Here's Where You Can Watch The Original Iron Chef
Viewers who love cooking shows enjoy Food Network's "Iron Chef America." The show features celebrity chefs who are picked to compete against a guest and flex their culinary chops using a single ingredient. There is no competition between the old and the new version for those who were hooked on the original Japanese "Iron Chef" from the 90s. Since the show crossed over to the Food Network and became "Iron Chef America," fans of the O.G. have been searching for episodes of the Japanese version.
The original "Iron Chef" was a Japanese cooking show that premiered in 1993 (per Wikipedia), and fans were hooked on the dramatic flair and wild ingredients from the start. The show was hosted by Chairman Kaga, an utterly flamboyant character played by Japanese actor Shigekatsu Katsuta, who would dramatically introduce the panel of iron chefs defending Kitchen Stadium. Challengers would select an iron chef, and the chairman would reveal the single ingredient that would be the focus of the battle. The competitors had 1 hour to create as many dishes as possible with the featured ingredient before presenting it to a panel of judges.
Original episodes are available on Peacock
The original iron chefs were each a master of their cuisine. According to Pogogi, iron chefs changed throughout the series, but a select few became the most sought-after competitors. The most well-known were Hiroyuki Sakai, the iron chef of French food; Chen Kenichi was the acclaimed Chinese iron chef, and Masahiko Kobe was known as Iron Chef Italian (via Cooking Channel). Last but certainly not least was Masaharu Morimoto. He was the master of Japanese cuisine and fan-favorite, who was the only chef to cross over to the American version.
When Chairman Kaga dramatically bit into a bell pepper and then slowly turned to the camera with a maniacal grin on his face in the opening credits of the original "Iron Chef" (via Justin Yen), viewers knew they were in for a real treat. When Bobby Flay competed against Morimoto in 1999, the show popped up on the American television radar. According to Variety, Flay famously jumped up on top of his cutting board when he finished before the iron chef, which greatly disrespected Kitchen Stadium, in Morimoto's opinion. Five years later, "Iron Chef" came to the Food Network (per IMDb), and fans of the original were left searching for episodes of the Japanese food show.
Viewers who believe that the original "Iron Chef" reigns supreme can rejoice in the announcement that episodes of the original "Iron Chef" will now be available on Peacock, according to Fansided. As Chairman Kaga says, "Allez cuisine!"