Iron Chef: Battle Pike Eel and the Man Who Carries the Future of Kyoto Cuisine on His Shoulders
Here is the English dubbed episode of Battle Pike Eel (hamo, 鱧 はも) on YouTube.
Despite the gross unfairness of Iron Chef and host Takeshi Kaga to challengers, Yoshimi Tanigawa soundly defeated Masaharu Morimoto, former executive chef of Nobu, in a clean sweep!
“…(Chef Tanigawa) is said to be trying to change the over-decorative trend in recent Kyoto cuisine and working hard to revive the sophisticated style of true Kyoto cuisine with a 1000 year tradition. Chef Tanigawa carries the future of Kyoto cuisine on his shoulders.” (Iron Chef introduction)
Yoshimi Tanigawa it the owner and head chef of Kichisen, one of Kyoto’s most respected kaiseki restaurants. Kichisen is one of the few restaurants in present-day Japan that has an itamae dojo, or training program for apprentice chefs to learn the full spectrum of Kyoto culinary culture and authentic kaiseki cuisine. The course is 15 years long.
Yoshimi Tanigawa on Iron Chef
Iron Chef – Battle Pike Eel (1 of 5)
link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUsAkkCvJZU
Iron Chef – Battle Pike Eel (2 of 5)
link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToFhpBJfm0o
Iron Chef – Battle Pike Eel (3 of 5)
link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nX082fHEKYE
Iron Chef – Battle Pike Eel (4 of 5)
link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvEu4O80GkE
Iron Chef – Battle Pike Eel (5 of 5)
link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XFVbFG2S0Y
Kichisen Osechi New Year’s Cuisine Series on KyotoFoodie:
Osechi: What is Kyo-ryori (Kyoto Cuisine)?
Osechi: Kyoto Kichisen Master Chef Yoshimi Tanigawa
Osechi: What is Osechi Ryori?
Osechi: Shopping for Osechi Fish at Kyoto Wholesale Food Market
Osechi: Shopping for Osechi Vegetables at Kyoto Wholesale Food Market
Kichisen Osechi: Midnight Final Preparation and Meaning
Kichisen Kaiseki: Japanese New Year Shogatsu Ryori
SHARE! Kyoto Support Topic: Kaiseki-ryori in Kyoto
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Sorry, I don’t understand about the “gross unfairness of Iron Chef and host Takeshi Kaga to challengers”. I know nothing of behind the scenes Iron Chef, but this seems like a rather brazen comment with no justification. Could you please elaborate? In all fairness, if I recall correctly, on Iron Chef the theme ingredient is always something the challenger is familiar with. For example, hamo for a chef who specializes in Kyoto cuisine.
a b c:
I really can’t remember when I was first seduced by the Iron Chef. I know that the English translations dubbed by Bill Bickard (as floor commentator Fukui) were great. The number of Ryōri no Tetsujin who won was WAY out of proportion to the normal distribution curve. Nonetheless, the show has fascinated this 54 year-old foodie for at least a decade. (And, in my first post to the Kyoto Foodie – let me say how much I’ve enjoyed your blog for years. Robert Donovan of the Pork & Whisky Blog (languishing, as he follows his photographic muse) gave me the link.)
As I understand the competition in both the original Fuji TV and in the American version, the chefs are told that one of five potential ingredients will be the chairman’s choice and they can prepare themselves for the competition.
Sakai only faced one American chef who won in a seafood/fish battle: Ron Siegel, then of Charles Nob Hill in San Francisco, defeated Iron Chef Hiroyuki Sakai in Battle Lobster. Somehow Chen Kenichi won a battle yoghurt (China is *not* known for cooking with dairy products).
Chef Morimoto has an excellent (albeit, costly) restaurant in Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A. https://www.morimotorestaurant.com/ and, NYC, Napa, Ca and Mumbai…etc.