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Iron Chefs still reign supreme

Richard Cornish
Richard Cornish

French Iron Chef Hiroyuki Sakai at work in Kitchen Stadium.
French Iron Chef Hiroyuki Sakai at work in Kitchen Stadium.Supplied

The Iron Chefs have left Kitchen Stadium and are returning to Melbourne for two $380 per head dinners next weekend. They are flying in this Tuesday, to do the final preparation for the seven-course banquet being held next Saturday and Sunday nights, at the RACV City Club feeding 320 diners each night. Following them are a Japanese kitchen crew of 12 and a contingent of Japanese media.

The Iron Chefs were the stars of the 1990s cult high camp food-meets-sport Japanese TV food show Iron Chef that became a global hit spawning spin-off versions around the world. It is still being broadcast on SBS 2 4.05pm weekdays. Despite the final episode being produced almost 16 years go, the stars of Iron Chef continue to attract adoration from fans and are kept busy cooking in their restaurants for foreign tourists eager to dine with them. "We are still invited to many events including overseas," Iron Chef French Hiroyuki Sakai said, speaking from Japan through an interpreter. "I can stay in Tokyo only half of the year," said the warm and affable chef. Sakai joined the series in 1994 appearing in 83 episodes before returning to his Tokyo restaurant, La Rochelle. A good friend of Sydney chef Tetsuya Wakada, he is fond of Australia having spent time working in Perth earlier in his career.

Although the menu for the big night is being kept a tightly held secret, it is known that Iron Chef Sakai will be cooking with some of Australia's best seafood including Crystal Bay prawns from Queensland and Petuna kingfish from Tasmania. Iron Chef Italian Masahiko Kobe will be cooking with ocean trout from Tasmania and spanner crab from the Sunshine Coast. The third Iron Chef appearing next weekend is Kentaro Chen, the oldest son of the original Iron Chef Chinese Kenichi Chen will be cooking with local duck. "I really love cooking with Australian seafood as well," he said in an interview. "I like the umami [flavour] they have." The event is presented by Japanese brewer Kirin, with wine being poured from outstanding independent Victorian wineries, such as chardonnay from Savaterre and pinot noir from Moondarra.

The stars of Iron Chef continue to attract adoration from fans.
The stars of Iron Chef continue to attract adoration from fans.Supplied

While it won't be the Kitchen Stadium hothouse that was integral to the TV show's theme, the event will still be intense, "We are presenting some of the best of Australia's produce to the Japanese media," RACV City Club executive chef Mark Normoyle said. "So the pressure is really on." Joining his normal kitchen crew are 30 chefs from across Melbourne kitchens, who are volunteering their time to get up close and personal with the Iron Chefs, who will be supervising not only the preparation of their dishes over next week but the actual plating up on the night, with all the action beamed into the dining room and around the world via the web. Diners will have an opportunity to meet, great, get autographs from, and selfies with the three chefs before and after the banquet. Tickets sold out shortly after going on sale.

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Richard CornishRichard Cornish writes about food, drinks and producers for Good Food.

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