Iron Chefs Restaurants

[Chris Cognac]

I was just wondering since I am somewhat obsessed with Japanese culture and society (its a long story). Has anyone ever eaten at any of the Iron Chefs restaurants in Japan?...I heard that Iron Chef Sakai has a pretty nice place and that Iron Chef Kobe opened a pasta place...Just curious as to whats its like.....

Anyone know of a cheap capsule hotel?

[PoorLawyer]

I've been to Morimoto in Philly a few times and it was awesome every time. A little out of my ordinary price range if you do the omikase but great for special occasions. Thinking of my last meal there is making my mouth water right now!

[PoorLawyer]

I've been to Morimoto in Philly a few times and it was awesome every time. A little out of my ordinary price range if you do the omikase but great for special occasions. Thinking of my last meal there is making my mouth water right now!

Didn't read your post fully...never been to japan but may be going next summer, so would be interested in hearing some responses

[goyatofu]

Have been to La Rochelle in Shibuya (Tokyo) and Osaka. The one in Tokyo is very upscale, the one in Osaka is more casual. Have to admit it's one of my top 10 dining experiences. might be a bit blasphemous...but I enjoyed that meal in Tokyo more than meals I've had in 3-star Michelins in Paris. They have staff that speaks English at the Tokyo restaurant and are very friendly. It's in a high-rise building with an amazing view of Shibuya. I would recommend the Tokyo one over the Osaka one.

cheers,

Goyatofu

[mikeycook]

Can someone tell me if Iron Chef Michiba is still running his restaurant, Ginza Rokusan-Tei?

[torakris]

I have to admit to almost never watching the show when it aired in Japan, the personalities were just too annoying!

I have never been to any of the restaurants either, here is a list , anybody I missed?

IRON CHEF JAPANESE

* The first: ROKUSABURO MICHIBA (retired from the show)

Poisson Rokusaburo in Akasaka, Tokyo. (2min. walk from Akasaka Station.)

Plaza Mikado Building 1F&B1F

03-5570-6317

http://www.rokusaburo.com/

* The second: KOMEI NAKAMURA (retired from the show)

Nadaman Komei in Shibuya, Tokyo. (5min. walk from Shibuya Station.)

Tokyu Honten Department 8F

03-3477-3655

http://hyd.fc2web.com/B04/B04H01.htm

He also has a couple other restaurants, the main one being Nakamura Komei ARIAKE which opened in 1999.

http://r.gnavi.co.jp/g252202/

Nakamura Komei GINZA opened in 2001

http://www.g-chef.com/restaurant/nk002.htm

Nakamura Komei YOKOHAMA opened in 2002

http://r.gnavi.co.jp/g252212/

Cafe & Grill little Nakamura Komei opened in 2003

Nakamura Komei TAKAMATSU which plans to open in 2004

* The third: MASAHARU MORIMOTO

Morimoto in Philadelphia, PA. At 7th and Chestnut Street.

*Mr. Morimoto used to work at Nobu in New York City, which is located at 105 Hudson Street.

IRON CHEF FRENCH:

* The first: YUTAKA ISHINABE (retired from the show)

This man has quite a few restaurants Queen Alice which is French, Vietnam Alice which is Vietnamese style and Alice Kitchen which is a more casual French, there are branches of all of these shops all over the Kanto area

http://www.queen-alice.com/

* The second: HIROYUKI SAKAI.

RaRochelle in Shibuya (3min. walk from Shibuya Station)

03-3400-8220

Lunch 2800 yen -Dinner 8500 yen -

http://www.la-rochelle.co.jp/main.html

There are a couple other branches including one in Fukuoka, he has also recently opened a new shop in Ginza called Agnes Cafe ( a bakery/cake shop)

IRON CHEF CHINESE:

* CHIN KENICHI

Akasaka Shisen Hanten in Akasaka (3min. walk from Nagata-cho station)

03-3263-9371

http://r.gnavi.co.jp/g176400/

There are a couple branches of this restaurant and he also has a couple mapodofu shops. http://www.date-navi.com/gurume/chinken.html

IRON CHEF ITALIAN:

* MASAHIKO KOBE

Ristorante Massa http://ironchef.jp/loft/data/koube.html

[pirate]

I loved "Iron Chef" as a program. Listing the principal restaurants, Torakris. is a good service to Egulleteers. I attended a conference in Philadelphia for a week and started off by dining at Morimoto. I thought the food was rather mediocre compared to some of the Japanese restaurants in Los Angeles and never returned.

[skchai]

Chef Sakai is planning to open a chain of casual places in the United States. He now claims the first one will be in Honolulu. There was an article in papers here about it. From the Honolulu Dining digest I posted today:

‘Iron Chef’ Sakai’s first U.S. café may be on Oahu, by Betty Shimabukuro

"French" Iron Chef Hiroyuki Sakai made a hole-in-one at Waialae Country Club, and was so happy that he announced that the first of his Chef Sakai cafes would open in Honolulu.  He's also working with Royal Kona to put his moniker on one of their lines of pure Kona coffee.

[smallworld]

Haven't been to La Rochelle but I've been to their Grande Cafe (their casual version right beside the Shibuya location). Same amazing view as La Rochelle but I have no idea how the food compares. The Grande Cafe has a very reasonably priced buffet that we were really impressed with- mostly appetizer-type things, very well-made and beautifully presented. I will definately go back again (and may even save up for a visit to La Rochelle) and recommend it to anyone who wants to try an 'Iron Chef' restaurant without spending a fortune.

I've been to two places that are supposedly run by guest chefs, but unfortunately I'm in Canada right now and have no way to verify whether they really did appear, or give any details:

Some students brought me to an amazing French restaurant in Hiroo called 'Hiramatsu', where I had one of my best meals ever (and certainly my best French meal ever. not that I've had a lot of French food though). My students didn't seem very impressed, and which I think is because the food was very different from Japanese-style French food. I don't know if this means it's authentic French, but anyway it was good. The restaurant is named after the chef (or owner?) and I wish I could remember more.

There is a tiny Italian place in suburban Tokyo called 'Il canale' also run by a guest chef. Pretty good, but nothing to go out of your way for.

[torakris]

I've been to two places that are supposedly run by guest chefs, but unfortunately I'm in Canada right now and have no way to verify whether they really did appear, or give any details:

Some students brought me to an amazing French restaurant in Hiroo called 'Hiramatsu', where I had one of my best meals ever (and certainly my best French meal ever. not that I've had a lot of French food though). My students didn't seem very impressed, and which I think is because the food was very different from Japanese-style French food. I don't know if this means it's authentic French, but anyway it was good. The restaurant is named after the chef (or owner?) and I wish I could remember more.

Hiramatsu http://www.hiramatsu.co.jp/

is a restaurant I would love to get to, I know he has a restaurant in France and maybe one in the US as well?

He also has a couple cafes around Tokyo that maybe more affordable.

I was quite surprised at the prices of some of these Iron chef restaurants, I expected them to be much higher and many of them have cafes or more casual restaurants.

Ishinabe's Vietnam Alice restaurants are very reasonably priced and seem to be very popular with the Japanese. there is one about 15 minutes from my house and almost all of my neighbors have been and raved about it!

I was supposed to go this past week with some friends, including a friend from Thailand who loves the place, but it was canceled because half of us were sick.

Here is some information about the restaurant, the menu and pictures (sorry Japanese only):

http://www.bellevie-akasaka.com/bellevie/s...-alice/main.htm

The most popular seems to be the 1500yen lunch (about $13) with 4 types of spring rolls (fresh and deep fried) a bowl of pho and a dessert.

[torakris]

Well I went to my first Iron chef restaurant the other day!

I went to Vietnam Alice (French chef Ishinabe), I went with two friends and the one from Thailand really enjoys the place so I figure it must be good.

We went for lunch and decided to order the 1500 yen ( US $13) lunch set that including a spring roll plate, a choice of chicken pho or Thai curry and a dessert.

I was quite surprised by the size of the spring roll plate, there were 4 kinds:

a fresh spring roll filled with noodles and vegetables

a steamed roll filled with pork and mushrooms and topped with deep fried shallots

a deep fried roll with unknown filling but was very good

a crab claw with a pork/shrimp patty formed around it and deep fried (My son ate this whole one so I didn't get to try it.

The platter also had mounds or daikon and carrot "pickle" and a lot of cucumber slices and was served with 3 dipping sauces a sriracha type sauce, a nampla-lime sauce and a miso based sauce (this went wonderfully with the cucumber pieces).

I was almost full by the time I finished this it was really big and then the pho came, it was definitely the best pho I have had in Japan (but that doesn't say much... ) the soup was incredible and there were quite a few large slices of chicken in addition to raw onion slices, scallions, deep fried shallots and bean sprouts.

The dessert was some kind of fruit jello-y type thing, but I didn't get a taste as my son ate it all.

It was a really great meal and I will definitely be going back!

[Chris Cognac]

Great report...Was the Chicken Pho in a Chicken broth I presume?

My friend went to Morimoto in Philly las week and said it was amazing!

[torakris]

Great report...Was the Chicken Pho in a Chicken broth I presume?

It tasted like chicken.

[Haivart]

I recently heard that Masaharu Morimoto had opened a place in Tokyo. Does anyone know anything about it? Thanks!

[Kiem Hwa]

How about restaurants run by Chefs who beat the Iron Chefs???

There is a new Restaurant opening over here in Honolulu next month called Hakkei:

http://www.hakkei-honolulu.com/html/eng_hospitality.html

Too bad I will be moving to L.A. before they open . I guess I will have to wait until my next visit home to try this place out.

It will be run by the apprentice of Chef Masahara who beat Iron Chef Morimoto by a score of 4 to 0.

The original Hakkei (run by Masahara) is an onsen ryokan in Yubara, Okayama Prefecture ...has anyone eaten or stayed here???

http://www.hakkei-yubara.jp/

[torakris]

I recently heard that Masaharu Morimoto had opened a place in Tokyo.  Does anyone know anything about it?  Thanks!

←

Morimoto XEX opens today (9/30/2005) in Roppongi.

I can't find any information in English, but are some nice pictures and information in Japanese.

[Haivart]

Excellent! Arigato.

Morimoto XEX opens today (9/30/2005) in Roppongi.

I can't find any information in English, but are some nice pictures and information in Japanese.

←

[larrylee]

Hello,

I just read this thread and was wondering if anyone been to any of the Iron Chefs' restaurants in Japan in the past year? I don't mean Morimoto in Philadelphia or in New York - I'm referring specifically to the restaurants of Rokusaburo Michiba, Hiroyuki Sakai, Chen Kinichi, and Masahiko Kobe?

In addition, can anyone verify whether the chefs are still manning their restaurants, or if they've branched out? Is it difficult to secure reservations? (e.g. is it like trying to reserve at the French Laundry, or can you reserve a week in advance?)

Finally, can anyone provide an updated review of the dining experience?

thanks,

Larry

[Hiroyuki]

Hello,

I just read this thread and was wondering if anyone been to any of the Iron Chefs' restaurants in Japan in the past year? I don't mean Morimoto in Philadelphia or in New York - I'm referring specifically to the restaurants of Rokusaburo Michiba, Hiroyuki Sakai, Chen Kinichi, and Masahiko Kobe?

In addition, can anyone verify whether the chefs are still manning their restaurants, or if they've branched out? Is it difficult to secure reservations? (e.g. is it like trying to reserve at the French Laundry, or can you reserve a week in advance?)

Finally, can anyone provide an updated review of the dining experience?

thanks,

Larry

←

I've never been to any of Iron Chefs' restaurants, so I can only give you some general information, in Japanese.

According to this http://g-chef.com/restaurant/rst07.html, Sakai owns four restaurants.

According to this http://g-chef.com/restaurant/rst09.html, Kobe owns one.

According to this http://g-chef.com/restaurant/rst12.html, Chen owns five.

All of the pages above are on this site http://g-chef.com/index.html.

As for Michiba, he owns

Ginza Rokusantei

http://www.michiba.com/michiba/michiba.nsf/rokusan_eigyo

Poisson Rokusaburo (former Grasserie Rokusaburo)

http://www.rokusaburo.com/ and

Kaishoku Michiba

http://www.michiba.com/michiba/michiba.nsf/doc/home

I found this remarkable site, which reviews Iron Chefs' and challengers' restaurants, in Japanese.

http://www.geocities.co.jp/Foodpia-Olive/4921/menu.htm

Sorry, I don't have time to read all of the reviews and make my comments here right now. Maybe some other time...