Iron Chef America (Part 1)

[Ling]

They were all lovely, although all of his plates were white, so they were kinda pale presentation, but...we were all drooling over the ravioli and the veal, and the rolls were beautiful!

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I agree, the white plates were a bit boring, compared to all the fantastic platings we've seen in previous episodes (both ICA and the original series). I really enjoyed cheering Rob on, and that veal with crab hollandaise looked incredible!

My favourite scene would have to be the cute close-up shot of all those tiny little crabs trying to climb out of Morimoto's bowl, and then Morimoto casually flinging each one straight into the deep fryer! The final presentation of those fried crabs (as a garnish, by a hollowed out cantaloupe filled with konnayaku, melon, and crab "soup") looked adorable (although slightly creepy, seeing as we all saw how they got killed!). I can't say how the dish tasted, but I thought this was one of the most beautiful dishes of the evening.

I thought Morimoto's crab rice dish with the hot broth, and the miso/crab garnish (cooked on the wooden paddle) was very creative, and looked like good ol' Asian comfort food (though infinitely more refined than anything I could do!)

Great battle...great company...(and great food at Arne's!)

[Mooshmouse]

We are most definitely a group of uber food geeks, watching this battle with bated breath and rooting for Rob who seemed like an underdog, then cheering wildly when he emerged victorious. And loving every minute of it, might I add!

In the words of Rob Feenie himself, "Good food rocks!"

Thanks to the crowd at Arne's for all the wonderful culinary offerings and the great company... an excellent time was had by the entire Mouse family. Merci beaucoup Daddy-A and Ms. J.

[winegeek]

Great showing last night. It really does help put Canada on the map. Nice to see the media place him on the front page of the Vancouver Sun. Here the link Article

Way to go Rob!!

[Daddy-A]

Like Ling, I've been waiting for this battle as well. As you can tell, Rob Feenie is well known in these parts, and we're just a little bit proud of the Vancouver food scene in general. Even though ICA is a bit on the "staged" side, this was a chance for the rest of North America to get a glimpse of our world.

I've been watching Iron Chef for a long time now, so I think I'm a pretty good judge of how each chef is doing as the evening goes on. What impressed me most about Rob's performance was how calm and cool he was. Even Morimoto seemed a little bit frazzled ... perhaps he was a bit out of practice?

The dishes from Morimoto seemed a little "forced", almost like he was trying too hard to be different ... something of which he is often accused. I agree with Nullo that the Crab Naan looked good, I just didn't get the whole cheese angle. Again, we can't taaste it, so who's to know? Morimoto provided us with the best laugh of the night as he tossed those little crabs into the deep-fryer!

If you've eaten at Lumiere, you knew Rob was going to do ravioli. Dear God! Did you see all the truffles he used! The group that watched the show with my wife & I last night gasped out loud when we saw all the truffles. And then to use the white truffles with the surf 'n turf. We're hoping he puts on an Iron Chef menu soon.

This incarnation of Iron Chef is starting to grow on me. I'm not as bothered as some people here about the shows being shot out of order. What does bother me is: a) Morimoto's voice being dubbed when HE'S SPEAKING ENGLISH!!! (for chissake, use subtitles if you must!), and b) Alton's commentary bits that are obviously done post-production. It compleltely ruins the "live" aspect of the show.

A.

ps. One small correction from last nights show. Feenie was not the first Canadian on Iron Chef. Iron Chef America yes, but not on the series as a whole. That honour goes to Chef Michael Nobel, also from Vancouver. He also went up against Morimoto, but Nobel lost.

Edited February 21, 2005 by Daddy-A (log)

[phatbastard]

Awesome battle. The best yet, in my view. I really love Rob's presentations. They remind me a lot of Thomas Keller and Charlie Trotter tied together.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but Chef Feenie was the first challenger so far to take down an Iron Chef America. Bravo.

[Daddy-A]

Awesome battle.  The best yet, in my view.  I really love Rob's presentations.  They remind me a lot of Thomas Keller and Charlie Trotter tied together.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but Chef Feenie was the first challenger so far to take down an Iron Chef America.  Bravo.

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Nope, Ming Tsai defeated IC Booby Flay in Battle Duck.

A.

(typo left intentionally )

[NulloModo]

Now that I think about it, it was a bit odd seeing how this is Iron Chef America that they picked two chefs of which neither are American. Oh well, just a small point, it was still great to see, and it is cool to see Vancouver has such a well developed (or developing) food scene.

How can you tell Alton's comments are done post production? I haven't really noticed, but I haven't been paying that close attention to his side bits.

[DameD]

Definitely way too go Rob!! we had company ( my parents) for dinner and they thankfully left by 5 to 9 and they we got seated ready for Rob to win and he did so that is great. Felt a bit food nerdy, but all good!

[Daddy-A]

How can you tell Alton's comments are done post production?  I haven't really noticed, but I haven't been paying that close attention to his side bits.

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Sorry, I should clarify. Not all his comments are post ... obviously the stuff he does where he interacts with the chefs is "live", but the little snippets of information that get cut-in mid battle will have a different audio quality to them.. they're less ambient and are done in studio. This may not be fair comment as the original Iron Chef was completely post-production in that is was dubbed.

For me, Iron Chef's appeal is the fact that everything is spur of the moment ... true they may have a good idea of what the secret ingredient is ahead of time, but all the prep/cooking/plating is done in one hour. That's pretty impressive when it takes me 15 minutes to make macaroni & cheese from a box! I think the show is much better because of the spontinaity, and if Alton or Kevin or one of the judges mess up, so be it. Nobody allows the chefs to do a re-take ...

A.

[Jerry_A]

Seeing a chef from a restaurant with which you are intimately familiar with certainly provides a different perspective on the show. Rather than watching and wondering what accompaniments went with what dish, or what sauce went with what, we pretty well knew what dishes Feenie was doing as soon as he started them, as many variations of them are available at Lumiere.

This got me to wondering how often the Chefs on this show are just making the same recipes they use at their restaurants, and just throwing the "secret" ingredient in to comply with the rules. Not that there is anything wrong with this, it obviously makes sense to stick with what you know works if you are going to be cooking in a foreign, high-pressure environment like Kitchen Stadium, but I've always sort of fantasized in my head that most of the Chefs on this show, whether challengers or Iron Chefs, were trying to do something completely original with the ingredient, and make things they would never make at their own restaurants.

I guess with the amount of free advertising they are getting on this show (although less here than on the original series that constantly reminded you of the challengers restaurant and pedigree) there is something to be said for playing it safe and making dishes that would entice the average viewer into wanting to dine at your restaurant. All of this being said I still think I would have voted for Feenie's dishes, even though the originality seemed to be severely lacking.

So how do we get more Canadian Chefs on this show? With hockey being cancelled this show will be getting some of the attention I would have otherwise devoted to the NHL, and I need some good Canadian boys and girls to cheer for. Otherwise I guess I'll just have to cheer for whoever is battling Flay.

Len.

[jgm]

I think that one of the best things about this last show, is that it puts more Americans on notice that there is a vital, exciting culinary presence in Canada. Many Americans think of wilderness and Mounties when they think of Canada. Feenie's win makes it obvious he's more than just a token. Personally, I'd love to see a show on Food TV that highlights chefs from outside America. We certainly do have some excellent chefs in America, but we can all only benefit from seeing what's going on in other countries.

[Ling]

Many Americans think of wilderness and Mounties when they think of Canada. 

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Totally agree with your comments. I highlighted your bit about the "wilderness and Mounties"--did anyone notice Kevin Brauch's comment that perhaps Morimoto's miso/crab cooked over an open flame on the wooden paddle is an "homage" to Canada?

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go hunt some caribou for my lunch.

[Anko]

--did anyone notice Kevin Brauch's comment that perhaps Morimoto's miso/crab cooked over an open flame on the wooden paddle is an "homage" to Canada?

After Alton Brown explained that one of the crabs (was it the blue?) switched sexes several times during its lifetime, Kevin Brauch threw out the comment: "We all wish we could do that sometimes, don't we?"

Wah?

Seriously, isn't a midseason replacement due for this guy?

[Mnehrling]

--did anyone notice Kevin Brauch's comment that perhaps Morimoto's miso/crab cooked over an open flame on the wooden paddle is an "homage" to Canada?

After Alton Brown explained that one of the crabs (was it the blue?) switched sexes several times during its lifetime, Kevin Brauch threw out the comment: "We all wish we could do that sometimes, don't we?"

Wah?

Seriously, isn't a midseason replacement due for this guy?

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..and giggle take the risk of giggle Rachael giggle Ray being the new giggle floor correspondent giggle?

[NulloModo]

Hehe, now that I think about it, I do recall that comment... I think it was in reference to the itty-bitty deep-fried garnish crabs though.

[Megs]

Seeing a chef from a restaurant with which you are intimately familiar with certainly provides a different perspective on the show.  Rather than watching and wondering what accompaniments went with what dish, or what sauce went with what, we pretty well knew what dishes Feenie was doing as soon as he started them, as many variations of them are available at Lumiere.

 

This got me to wondering how often the Chefs on this show are just making the same recipes they use at their restaurants, and just throwing the "secret" ingredient in to comply with the rules.  Not that there is anything wrong with this, it obviously makes sense to stick with what you know works if you are going to be cooking in a foreign, high-pressure environment like Kitchen Stadium, but I've always sort of fantasized in my head that most of the Chefs on this show, whether challengers or Iron Chefs, were trying to do something completely original with the ingredient, and make things they would never make at their own restaurants.

I guess with the amount of free advertising they are getting on this show (although less here than on the original series that constantly reminded you of the challengers restaurant and pedigree) there is something to be said for playing it safe and making dishes that would entice the average viewer into wanting to dine at your restaurant.  All of this being said I still think I would have voted for Feenie's dishes, even though the originality seemed to be severely lacking.

So how do we get more Canadian Chefs on this show?  With hockey being cancelled this show will be getting some of the attention I would have otherwise devoted to the NHL, and I need some good Canadian boys and girls to cheer for.  Otherwise I guess I'll just have to cheer for whoever is battling Flay.

Len.

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Couldn't agree more- as soon as I knew it was crab I was just waiting for the ravioli, and when they were curious about the beurre blanc, I was pretty sure I knew what it was for. It was fun to watch him sweat, but with his typical confidence. I was actually surprised at how little he spoke- from having his cooking show, I was half expecting him to give a running commentary. I think he did a good job though, and he genuinely looked surprised when they announced he won.

Proud to be Canadian right now, moose and all

Oh yeah, and what WAS that spoon comment?

[terrarich]

They were all lovely, although all of his plates were white, so they were kinda pale presentation, but...we were all drooling over the ravioli and the veal, and the rolls were beautiful!

←

I agree, the white plates were a bit boring, compared to all the fantastic platings we've seen in previous episodes (both ICA and the original series). I really enjoyed cheering Rob on, and that veal with crab hollandaise looked incredible!

My favourite scene would have to be the cute close-up shot of all those tiny little crabs trying to climb out of Morimoto's bowl, and then Morimoto casually flinging each one straight into the deep fryer! The final presentation of those fried crabs (as a garnish, by a hollowed out cantaloupe filled with konnayaku, melon, and crab "soup") looked adorable (although slightly creepy, seeing as we all saw how they got killed!). I can't say how the dish tasted, but I thought this was one of the most beautiful dishes of the evening.

I thought Morimoto's crab rice dish with the hot broth, and the miso/crab garnish (cooked on the wooden paddle) was very creative, and looked like good ol' Asian comfort food (though infinitely more refined than anything I could do!)

Great battle...great company...(and great food at Arne's!)

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With all of the commentary on this thread about the originality of Morimoto's dishes I wonder how noone is shocked that Feenie won based mostly upon his... originality. Crab ravioli original? Come on.

Edited February 22, 2005 by terrarich (log)

[*Deborah*]

With all of the commentary on this thread about the origianlity of Mortmoto's dishes I wonder how noone is shocked that Feenie won based mostly upon his originality.  Crab ravioli original?  Come on.

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My understanding is that taste counts for twice as much as originality, and Morimoto got bad marks for taste on his fondue and his (granted, original) melon/crab soup. There was only one item of Feenie's that I recall that someone said they didn't enjoy the taste very much.

[Ling]

^It was the crab panna cotta with pineapple that someone said they didn't enjoy very much. Can't say it sounds too appetizing to me, either.

[Irishgirl]

^It was the crab panna cotta with pineapple that someone said they didn't enjoy very much. Can't say it sounds too appetizing to me, either.

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Which was defintely original....Crab...Dessert?....Come on! It was a great effort though!

[Ling]

^I never said it wasn't creative or a great effort. Of course it was creative--it's right up there with the "trout ice-cream" that, I believe, Sakai came up with.

But do I think I would enjoy eating trout ice-cream or crab panna cotta? That's a little out of my comfort zone. Sure, I would taste it, but I'm quite sure I wouldn't enjoy it. I hope the judges on Iron Chef try to eliminate these preconceived biases towards odd pairings, though.

Edited February 22, 2005 by Ling (log)

[nwyles]

What we need to remember about the panna cotta was that it was not what Rob wanted exactly. It failed because of an equipment problem. He quickly adapted without missing a beat. Fast on his feet !

It has been said by some that know Rob's cuisine from frequent visits to his restaurant that none of these dishes were big surprises, but adaptations of what he does on a regular basis. I see absolutely no problem with that. These are all winner items. Was I surprised that he did a ravioli? No. He does an excellent job of it. I could only imagine the pressure of creating five dishes under those conditions. Stick with what you know and adapt. How many time has Morimoto done a rice dish ? He has competed 76 times. You are bound to see items come back in one form or another. Chefs have a quiver full of arrows that hit the bullseye every time. Why take a chance on national TV ? Go with the winner !

I am really looking forward to my next Rob Feenie meal !

[Keith Talent]

Sorry if this has been asked before, but does anyone know if a chef has ever reproduced their Iron Chef menu in a restaurant as a special chefs tasting menu type thing? I can see it being a special for a couple months.

[malarkey]

I too noticed Alton obsessing over the fact that Feenie used a beurre blanc *and* a hollendaise. He thought sure they'd break before being presented to the tasters. From what I could tell, they held together pretty well, but we didn't get really close views once the tasters had them.

Man, I bet he's anal.

Congrats, Chef Feenie! I was really happy to see him win.

(not canadian, but LOVE the Vancouver food scene...)

Edited February 22, 2005 by malarkey (log)

[piperdown]

Sorry if this has been asked before, but does anyone know if a chef has ever reproduced their Iron Chef menu in a restaurant as a special chefs tasting menu type thing? I can see it being a special for a couple months.

I happened with the original series, but I'm not sure about this one.