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Post by achen on Nov 11, 2007 22:23:35 GMT -5
Please don't read until you have watched the last battle. The winner is . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Michael Symon. This could have been expected due to the replacement of Mario Batali. Michael Symon is a chef that cooks Mediterranean cooking. I would have liked it if John Besh won, but maybe if Bobby Flay left he could try again. Well that is the update.
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Post by Man Alive! on Nov 11, 2007 22:27:49 GMT -5
It turns out that news article from a few weeks ago was truly a spoiler. Chef Symon looked as if he didn't even register the win when his portrait was shown.
And speaking of the portrait, that was a fantastic way to reveal the winner. Great creative touch. Also, having the Iron Chefs judge the battle was a good idea. I found their comments to be much more satisfying than the usual judges' comments. All around, it was a great episode.
Also of note, this battle revealed the winner of the Iron Chef uniform contest. I can't wait to see the new uniform- I hope it's better than the current one.
And Iron Chef Batali was not present. Take this bit of news how you will.
Congrats Chef Symon!
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pi168
Gourmet Academy Recruit
Posts: 8
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Post by pi168 on Nov 11, 2007 22:56:18 GMT -5
I was really torn in the end. I thought I knew who I wanted to win but the last challenge had me going back and forth!!
The uniforms have to go! I hope the new ones dont look like Star Trek tunics.
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Post by ironchefcanadian on Nov 12, 2007 7:35:07 GMT -5
I'm thinking sushi coats and T-shirts. The sushi coat would reflect the series' Japanese origins and the T-shirts allow comfort and personalization.
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Post by herringchoker on Nov 12, 2007 14:11:28 GMT -5
What a battle! After the IC's comments, I honestly thought Besh had the edge. That said, I'm not disappointed - I'm just happy it was one of those two who won.
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Post by Arrianna on Nov 12, 2007 15:10:31 GMT -5
It was quite the battle, I agree. I enjoyed it thoroughly. Barronmore is disappointed it wasn't Besch but I can't say I was surprised with the way everyone described what they were looking for in an iron chef. Mind you I agree that Batali not being there was rather telling.
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Post by eiko on Nov 12, 2007 19:40:29 GMT -5
Very entertaining. I actually missed the first 15 minutes or so. I forgot it was on. *face palms* It took a little while to figure out what the theme ingredient was. Flay and Cora have no taste buds. There is something to be said of delicately flavored, subtle food. And when I thought that, I knew Besh would lose. His cooking style and Cora's would be too similar, imo, for them both to be on ICA. Morimoto was quite entertaining with his comments. And I loved his the sketches he made of all the dishes that were served. That was pretty awesome. The other comment that clinched Symon's win... Ruhlman talking about how Symon had some really spectacular dishes during the competition as well as failures, while Besh had more of a even keel when it came to his dishes. Bottom line: Symon took more chances with his food. Risky, but it's more of a "ICA" attitude. Besh played it too safe. I agree, Batali's absence was one of the first things I noticed when I tuned in. And dammit, Mark needs MORE to do!!!
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Post by ironchefcanadian on Nov 13, 2007 11:05:36 GMT -5
It *is* telling that, according to Ruhrman's blog, the verdict among the trained cooks in the panel was unanimous in favour of Symon, while the decision of the non-cooks both went in favour of Besh.
I think the ICs understand that much of the appeal of ICA lies in the actual process of preparation, not the actual judging. More air time is given to the "hour of cooking" than to the judge's commentary, for the simple reason that there's more action and more room for unrehearsed drama there. This is probably why Symon is a better fit as an IC, even though Besh's cooking skills may be at a higher level.
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Post by eiko on Nov 13, 2007 21:11:25 GMT -5
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Post by Man Alive! on Nov 13, 2007 22:12:56 GMT -5
It *is* telling that, according to Ruhrman's blog, the verdict among the trained cooks in the panel was unanimous in favour of Symon, while the decision of the non-cooks both went in favour of Besh. I think the ICs understand that much of the appeal of ICA lies in the actual process of preparation, not the actual judging. More air time is given to the "hour of cooking" than to the judge's commentary, for the simple reason that there's more action and more room for unrehearsed drama there. This is probably why Symon is a better fit as an IC, even though Besh's cooking skills may be at a higher level. I agree. Also, personality is a major factor, and Symon was a bit more whimsical than Besh during all of the battles. Besh played a purely professional game, and it cost him. And I forgot to mention Morimoto's sketches. They were fantastic! Also, Chairman Mark's performance is really top notch, although sometimes it's a bit obvious he's reading from a teleprompter. He really does capture the "chairman" character, though, while at the same time putting his own spin on it.
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