Series synopsis
Iron Chef is a Japanese reality television series that premiered on Food Network on October 10, 1993. It ended on October 8, 1999. It was created by Fuji Creative Corporation, Keiichi Tanaka. It stars Hiroyuki Sakai, Takeshi Kata, Kenji Fukui and Tatsuo Umemiya.
Iron Chef is a Japanese television cooking show produced by Fuji Television. The series, which premiered on October 10, 1993, is a stylized cook-off featuring guest chefs challenging one of the show's resident "Iron Chefs" in a timed cooking battle built around a specific theme ingredient. The series ended on September 24, 1999, although occasional specials were produced until 2002. The series aired 309 episodes. Repeats are regularly aired on the Cooking Channel in the United States and on Spec ...
Premise
Iron Chef is a Japanese television cooking show produced by Fuji Television. The series, which premiered on October 10, 1993, is a stylized cook-off featuring guest chefs challenging one of the show's resident "Iron Chefs" in a timed cooking battle built around a specific theme ingredient. The series ended on September 24, 1999, although occasional specials were produced until 2002. The series aired 309 episodes. Repeats are regularly aired on the Cooking Channel in the United States and on Special Broadcasting Service in Australia. Fuji TV will air a new version of the show, titled Iron Chef, beginning in October 26, 2012.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
Guest cast
Episodes
This series spans 8 seasons with 307 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 0 | 8 | January 5, 2000 | April 7, 2002 |
| Season 1 | 10 | October 10, 1993 | December 19, 1993 |
| Season 2 | 50 | January 9, 1994 | December 23, 1994 |
| Season 3 | 50 | January 2, 1995 | December 22, 1995 |
| Season 4 | 52 | January 3, 1996 | December 31, 1996 |
| Season 5 | 48 | January 10, 1997 | December 26, 1997 |
| Season 6 | 49 | January 9, 1998 | December 25, 1998 |
| Season 7 | 40 | January 8, 1999 | October 8, 1999 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Millennium Special A two-hour millenium special: Zhao Ren Liang vs. Chen (Abalone) and Dominique Bouchet vs. Michiba (Kobe Beef) |
January 5, 2000 |
| 2 |
New York Special The Iron Chefs receive a special invitation from Tim and Nina Zagat to come to the U.S. and face off against Bobby Flay. The Zagats then hold court at their Connecticut estate to determine which Iron Chef will have the honor of competing against Flay. |
March 12, 2000 |
| 3 |
21st Century Special Iron Chef marks the start of both a new century and a new millennium with two exciting culinary fights to the finish. Kandagwa Toshiro vs. Iron Chef Sakai; Rematch of Bobby Flay vs. Iron Chef Morimoto. |
January 2, 2001 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ishinabe vs. Maruyama Takeshi (Salmon Battle) | October 10, 1993 |
| 2 | Michiba VS Kobayakawa Yousei (Foie Gras Battle) | October 17, 1993 |
| 3 | Chen vs Indoragori Paulo (Globefish Battle) | October 31, 1993 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michiba VS Shu Tomitoku (Pork Battle) | January 9, 1994 |
| 2 | Chen vs Wan Weiping (Squid Battle) | January 16, 1994 |
| 3 | Michiba VS Hoshino Jun (Egg Battle) | January 23, 1994 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Mr. Iron Chef 1994: Final (Yellowtail) The winner of the Mr. Iron Chef 1994 tournament takes on an Iron Chef. |
January 2, 1995 |
| 2 |
Chen vs Toshiyuki Nakagawa (Mochi Battle) The first challenger of 1995. The challenger heads a restaurant with seating for only 6, but it has hosted entertainers and even Prince and Princess Mikasa. He apprenticed at one of the oldest restaurants in Japan. |
January 6, 1995 |
| 3 |
Sakai vs Koji Yamada (Turnip Battle) Yamada left Tokyo University to train as a chef under honourary Iron Chef Ishinabe. Sakai has his mentor in the audience. Diverse factors influence this beet battle. |
January 13, 1995 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Mr Iron Chef 1995 :Chen vs Michiba (Beef Battle) (1) 1995 Mr. Iron Chef tournament round 2 (part 1) |
January 3, 1996 |
| 2 |
Mr Iron Chef 1995 :Chen vs Michiba (Beef Battle)(2) 1995 Mr. Iron Chef tournament round 2 (part 2) |
January 5, 1996 |
| 3 | Chen vs Gao Jinyi (Dried Abalone Battle) | January 12, 1996 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sakai vs Kasahara Hiroshi (Rice Cake Battle) | January 10, 1997 |
| 2 |
Chen vs Michifude Hiroshi (Dried Scallop Battle) The challenger is the 25-year-old son of a prominent Chinese cuisine chef whose restaurant "Kochouran" in Kobe was demolished during the huge earthquake back in 1995. It's been 2 years by the time they taped this, and the chairman, while disappointed that the chef of Kochouran permanently quit the business when his restaurant was destroyed, was pleased to find the chef's son as the head chef of Canton Shuka "Ten" in Kobe. Kaga's theme announcement expressed confidence that Kobe was indeed building its "pillars" or foundations firmly after the disaster. The word for "pillar" in Japanese is "hashira". This immediately brings to mind "kai-bashira" (shell-pillars, a common idiom for the adductor muscle of bivalves). But not just any kaibashira - no, they had to be the most prized "kaibashira" in Chinese cuisine - dried scallops, also known as ganbei or conpoy. Judges: Eimoto Takinori (Baseball?), Megumi Oishi (Newscaster), Zaitsu Ichiro (Actor?), Asako Kishi (Critic) |
January 17, 1997 |
| 3 |
Sakai vs Rory Kennedy (Rabbit Battle) The challenger is the head chef of a London restaurant that was established in 1798. He is a master of Gibier (wild game) cuisine. Only four months after this episode originally aired in Japan, Chef Kennedy died after a fall in his restaurant. |
January 24, 1997 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chen vs Inoue Akihiko (Salmon Battle) | January 9, 1998 |
| 2 | Kobe vs Fukazu Yasuhiro (Deer Battle) | January 16, 1998 |
| 3 | Sakai vs Matsumoto Yoshimasa (Crab Battle) | January 23, 1998 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chen vs Xie Huaxian (Lobster Battle) | January 8, 1999 |
| 2 | Sakai vs Koei Kamimura (Codfish Battle) | January 15, 1999 |
| 3 | Kobe vs. Costantino Gemmoli (Bell Pepper Battle) | January 22, 1999 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | Food Network |
|---|---|
| First aired | October 10, 1993 |
| Last aired | October 8, 1999 |
| Runtime | 30 minutes |
| Status | ended |
| Schedule | Friday |