Customer Reviews

Iron Chef

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Yeah, I'm one of those Iron Chef fanatics. Glued to the TV when it's on, and a little out there in my own kitchen when it's not.

As such, this is a great book. No spoilers in the episode listings (though sometimes I almost wish there were. . .), a few utterly random recipes, and some great background information and musings from Hattori, Fukui-san, and (duh) all seven of the Iron Chefs. Through it all, the culture gap seems to shine through in the translation, but if it didn't, I don't think it would work out right.

A great companion piece to a show that is utterly addictive and just as wild as Chairman Kaga's outfits.

Good small glossy table book. Too bad there were only a few recipes from the challengers. I really wanted some of the Iron Chef concoctions.

Looked through this once and never again. Nice package though.

(In the spirit of full disclosure, I should confess that I've become something of an Iron Chef fanatic. Somewhere along the line, the kitsch factor disappeared and the show began to represent all things good about humanity to me. And so, my inclination is to affirm all things related to Iron Chef.)

The book's introduction states that it will be "at times informative, at times even bizarre." While the book is indeed fairly informative, it hardly ever gets bizarre. The book largely lacks the pizzazz that makes the television show initially captivating.

On the other hand, Iron Chef: The Official Book is well put together, looks good, and has fairly interesting features. (I especially liked the listings of Iron Chef and challenger-operated restaurants. If only I had the money...) I also enjoyed the so-called interviews with the Iron Chefs (they're more like mini-testimonials); in fact, the book led to me the conclusion that my favorite Iron Chef is Rokusaburo Michiba.

Like many of the other reviewers have indicated, this book will be appreciated by Iron Chef fans despite its shortcomings.

This book is really, a very good book. It is translated straight from the Japanese version, and includes a lot of important things in it, but as a die-hard Iron Chef fan, I'd like to see more.
The interviews (one on each chef) and statistics are good, but I'd like to see more of those. I'd like information on a lot of the battles besides just who competes and what the theme is. I'd like to know who won each as well as highlights and commentary on a lot of the important battles. I'd also like more of an in-depth timeline as well as details on a lot of the intricate rules for basic and special matches.
Overall though, this book is very good. It gives a lot about the background of the show, but not as much on the events that took place.
Finally, I'd like an index in this. It'd make finding a challenge or theme ingredient a lot easier.

This is the definitive work on the Iron Chef television program. It is deep in detail for those fanatics looking for those extra insider tidbits on the program. The book brings out the trials and tribulations of the Chefs as they fought to stay on top. It also contains a deep mathematical analysis of the Iron Chefs that can only be appreciated by the true believers. The camp seriousness that pervades the show appears in the book as well.

If you care about knowing why Chairman Kaga's voice was subtitled, while everyone else was dubbed, this is the book for you.

If you want to know which Iron Chef talked Chen Kinichi out of walking away from the show, this book is for you.

If you're an Iron Chef fanatic, this book is for you.

If you're an aspiring chef or casual viewer, this probably isn't the right book for you.

The "Official Book" of "The Iron Chef" attempts to explain the attraction of fans to the show. However, while properly capturing the thrill of the cooking battle, the authors omit the amusing cross-cultural aspects of the program. Apart from the occasional GODZILLA film, I'm not a fan of dubbed dialogue but the corny English commentary of "The Iron Chef" adds the proper amount of distance from the original material while highlighting the oddity of such an ornate competition.

This tome feels like it was written around the time of Iron Chef
Morimoto's initial battle with whiny baby Bobby Flay whose kitchen antics sully the culinary arts. There is little looking forward (most due to the tenuous existence of "The Iron Chef" as both a viable show as well as its foothold in the zeitgeist) and even the retrospective chapters feel rather thin.

It's a pleasure to read the reminiscences of Iron Chef's past such as Koumei Nakamura and Yutaka Ishinabe. Yet, there needs to be more of all of the Iron Chef as well as frequent judges and guests of the show. The fact that the editors can't decide to treat Chairman Kaga as a genuine character or as Takeshi Kaga, the actor who plays him, helps to undermine the overall tone.

A must for every "Iron Chef" fan, the Official Book gives a Gordon Elliot eye's view to this show that must be seen and not necessarily read about. (ISBN: 0425180883)

The "Official Book" of "The Iron Chef" attempts to explain the attraction of fans to the show. However, while properly capturing the thrill of the cooking battle, the authors omit the amusing cross-cultural aspects of the program. Apart from the occasional GODZILLA film, I'm not a fan of dubbed dialogue but the corny English commentary of "The Iron Chef" adds the proper amount of distance from the original material while highlighting the oddity of such an ornate competition.

This tome feels like it was written around the time of Iron Chef
Morimoto's initial battle with whiny baby Bobby Flay whose kitchen antics sully the culinary arts. There is little looking forward (most due to the tenuous existence of "The Iron Chef" as both a viable show as well as its foothold in the zeitgeist) and even the retrospective chapters feel rather thin.

It's a pleasure to read the reminiscences of Iron Chef's past such as Koumei Nakamura and Yutaka Ishinabe. Yet, there needs to be more of all of the Iron Chef as well as frequent judges and guests of the show. The fact that the editors can't decide to treat Chairman Kaga as a genuine character or as Takeshi Kaga, the actor who plays him, helps to undermine the overall tone.

A must for every "Iron Chef" fan, the Official Book gives a Gordon Elliot eye's view to this show that must be seen and not necessarily read about. (ISBN: 0425180883)

I wish it had more recipes, but in general it was very informative and thorough.

Since I'm also a fan of the show, I really love this book! Authentic recipes, great Bio info, and more insights on the Iron Chefs and the Challengers. If you like to try creative cusines, you should try this yourself! Allez Cuisine!!!

I kept waiting for the book to have the drama of the show. Maybe the problem was my expectations... I found alot of the book had info all ready available (on the net...from the shows)and some new information but it didnt seem to have the back-stage gossip-y type info i was hoping for... the bios were interesting and there was info i didnt know but alot of the book was decidedly uninspired. I would read this book, but frankly..i would borrow it from a library insead of buying it.