Iron Chef behind-the-scenes secrets as the cooking show comes to Netflix

Iron Chef received its third US adaptation after Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend premiered on Netflix on June 15, 2022.

The first, titled Iron Chef USA, flopped in 2001, but Food Network revived it four years later as Iron Chef America. After a 13-year run, the second remake has closed its kitchens, but it’s clear fans have been begging for the one-on-one cooking show to return.

Powerful Iron Chef America President Mark Dacascos returns to his role, although the professionals have been replaced by a new group of experienced cooks.

Iron Chef isn’t as unpredictable as they want you to think

The show’s premise revolves around challenger chefs competing against the Iron Chefs to cook a dish containing the secret ingredient revealed by the President at the start of the episode. At the end of the season, the challenger with the highest score competes against the five Iron Chefs to become the first Iron Legend, winning the Golden Knife.

The secret ingredient isn’t so secret after all

Chef Peter Kelly, who beat Bobby Flay on Iron Chef America, revealed that contestants get hints as to what the unusual ingredient would be since they have a few options before filming. The chefs then provide the producers with shopping lists for every possible secret ingredient, so based on what is purchased, the cooks discover the secret product.

The Iron Chefs each episode are silhouetted replacements

Part of the fun is the suspense over who the contestants choose to compete against, but the matchups are done weeks in advance.

The spectacular rise of the chefs on the podium is also filmed during the first episode or before cooking. This brings us to the next secret: because the match-up has already been selected, only the chosen chef is on the board, so any Iron Chefs not required are effectively replacements. It would be extremely long for famous cooks to attend useless filming when they have kitchens to order!

The president is not the nephew of the original Japanese president

Don’t believe everything the TV tells you, because the president of Quest For An Iron Legend is not related to Japanese OG President Takeshi Kaga. Actor and martial artist Mark Dacascos carried the lie for 17 years after taking on the role in 2005.

Although best known for his alter ego, he appeared in Hawaii Five-O as Wo Fat and minor roles in CSI, Lucifer, and John Wick 3, among others.

Judges may be eating a dish that wasn’t even prepared by the chefs

Although this is a competition, it is for entertainment after all, so the team must still capture the perfect shot. The presentation of dishes can be recorded up to three times to capture all angles, so judging can take up to 45 minutes.

So yes, hot food will turn cold and ice cream will melt after an extra hour. The solution? The sous chefs will redo the dish, which means the judges might not even consume the original creation – the sous chefs better not screw it up!

Yasmine is a third-year Anthropology and Media student at Goldsmiths University with a new obsession with League of Legends, albeit a really bad one. She is always on social media to keep up to date with the latest news and trends and is HITC’s expert in Korean pop culture. She also enjoys music, television and fashion – her favorite things to write.