Haven’t they all been Food Network celebs … rather than major chefs?
I’ll take Final Dinner on Netflix instead of US iron chef for sure
Iron Chef America released in 2005. Of the original ICAs, Masaharu Morimoto and Mario Batali had their restaurant empires established or in growth mode. Bobby Flay didn’t really ratchet up to restaurant mogul status until his ICA/Food Network exposure. Cat Cora is the youngest of all the original ICAs, and her restaurant empire didn’t kick in until well after she became somewhat of a name via ICA.
Morimoto was on the original Iron Chef (compiling a 16-7-1 record) as well as the head chef at Nobu NYC, before he started up his restaurant empire in 2001. Batali partnered with the Bastianich family to form the B&B Hospitality Group in 1998. So both those guys definitely earned their culinary stripes before they became serious TV celebrities via ICA.
Iron Chef America sucked, plain and simple. I think Flay was already somewhat established by the time he was on ICA; the exposure certainly did him no harm though. I never even heard of Cat Cora prior to her appearances on the show, and quite frankly, I haven’t heard of her since. But, she has no restaurant in my town, and frankly again, I don’t think I would be likely to seek it out anyway.
Flay was on the original Iron Chef…iirc, he greatly “offended” the Japanese by stepping on his cutting board after the battle.
Friend competed on Iron Chef once. They told him three different ingredients ahead of time, and he prepped a menu for each of them and learned the secret ingredient on the show. Presumably the Iron Chef is told the single ingredient in advance. He chose to go against Morimoto and got smoked.
Ok I meant why does she qualify as a superstar chef ? Like been said most of the chefs had established restaurant and reputations before they went on the show.
I don’t think she does.