legend Pierre Troisgros. The theme ingredient is especially lively. It’s a rather bloody preparation. Don’t say you weren’t warned.
- Angler (711) – Morimoto vs. Masahara – The challenger is the fourth challenger sent to Kitchen Stadium from the Ohta Faction.
- Sea Bass (733) – Morimoto vs. Shigematsu – This challenger is the final challenger in Kitchen Stadium.
The following episodes may be found by searching our video database:
335,
702,
708,
711,
733New in the database this week: 335, 702, 708, 711, 733
And I couldn’t make a Ponyo post without including a link to the
little girl singing the theme song. You will have this song stuck in your head for a few days. And if not, you’ll have the pure cuteness of Ohshima Nozomi stuck in your head. 🙂
Nakamura vs. Suzuki
Originally aired 3/1/96
Iron Chef, the Official Book episode# 121
Iron Chef Collection episode# 410
Rokusaburo Michiba retired as an Iron Chef on January 3, 1996. “I,” Michiba told the Chairman, “will take responsibility for finding the man who will take my place.” Thus it is that, two months later, Michiba introduces Komei Nakamura.
“Choosing the right challenger for his debut match was no easy task,” Kaga explains. But he did find one. Club des Trentes member Kiyoshi Suzuki first stepped into the world of French cooking at age 19, in 1966. From 1971 to 1980, he worked at 24 top-class French restaurants in France. From 1980-86, he oversaw the kitchen of l’orangerie de Paris. In 1986, he opened his own restaurant, Auberge de Suzuki, Tokyo.
Prior to the main action, we are shown Michiba’s cooking outfit, on display under glass. As Fukui-san explains, it “has been retired, and shall hang in the Stadium forever.”
On the commentary panel are actor Ken Tanaka, Sachiyo Nomura, and Dr. Yukio Hattori.
(more…)
Kitchen Stadium Board
10 October, 2008
This idiomatic phrase was first used by none other than William Shakespeare in The Merry Wives of Windsor. And if the world is not your oyster, then at least Kitchen Stadium is this week. This week’s Episodes of the Week feature two battles with oysters as the theme ingredient and two battles featuring a fellow bivalve, the clam.
- Clam (316) – Sakai vs. Santo – The challenger heads a restaurant famous among Japan’s artists and writers.
- Clam (334) – Chen vs Takemasa – The challenger is a female chef that trained under Kandagawa.
- Oyster (348) – Sakai vs. Groult – The challenger is the youngest ever winner of the MOF, the most prestigious award for chefs in France.
- Asura Oyster (707) – Sakai vs. Semba – The Circle Mold vs. The Circle of Life (Semba. Simba. Get it? 🙂 ) Anyway, the challenger is a trendsetter in Kyoto cuisine.
The following episodes may be found by searching our video database:
316,
334,
348,
707New in the database this week: 334, 348, 707
This is the third edition of our Iron Chef Collection Exclusives Episodes of the Month. Of course, this is where we present to you Iron Chef episodes that did not air on Food Network. Today, we present our Episodes of the Month for September. Thank you to everyone who voted in the poll.
- There are many Iron Chef specials that did not air on Food Network. We have been able to bring some of them to you over the last few months (Japan Cup, Millennium Special, Morimoto Retrospective), and this month, we bring you another one. In the final year of the regular run of Iron Chef, Morimoto and Michiba made a visit to Indonesia. The episode is unique for Iron Chef in that there is no actual competition. There is a great write up about these episodes done by the Iron Chef Reporter way back when the show was airing on local California television. (ICR Report Pt 1, ICR Report Pt 2)
- The second choice from the poll this month is the Pitan battle. Pitan is also known as “Thousand-year-old egg” is an egg that has been preserved for several weeks to several months. Chen vs. Takagi.
- The final addition this month is another unique one in that there was not a theme ingredient. The theme of the episode was Hanami (花見). Hanami is the Japanese tradition of enjoying the beauty of flowers, usually Sakura (桜) or cherry blossoms. The episode aired during the traditional Hanami time of the year. The judging takes place outdoors under the cover of Sakura. Nakamura vs. You
The following episodes may be found in our episode database: Indonesia Special Part 1 (
720aOA), Indonesia Special part 2 (
720bOA), Pitan Battle (
519OA), Hanami (
513OA)
tuthead
30 September, 2008
The most famous version of this song was released by the Bobby Fuller Four. (I kind of like the Green Day version myself.) These theme ingredients tried to use their claws to fight the Iron Chefs, but none of them won. Well, if you count being turned into a tasty dish as “winning”, then maybe they did.
- Lobster (227) – Sakai vs. Shimizu – The challenger was once the head chef at the Japan branch of La Tour d’Argent.
- Shanghai Crab (244) – Chen vs. Sugita – The challenger is the first Peking-style Chinese chef to do battle in Kitchen Stadium.
- Hair Crab (343) – Chen vs. Ikegawa – The challenger was once a sumo wrestler.
- Lobster (636) – Sakai vs. Seigel – It has been ten years since Ron Siegel visited Kitchen Stadium. Here is a recent interview with the American chef who took on Sakai in a seafood battle and won.
- King Crab (705) – Miromoto vs. Iio – The challenger is trying to be the third from the Royal Park Hotel, Tokyo to get a win in Kitchen Stadium.
The following episodes may be found by searching our video database:
227,
244,
343,
636,
705New in the database this week: 227, 244, 705
Next week’s Episodes of the Week post will be our monthly ICC Exclusives post. Don’t forget to vote for your choice of episodes in the poll on the left. The poll will close this weekend.
tuthead
23 September, 2008
The theme ingredients this week had an advantage over the chefs in Kitchen Stadium. Unfortunately for them, the fact that they had more arms than their human adversaries meant little once the Gong of Fate sounded. The theme for the Episodes of the Week this week is armed sea creatures.
- Octopus (106) – Chen vs. Kazuhiko – One of the first season battles. (Never aired on Food Network)
- Squid (Surumeika) (632) – Sakai vs. Miura – The challenger is an expert at using garlic.
- Octopus (645) – Kobe vs. Yoneda – Japanese pop star Go Hiromi. (A performance by Go Hiromi has been added to Beyond Kitchen Stadium this week.)
- Cuttlefish (Aoriika) (731) – Morimoto vs. Watanabe – The challenger is the head chef at one of the restaurants operated by one of the largest companies in Japan.
New in the database this week: 632, 645, 731, BKS-Go Hiromi
tuthead
16 September, 2008