12 June 2011 - See Morimoto-san on Hawaii 50 doing karaoke and fish forensics
22 March 2011 - Australian Iron Chef Gets the Chop! - The Daily Telegraph March 22, 2011
It was pitted as Seven's big player in the food TV wars but it seems Iron Chef Australia is set for the scrapheap after one season.
Lifted from the super-popular Iron Chef America, the show debuted last October to a lacklustre 1.129 million despite Seven's huge outlay for the franchise which was rumoured to have cost about $20 million.
Pricey, too, was Seven's trio of high-profile chefs who headlined the show - Neil Perry, Guy Grossi and Guillaume Brahimi - along with imported American "chairman" Mark Dacascos, additional commentator Richard Cornish and local host Grant Denyer.
Going up against Nine's Top Gear Australia on Tuesday nights, Iron Chef Australia cracked the million-viewer mark just once during its six-week season before whimpering out in November with just 768,000 viewers.
Brahimi, owner and head chef of Sydney's Guillaume at Bennelong, admitted he struggled to adapt to the show's format.
"As a chef on the show, it's a no-win situation," he told Confidential.
"As a professional I am expected to win the challenges but if I'm beaten by a challenger then he is the hero. So either way, I lose."
A Seven spokesman yesterday stated that "no decision has yet been made" on the future of the show.
Allez rubbish bin! - Ed.
19 September 2010 - JTB is offering Australians gourmet tours of Japan, including visits to Sakai's and Chen's restaurants.
Grant Denyer to host Iron Chef Australia
Sunrise weatherman and self-confessed non-foodie Grant Denyer has been announced as the host of the Australian incarnation of the worldwide cooking show sensation Iron Chef.
Last month the Seven Network announced that chefs Neil Perry, Guy Grossi and Guillaume Brahimi have signed up for Iron Chef Australia, which begins production in Melbourne this month.
The arena-style competition cooking show, already a worldwide hit, will see these chefs pitted against aspiring professional cooks in a battle against the clock.
Food critics Larissa Dubecki, from The Age, and Simon Thomsen, from News Limited, will be joined by well-known restaurant critic Leo Schofield to form the three-strong judging panel on the show.Denyer will be joined in the commentary box by award-winning food writer Richard Cornish.
Let's just hope it's better than the "Top Gear Australia" abortion - Mark
Iron Chef comes to Australia
Larissa Dubecki
10 August 2010 - Sydney Morning Herald
CASTING has begun in earnest for Iron Chef Australia, the local answer to the international stadium-cooking-on-steroids phenomenon. Producer Shine, the company behind MasterChef, is casting its net wide and approaching a slew of renowned chefs and local food media identities in a pretty tight time frame — the series is due to be filmed in Melbourne next month. The format will be faithful to the Japanese, British and American versions, with chefs competing in a "kitchen arena" and judged by a panel of three.
Click the pic for edited highlights (20M, DivX)
From the SBS website... 23rd April 2010
Win a double pass to the 2010 Iron Chef Event in Sydney!
Experience a unique culinary event organised by JTB Australia featuring world famous Iron Chefs, Iron Chef French Hiroyuki Sakai and Iron Chef Chinese Kenichi Chen.
The competition begins Thursday, 29 April 2010 and gives you the chance to enjoy premium seating in the front row, a six course degustation menu with matching wines and overnight accommodation at the Sydney Hilton.
The menu is the creation of the Iron Chefs, in collaboration with acclaimed local chefs:
- Harunobu Inukai, Blancharu
- Hideki Okazaki, Rise
- Saeko Nemoto, Ten
- Gary Johnson, Hilton Sydney
- 2 x premium tickets to the "2010 Iron Chef Event in Sydney" on 7th June 2010 valued at $550.00 each
- Twin Share Accommodation at the Hilton Sydney in a deluxe room including breakfast on the night of 7th June 2010 valued at $275
Don't forget to return to the site on Thursday, 29 April to get your entry in.
Allez Cuisine!
Iron Chef 2008 in Sydney
10 November 2008
The Observatory Hotel’s Galileo Restaurant is hosting the fourth and most competitive Iron Chef Event from 2-4 December.
Two stars of the SBS television program Iron Chef will return to the Galileo and The Globe Bar for three exclusive dinners.
This culinary extravaganza is set to surpass all previous years with Iron Chef French, Hiroyuki Sakai and Iron Chef Chinese, Chen Kenichi entering battle with Galileo’s new Michelin-star Executive Chef, Masahiko Yomoda and the restaurant’s former chef Haru Inukai.
Hosted by award winning producer, presenter and food journalist, Joanna Savill and media personality, John Mangos, guests will be treated to an evening of grand and highly amusing entertainment.
Details:
Time and dates: 6.30 p.m on Tuesday 2nd, Wednesday 3rd and Thursday 4th December 2008 at Galileo Restaurant and The Globe Bar.
Venue: The Observatory Hotel, 89-113 Kent Street, Sydney.
Seats at the Iron Chef Dinner are $595 Per Person and include welcome cocktails, seven course dinner and Sommelier Christian Baeppler’s selection of matching wines.
A review of the Iron Chef dinner at the Observatory Hotel, Australia, 2007