Thirty years after it started in Japan, Iron Chef is still kicking. She looks, acts and you can almost smell her from the TV screen because she explodes with pyrotechnics. The protagonists look like they were brought from an anime series, all sparkling with bright colors and fireworks.
Netflix has started investing heavily in its food division, even though it is still poor in leading content. The content rises and falls, disappearing over the pages of history. It is therefore not surprising that Netflix, after realizing that there is a massive audience for food reality, decided to invest in a work that would satisfy their appetite.
Indeed, she's satisfying. Iron Chef is rhythmic, interesting, original on the verge of the madness that deals mostly with food. Not in cultures, trips around the world but in chefs in the kitchen and in what they know to produce: delicious and satisfying food, which looks great.
The concept is simple, two chefs competing head-to-head, in a sort of battle to the death. One with experience, against a cheeky young man with receipts. Their food is tasted by three chefs, who will win the competition. The young and the daring against the older and the experienced, it is always interesting.
Surprisingly, Netflix has managed to bring to the show some of the biggest names in the culinary world. One can see fights of young people with a Michelin star, against legendary names like Dominik the only chef in America with three Michelin stars. So, the battles are intense, interesting, exciting and the result is nothing short of spectacular.
It's a shame the judges are disappointing, their critique is no different from thousands of other reality shows. The characters are not exciting enough, there is no real digging into their personal lives, but only an emphasis on the competition and the food they produce. For those who love food and culinary culture, this is a must watch.
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