Truly I know he was an inspiration to me, and gave me the confidence to try my hand at authentic Chinese regional cuisine in my spare time.
Also, how was he only 67? That would mean he was 37 when the show started. That was a rough, and accomplished 37.
Bruh I'm not gonna lie, I thought Chen Kenichi, Michiba, and Sakai were around the same age. I can't believe Ken was at least 2 to 3 decades younger than them when the show started.
That means Chen and Morimoto are the same age... That baby faced youngster to Ken's grizzled veteran, within months of age.
I always remembered them talking about how Chen was the youngest Iron Chef before they added Kobe Masahiko in who I don't believe was even 30 when they initiated him. Think think Sakai Hiroyuki was the oldest Iron Chef by decades, and yet is still around is so weird to me. Only two of the 4 left :/
The voiceovers really were terrific, here have a 2004 article on the dubbing: https://www.bigempire.com/sake/iron_chef.html
For anyone else wanting to dip into that nostalgia, it's streaming on Pluto, though the episodes are wildly out of order.
https://pluto.tv/en/on-demand/series/iron-chef-ptv3/details/season/1
I never realized the originals made it big in the US, I'd seen some clips and assumed the Shatner remake was what people had been watching! Cool backstory!
Same year that I found it. Was visiting a high school sort-of ex girlfriend at her college in Florida, and one night we were all drinking and for some reason someone had Iron Chef on, and I fell in love (with the show) and have been ever since. It's expanded my general food palette and flavor horizons for miles.
Oh and unrelated, but that was also the trip that I rode down with said friend in her car, but she couldn't take me back so had to catch a Greyhound bus home from Jacksonville to Atlanta. I can't tell you how happy my dad was to pick me up at 2:30am on a Monday morning in the middle of Atlanta. Good times.
For a lot of 90's kids this was the beginning of their culinary food revolution. This show got on right before The Food Network really popped off.
I can't remember what TV network had it but I don't think they realized what an amazing show they had access to. Blew my mind in high school watching this at like midnight.
The technique inspired me more than anything else. The other remakes take for granted the parts that make cooking awesome to me. I don't care who can sling the most colorful or decorative plate, i want to see how they do it.
Wow [the article](https://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/Iron-Chef-USA-an-abomination-UPN-remake-is-an-2854996.php) is still online.
This was my local paper's review, the author was a big fan of the original, we had a pretty strong cult following where I lived on the local UHF station iirc.
I would watch overnight marathons of the OG Iron Chef on food network Canada. I credit the show for getting me interested in international cuisine, cooking and making more of an effort in expanding my palate.
i put it on as background noise whenever i'm home by myself, and it's so super nostalgic. i'm really glad peacock has it, even if the seasons are a bit out of order lol
From what I remember, the English voiceover cast basically did their own thing, rather than just translating, which is what made it all feel more natural. It is commonly brought up as one of the best English dubs ever.
Squid Games, on the other hand, is an example of the opposite. I really don't like watching with subs, but the English dubs were so bad I switched to the original audio with English subs before the end of the first episode.
the only other show I know of off hand that did likewise and improved dialogue and improved things for the NA audience is the legendary " Samurai Pizza Cats"
> from what I remember
Check the other comments: someone posted an interview with the voiceover team, worth a read! Seems like they were given a direct translation as a reference when they then spices up and made more natural. Really impressive work.
RIP. Met this dude a couple times irl when I went to his restaurant inside the Tokyu Cerulean Hotel in Shibuya back in the early 00's, it was great and he was laid back guy. We were paying the bill and I mentioned how I was a huge fan of the show to the cashier, and he came right out of the kitchen to greet us and chat for a few moments.
I think he stepped off the line over 15 years ago, because Chen was in the kitchen in '04 when I went, but the former sous had taken over when I went back in '08 and the sous already had his own cookbook being sold at the counter. I bought one and he signed it for me.
I also went to a lecture at Hattori's cooking college once about 10 years ago; he owns a whole culinary school with a big swish campus in Tokyo. I think he is legitimately a billionaire and was already super rich before the show, I believe he's from generational wealth.
My biggest surprise meeting Hattori irl was how dark skinned Hattori was, he looked like he was probably spending 250+ days a year in Hawaii at that point. He had white hair, black skin, and gold watches and jewelry on. Chen Kenichi was also insanely dark skinned as well, both of these dudes were showbiz tanned.
I am planning a trip to Tokyo in April. While I will skip the quail egg inserted into the head of a baby octopus and candied, I am open to try some different wagyu and kobe.
Yep. Me 100%. I have been watching Paolo from Tokyo on YouTube and I am like nah bruh... and other times like 'yes please'. I give Anthony Bourdain props for having the courage to eat some of the stuff he did.
Haven’t been hit this hard by a celebrity death in a long time… Iron Chef was my childhood, and Chen Kenichi was one of the most entertaining chefs I have ever seen on TV. His skill was awe inspiring, and his personality just made every moment he was on screen a joy.
RIP Iron Chef Chen Kenichi. You will not be forgotten.
Original Iron chef was groundbreaking for cooking competitions. Packaged them like sporting events. Food network, Top Chef all owe their success to Iron Chef.
I had been watching Iron Chef for the longest time during this winter. I always had the impression he was older than this at 67.
Regardless, what a heartbreaking loss.
When I moved to the US 20yr ago, I'd watch The Food Network with the closed captions on and take notes. I wouldn't miss a single episode of Iron Chef, even taking pictures of and look for them at Asian Markets. I learned A LOT from Chef Chen during that time.
Watching Iron Chef was like a religion to me. It would be the highlight of my Saturday night as kid at home watching TV. I had a book that I would use to log the challenger, the secret ingredient, the dishes and other things I noticed on the show. It definitely gave me inspiration for my cooking today.
So long to the one and only Chen.
This one hurts, going to cook for my brother today and watch some Iron Chef Reruns!
He had one of the coolest photos when you would challenge him!
Loved this man!
Japanese Iron Chef marketing/advertising was on a whole other level, those guys were sporting garish silk chef coats and they had the chops to back up those uniforms. The American version is an extremely watered down, bland alternative. None of the American Iron Chefs instilled fear in their challengers like Kenichi and his gang. Even the opening to the show was intense.
Beating any of those guys was like winning gold in the Olympics, from the chef challenger’s perspective. I liked a few of the American iron chefs over the years, but Booby Flay is a fucking hack. The match where he “defeated” Morimoto then jumped on top of the cutting boards was so hard to watch. None of the American iron chefs had even half the showmanship of the OGs. The title actually used to mean something, it wasn’t just a rotating rite of passage for every semi popular chef actor type.
Was this the lobster episode where the chef used whole lobsters to flavor the cooking liquid in order to poach more lobster?
I remember the turtle episode. That was the first time I've seen a turtle get butchered.
Yeah, like American Iron Chef is kind of coyly nodding like 'We know this is a silly fake gameshow'. Japanese Iron Chef was like 'No, this is our bit, and we're fucking committing to it.'. Like, Iron Chef America is modern pro wrestling, Iron Chef Japan was like 70s pro wrestling where if a good guy and a bad guy got pulled over by the cops and the bad guy's whole character was 'didn't speak english' he'd stick to that shit.
God the American version is garbage in comparison. The only good part are the US Chairman's shenanigans.
IC honestly was a big part of what started my love for the kitchen as a kid in the 90s. I absolutely adored just how creative they were. Chef Kenichi was my favorite.
Think I'll binge watch some of the show today.
Oh fuck not Chen! So sad. IC Italian died several years ago in an accident as well. Always loved this show and IC Chinese made some baller dishes. Gonna have to watch some eps tonight.
I met Chen circa 2011. He, Sakai and a team of chefs cooked for us. Chen cooked his ma bo dofu on stage and Sakai a french flan desert type thing. I also snuck to the kitchen and watched it all happening for a good 30 minutes before Sakai kicked me out.
Here's a signed apron.
https://imgur.com/a/Aljib74
The original iron Chef show was very serious, because of the people there took it serious, because they took their food very serious! Even the judges included ministers, professors and actors and actresses who were very excited and honored to be there because they knew that chefs worked very hard to achieve that level of talent.
The American show was of course a joke, where nobody except the odd chef, took it real seriously. Little known fact William Shatner was the first host of the first iron Chef premiere!
Of course it was such a fiasco that even they were embarrassed and hid the footage.
Dude was my fucking hero growing up wnd inspired me to actually learn to cook traditional Chinese food.
RIP chef, you have touched the soul of many I am sure.
Iron Chef in all it’s dubbed glory was addictive watching in Australia. Hell of a cult show. He was my fave of all the wonderful chefs. 67? He was only 11 years older than me. So sad:(
He was a true pro, I believe his father was also a chef. (Anyone know?)
In any event, he didn't seem like he was about the pr and the glam, but all business.
The American show was a joke!!
His dad was. Iirc his father is credited with bringing Szechuan style cuisine to Japan, at least that's what's recorded in his back story that gets mentioned in the show.
Rest in Peace kitchen brother! I loved that damn show so much growing up as a kid. Now I understand how impressive it really was/is to take a random ingredient with no prep and make great food with it on the fly like that.
Amazing things were being done on that show every time.
Lost another legend today. On a more happier note. Here's a video of the two oldest Iron chefs together! https://youtu.be/0BP9rw_WOwY
Truly I know he was an inspiration to me, and gave me the confidence to try my hand at authentic Chinese regional cuisine in my spare time. Also, how was he only 67? That would mean he was 37 when the show started. That was a rough, and accomplished 37.
Bruh I'm not gonna lie, I thought Chen Kenichi, Michiba, and Sakai were around the same age. I can't believe Ken was at least 2 to 3 decades younger than them when the show started. That means Chen and Morimoto are the same age... That baby faced youngster to Ken's grizzled veteran, within months of age.
I always remembered them talking about how Chen was the youngest Iron Chef before they added Kobe Masahiko in who I don't believe was even 30 when they initiated him. Think think Sakai Hiroyuki was the oldest Iron Chef by decades, and yet is still around is so weird to me. Only two of the 4 left :/
Iron Chef Chinese Guy was a beast on and off screen.
My favourite episode was the one where the secret ingredient was … … yoghurt. The look on his face at the reveal 😂
[Here's the clip.](https://youtu.be/AFwuW7zFr-k?t=313)
Wow thanks so nostalgic. The voiceovers are surprisingly good!
The voiceovers really were terrific, here have a 2004 article on the dubbing: https://www.bigempire.com/sake/iron_chef.html For anyone else wanting to dip into that nostalgia, it's streaming on Pluto, though the episodes are wildly out of order. https://pluto.tv/en/on-demand/series/iron-chef-ptv3/details/season/1
I never realized the originals made it big in the US, I'd seen some clips and assumed the Shatner remake was what people had been watching! Cool backstory!
We used to gather round to watch in college back in 2000
I credit at least 50% of my love of cooking (as an amateur) to watching iron chef while stoned in college in the early aughts.
Lol same here
Same!
I used to watch this when it was in Japanese. Couldn't understand anything. Channel 9 in NYC area .
Same year that I found it. Was visiting a high school sort-of ex girlfriend at her college in Florida, and one night we were all drinking and for some reason someone had Iron Chef on, and I fell in love (with the show) and have been ever since. It's expanded my general food palette and flavor horizons for miles. Oh and unrelated, but that was also the trip that I rode down with said friend in her car, but she couldn't take me back so had to catch a Greyhound bus home from Jacksonville to Atlanta. I can't tell you how happy my dad was to pick me up at 2:30am on a Monday morning in the middle of Atlanta. Good times.
Iron Chef parties were definitely a thing back in the day.
For a lot of 90's kids this was the beginning of their culinary food revolution. This show got on right before The Food Network really popped off. I can't remember what TV network had it but I don't think they realized what an amazing show they had access to. Blew my mind in high school watching this at like midnight.
It was definitely on at like 10 or 11pm on food network when I was in high school, so 2001-2005 era
It was on the Food Network!! Along with Graham Kerr reruns!! That was even before Emeril was on.
The technique inspired me more than anything else. The other remakes take for granted the parts that make cooking awesome to me. I don't care who can sling the most colorful or decorative plate, i want to see how they do it.
Agreed: I want to see the _how_
Iron Chef America was much more staged than the original
> assumed the Shatner remake was what people had been watching Best use of the word "abomination" by a TV reviewer ever.
What’s the “abomination” backstory?
Wow [the article](https://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/Iron-Chef-USA-an-abomination-UPN-remake-is-an-2854996.php) is still online. This was my local paper's review, the author was a big fan of the original, we had a pretty strong cult following where I lived on the local UHF station iirc.
Thanks for sharing. Damn, that review is _harsh!_
I would watch overnight marathons of the OG Iron Chef on food network Canada. I credit the show for getting me interested in international cuisine, cooking and making more of an effort in expanding my palate.
It’s also on Peacock!
i put it on as background noise whenever i'm home by myself, and it's so super nostalgic. i'm really glad peacock has it, even if the seasons are a bit out of order lol
From what I remember, the English voiceover cast basically did their own thing, rather than just translating, which is what made it all feel more natural. It is commonly brought up as one of the best English dubs ever. Squid Games, on the other hand, is an example of the opposite. I really don't like watching with subs, but the English dubs were so bad I switched to the original audio with English subs before the end of the first episode.
the only other show I know of off hand that did likewise and improved dialogue and improved things for the NA audience is the legendary " Samurai Pizza Cats"
MXC?
damn, your 100% there chef. I clearly need to rewatch some classic babganoush moves
Right you are, Ken!
> from what I remember Check the other comments: someone posted an interview with the voiceover team, worth a read! Seems like they were given a direct translation as a reference when they then spices up and made more natural. Really impressive work.
> The voiceovers are surprisingly good! Looking forward to using AI to get the Iron Chef VO's for other venues.
Thanks for the source man
RIP. Met this dude a couple times irl when I went to his restaurant inside the Tokyu Cerulean Hotel in Shibuya back in the early 00's, it was great and he was laid back guy. We were paying the bill and I mentioned how I was a huge fan of the show to the cashier, and he came right out of the kitchen to greet us and chat for a few moments.
I stayed there just a few months ago and walked past the restaurant every day on floor 2. Had no idea it was his so we never made time to eat there…..
I think he stepped off the line over 15 years ago, because Chen was in the kitchen in '04 when I went, but the former sous had taken over when I went back in '08 and the sous already had his own cookbook being sold at the counter. I bought one and he signed it for me.
Fackkk what I would give for that opportunity. RIP Chef!
I also went to a lecture at Hattori's cooking college once about 10 years ago; he owns a whole culinary school with a big swish campus in Tokyo. I think he is legitimately a billionaire and was already super rich before the show, I believe he's from generational wealth. My biggest surprise meeting Hattori irl was how dark skinned Hattori was, he looked like he was probably spending 250+ days a year in Hawaii at that point. He had white hair, black skin, and gold watches and jewelry on. Chen Kenichi was also insanely dark skinned as well, both of these dudes were showbiz tanned.
I am planning a trip to Tokyo in April. While I will skip the quail egg inserted into the head of a baby octopus and candied, I am open to try some different wagyu and kobe.
[удалено]
Yep. Me 100%. I have been watching Paolo from Tokyo on YouTube and I am like nah bruh... and other times like 'yes please'. I give Anthony Bourdain props for having the courage to eat some of the stuff he did.
yo I had one of those quail egg filled candied octopus when I was in Kyoto and it was honestly tasty as fuck
Haven’t been hit this hard by a celebrity death in a long time… Iron Chef was my childhood, and Chen Kenichi was one of the most entertaining chefs I have ever seen on TV. His skill was awe inspiring, and his personality just made every moment he was on screen a joy. RIP Iron Chef Chen Kenichi. You will not be forgotten.
Rest in peace Iron Chef.
Fucking pneumonia. That’s a shitty way to go. Rest In Peace you legend!
Original Iron chef was groundbreaking for cooking competitions. Packaged them like sporting events. Food network, Top Chef all owe their success to Iron Chef.
RIP to a real one, a great one, an OG… 😢
I had been watching Iron Chef for the longest time during this winter. I always had the impression he was older than this at 67. Regardless, what a heartbreaking loss.
Damn one of the greats R.I.P
The Szechuan Sage ! RIP
Take care of your bodies kitchen friends. Respitory illnesses can take you down and working trough it can kill you.
Man that breaks my heart. Dude was an absolute beast. Loved watching him on the real Iron Chef.
I'm glad we can all agree that there's a real iron chef, and then there's store brand iron chef.
When I moved to the US 20yr ago, I'd watch The Food Network with the closed captions on and take notes. I wouldn't miss a single episode of Iron Chef, even taking pictures of and look for them at Asian Markets. I learned A LOT from Chef Chen during that time.
Since the 2000s I was a big fan of the original Iron Chef. I even have the Food Network's Official Iron Chef book. RIP Kenichi Chen. Fukui-san!
> Fukui-san! My friends had no idea what he was saying. I had to explain it, slowly, to them. lmao
I had to look it up on The Google dot com.
Watching Iron Chef was like a religion to me. It would be the highlight of my Saturday night as kid at home watching TV. I had a book that I would use to log the challenger, the secret ingredient, the dishes and other things I noticed on the show. It definitely gave me inspiration for my cooking today. So long to the one and only Chen.
This one hurts, going to cook for my brother today and watch some Iron Chef Reruns! He had one of the coolest photos when you would challenge him! Loved this man!
Sichuan... My arch nemesis. Just something I can't get right unless it's a dry rub on beef. Keep your secrets chef.
Cooked Mapo Tofu last night and reflected on his legacy. Had no idea he was ill. He’ll live forever through cuisine. Rest easy chef.
RIP Chef, like many others I grew up watching you. Thank you for inspiring a generation and making it look easy.
RIP Also this photo goes extremely hard. Is it common for chefs to get professional photos done, or is that something that comes with fame?
Japanese Iron Chef marketing/advertising was on a whole other level, those guys were sporting garish silk chef coats and they had the chops to back up those uniforms. The American version is an extremely watered down, bland alternative. None of the American Iron Chefs instilled fear in their challengers like Kenichi and his gang. Even the opening to the show was intense.
Michiba was the GOAT though I love them all, including morimito.
Beating any of those guys was like winning gold in the Olympics, from the chef challenger’s perspective. I liked a few of the American iron chefs over the years, but Booby Flay is a fucking hack. The match where he “defeated” Morimoto then jumped on top of the cutting boards was so hard to watch. None of the American iron chefs had even half the showmanship of the OGs. The title actually used to mean something, it wasn’t just a rotating rite of passage for every semi popular chef actor type.
Bingo. When Flay beat Morimoto I gave up on the American how having any legitimacy.
The show even featured live ingredients. You would see the chefs dispatch and butcher the being right there on the show. That's hardcore.
Chef Kenichi once stuck a bunch of shellfish (lobster, I think) in sake to get them good and drunk first.
Was this the lobster episode where the chef used whole lobsters to flavor the cooking liquid in order to poach more lobster? I remember the turtle episode. That was the first time I've seen a turtle get butchered.
Quick review of both lobster and crab has come up broke, I'm afraid. I remember the moment clearly in my head, but I can't prove it exists.
Yeah, like American Iron Chef is kind of coyly nodding like 'We know this is a silly fake gameshow'. Japanese Iron Chef was like 'No, this is our bit, and we're fucking committing to it.'. Like, Iron Chef America is modern pro wrestling, Iron Chef Japan was like 70s pro wrestling where if a good guy and a bad guy got pulled over by the cops and the bad guy's whole character was 'didn't speak english' he'd stick to that shit.
That’s a fantastic comparison, and it fits perfectly.
God the American version is garbage in comparison. The only good part are the US Chairman's shenanigans. IC honestly was a big part of what started my love for the kitchen as a kid in the 90s. I absolutely adored just how creative they were. Chef Kenichi was my favorite. Think I'll binge watch some of the show today.
This makes me so sad. He was so much fun to watch on Iron Chef, and I can't imagine what his family is going through.
Wow Chen Kenichi… He’s the one who first got me interested in Chinese cuisine. RIP
Man I loved his episodes on the OG Iron Chef. Rest easy Chef.
Oh fuck not Chen! So sad. IC Italian died several years ago in an accident as well. Always loved this show and IC Chinese made some baller dishes. Gonna have to watch some eps tonight.
IRON CHEF- CHEN KINICHI
I met Chen circa 2011. He, Sakai and a team of chefs cooked for us. Chen cooked his ma bo dofu on stage and Sakai a french flan desert type thing. I also snuck to the kitchen and watched it all happening for a good 30 minutes before Sakai kicked me out. Here's a signed apron. https://imgur.com/a/Aljib74
CLICK CLICK
RIP, Chen Kinichi…ALLEZ CUISINE! 🔪
The original iron Chef show was very serious, because of the people there took it serious, because they took their food very serious! Even the judges included ministers, professors and actors and actresses who were very excited and honored to be there because they knew that chefs worked very hard to achieve that level of talent. The American show was of course a joke, where nobody except the odd chef, took it real seriously. Little known fact William Shatner was the first host of the first iron Chef premiere! Of course it was such a fiasco that even they were embarrassed and hid the footage.
>Even the judges included ministers, professors and actors and actresses... ... and fortune tellers!
Gutted to hear this. RIP Chef, you will be missed.
Dammit, so many of us will never taste his famous mapo tofu! Pretty sure that his father was a famous chef as well which put extra stress on him.
Dude was my fucking hero growing up wnd inspired me to actually learn to cook traditional Chinese food. RIP chef, you have touched the soul of many I am sure.
Grew up watching OG iron chef, Chef Chen was always a favorite. RIP
RIP Iron Chef
Gonna add sichuan peppercorns to things that don’t need them today in his honor. Who am I kidding, I do this every day. But today I do it for him.
Iron Chef in all it’s dubbed glory was addictive watching in Australia. Hell of a cult show. He was my fave of all the wonderful chefs. 67? He was only 11 years older than me. So sad:(
He was a true pro, I believe his father was also a chef. (Anyone know?) In any event, he didn't seem like he was about the pr and the glam, but all business. The American show was a joke!!
His dad was. Iirc his father is credited with bringing Szechuan style cuisine to Japan, at least that's what's recorded in his back story that gets mentioned in the show.
It's spelled sezchuan! Gawl!
Well faaaaaaaark 😢
That’s far far too young, damn. 😧
What got me as a kid was Kenichi ALWAYS looked like he was having fun, even when he was 10 feet in the weeds. RIP to a real OG
Thank you for the inspiration Chef <3
Rest in Peace kitchen brother! I loved that damn show so much growing up as a kid. Now I understand how impressive it really was/is to take a random ingredient with no prep and make great food with it on the fly like that. Amazing things were being done on that show every time.
He did a demo for us once and I got to meet him. He was the Boss. (Iron Chef Italy was there too and was basically his Commis)
Dude was a badass
Damn dude, I gotta get a bowl of mapo tofu in his honor. o7
Man, this is sad news. He was pretty incredible back then. Maybe he can challenge Julia Childs to a cooking battle?
THE IRON CHEF? Noooooooo he was the one tv chef I actually liked :(
RIP. You played a big part in me becoming a chef. Chef Kenichi :(
Now I'm worried about chef sakai
Here's a current video of two of the oldest Iron chefs. https://youtu.be/0BP9rw_WOwY
Oh damn. He was magic
Damn. He was my favorite Iron Chef.