Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Anyone else think Iron Chef America sucks?

ZildjianKX

ZildjianKX

macrumors 68000
Original poster
May 18, 2003
1,610
0
At least in comparison to the Japanese version.

Why Iron Chef America sucks compared to the Japanese version
1. There is no background info on challengers
2. The challengers can't choose their iron chef
3. The American iron chefs don't have real ethnic specialties and all have their own shows on the food network
4. Boring secret ingredients
5. Boring judges
6. The shows aren't titled by the ingredient, but by the names of the chefs (big American egos)
7. There is no drama between the iron chef and the challenger (I don't care who wins)
8. Pointless choice of a chairman

What do other Iron Chef fans think?

Edit - Sorry, thread title was suppose to be "America" not American.
 
American shows are boring anyway. Don't know why. I do rather enjoy any asian Iron Chef incarnation. American networks try to recreate a feeling, but they can't. There's nothing funnier than watching Iron Chef Korea duke it out with Iron Chef France or something.

I also saw William Shatner host an Iron Chef once. I mean, other than being fat, what link with food and cooking does he have? :p
 
I agree, the original is much better.

I really dislike Bobby Flay though - he drives me crazy!


allison.
 
Abstract said:
I also saw William Shatner host an Iron Chef once. I mean, other than being fat, what link with food and cooking does he have? :p
Click to expand...

Wow, you actually caught the first American attempt of Iron Chef, Iron Chef USA. It never got further than two episodes.

allisonv7 said:
I really dislike Bobby Flay though - he drives me crazy!
Click to expand...

Something about him just makes me want to hit him... I know that sounds wrong, but he comes across as such an ass everytime.
 
I like Iron Chef. Of course, I work on that show, so maybe I'm a little biased :)
 
I agree, it's not quite as good as the Japanese version, but it's still good fun. Alton Brown can be quite hilarious as host. I wish the judges were a little more adventurous. You shouldn't be a judge on a show like this if you "don't like fish," or if you're grossed out by raw meat.
 
Alton Brown is awesome, and Morimoto is still cool... but the rest of the show sucks. I hate Bobby Flay (arrogant pr*ck... I still remember that cross-over show where he battled Morimoto and at the end stood on his cutting block to ham it up with the crowd) and Cora annoys me for some reason... Molto Mario is okay on the show, but I liked him on his own show a lot more.

About the only other thing that I like about the American version is the judge who usually sits in the middle (older, kind of fat, wears glasses... think he was a lawyer who became a food critic?). When he rips into Flay... awesome.
 
I also like that older male judge, he seems to really enjoy the food and doesn't mind when things are "swimming in butter". Unlike some of the other women judges that are really b*tchy (mario sometimes gives them a dirty glare). There is one blonde woman that really irritates me b/c she's so pretentious. After one bite she puts her fork down and takes a deep breath to b.s for ten minutes about how the dish wasn't to her taste. Conversely, dishes she enjoys she often describes as "whimsical" and "really delightful". Seems like she thinks everyone is waiting to hear her opinion and jot it down for future reference. Anyone know who I'm talking about?
 
Abstract said:
You work on Iron Chef? Can I be one of your assistants?

I can cut. I can.
Click to expand...

sure.... just go to culinary school!;)

It's a blast to work on. I would post some behind the scenes pic's, but I'm guessing I would need permission first. I don't want to get fired!
 
ZildjianKX said:
At least in comparison to the Japanese version.

Why Iron Chef America sucks compared to the Japanese version
1. There is no background info on challengers
2. The challengers can't choose their iron chef
3. The American iron chefs don't have real ethnic specialties and all have their own shows on the food network
4. Boring secret ingredients
5. Boring judges
6. The shows aren't titled by the ingredient, but by the names of the chefs (big American egos)
7. There is no drama between the iron chef and the challenger (I don't care who wins)
8. Pointless choice of a chairman

What do other Iron Chef fans think?

Edit - Sorry, thread title was suppose to be "America" not American.
Click to expand...


the japanese version of iron chef is about 100% better.
i think cuz bobby flay is a tool.


also japanese tv isnt all that interesting, its mostly news shows with long extended segments on food.

its funny in japan, and story about a new food or cooking technique will air before a natural disaster or anything else. its strange.
 
njmac said:
I like Iron Chef. Of course, I work on that show, so maybe I'm a little biased :)
Click to expand...

Hope I didn't offend you, but can maybe you can print out this thread and give it to the producers, lol. I want to like the show, and there are so many little things they could do to make it more enjoyable.
 
stonyc said:
About the only other thing that I like about the American version is the judge who usually sits in the middle (older, kind of fat, wears glasses... think he was a lawyer who became a food critic?). When he rips into Flay... awesome.
Click to expand...

The judge's name is Jeffrey Steingarten, and he is indeed a food critic (for Vogue magazine). He also wrote a pretty good travel food book called "The Man Who Ate Everything".
 
ZildjianKX said:
Hope I didn't offend you, but can maybe you can print out this thread and give it to the producers, lol. I want to like the show, and there are so many little things they could do to make it more enjoyable.
Click to expand...

no you didn't offend me! Food Network wants this show to work and it could use some work.

I am going to be in an episode of Bobby Flay's new show next month, but seeing how popular Bobby is here :rolleyes: , I won't expect anyone here to watch :p !
 
I LOVE the Japanese Iron Chef...I think I've got about 50 eps :eek:
I don't think anything can beat the over exaggerated commentary and Chairman Kaga. Did you know he was the first to play Jesus, in the Japanese version of "Jesus Christ Superstar"?

As for the American version, I have to admit I haven't seen it. I'll try and get an episode or two, to check it out. However I've got a feeling from what I sawof Bobby Flay in the crossover ep. it may turn into an over-hyped ego trip. What's he like in real life njmac?
 
The reason I like the Japanese show much more is that it's taken so seriously... I love that factions of chefs are sending a series of challengers against a particular Iron Chef. Also, the ingredients are more exotic...the anglerfish battle was just great.

Here in Los Angeles there's an asian television station...channel 18, ksci. Years ago, before the Food channel bought the rights, they would play Iron chef, at first in Japanese, then in Japanese with English subtitles. That was the best, no goofy English dubbers. They stopped the subs after a while, I think for a rights issue...sigh. Those were the days. I wish I had taped it.
 
max_altitude said:
What's he like in real life njmac?
Click to expand...

He's great in real life. I love when I get to work with him. His food is awesome and he is very friendly. I admit, I expected him to be an arrogant, competitive jerk when I first started working there, but now I would consider him to be - out of all the chefs there - one of the very best to work with.
 
njmac said:
He's great in real life. I love when I get to work with him. His food is awesome and he is very friendly. I admit, I expected him to be an arrogant, competitive jerk when I first started working there, but now I would consider him to be - out of all the chefs there - one of the very best to work with.
Click to expand...
That's interesting to know. How did you score such a cool job?
 
Basically, I lost all hope for Iron Chef America when Sakai lost to Bobby Flay, of all people... in the first Iron Chef America episode.

Flay lost to Morimoto once previously (the infamous standing on cutting board episode), complained and demanded a rematch... which he somehow won (this time tossing aside the cutting board and then standing on the prep table to play up to the crowd).

Then, for the first IC: America episode, they had Flay up against the winningest Iron Chef of all time (70-15-1 according to Wikipedia... closest record to him with a similar number of battles was Chen Kenichi at 67-22 something). IIRC all of the judges praised Sakai's dishes and basically ripped a couple of Flays... Sakai lost by one point. Explain that, please? The greatest Iron Chef of all time losing to someone who beat Morimoto only after complaining and being a pr*ck?

That right there showed me that unlike the Japanese version (which was as a previous poster stated, seemed to be taken much more seriously) the U.S. version was intended as nothing more than an ego-boosting stage for Flay. I've watched a couple more episodes after that, but that was it.
 
Meh a good friend of mine who is a girl always watches this show. Everytime I go over we have to watch it. I do not really like either but the food always looks delicious. I would rather watch the Japanese version only because the dubbed voices are hilarious. That being said, Bobby Flays restaurant in NYC is delicious!
 
max_altitude said:
That's interesting to know. How did you score such a cool job?
Click to expand...

I did my externship from culinary school there and when I got out of culinary school they hired me. It's an awesome job with great people. I only do freelance work for them now (about 4-6 days a month) because I have 2 little kids that are my primary job now. Freelance work is awesome. I can work as little or as much as I want.
 
As a vegetarian, there is one major difference I've noticed between the two shows (Japanese vs. American). Almost every single American dish includes meat, even when the ingredient has absolutely nothing to do with meat (the guy who made some sort of bastardized meatloaf with mushrooms? Come on.)

The Japanese show innovates with what they have, the American show puts things on dead animals. I don't watch anymore.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back