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Post by allezcuisine on Dec 8, 2006 19:48:41 GMT -5
Hirano: Mmm. This is excellent. The spiciness may seem a little overwhelming at first, but the cucumber and bean sprouts really do soften this dish. It's wonderful.
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Post by Arrianna on Dec 8, 2006 22:29:47 GMT -5
Kazuko Hosoki: This is perfectly done. The crisp vegetables, cold noodles, and the spicy sauce complement each other in perfect harmony.
Well done.
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Post by achen on Dec 8, 2006 22:55:16 GMT -5
Chen: My second dish is: Sharks fin Chawan-mushi: An ode to the Japanese iron chefs of the past. The egg custard with the soft noodles is packaged nicely with the help of the sharks fin soup. The texture of the sharks fin is similar to that of the noodle. This dish is the ultimate luxury dish with pairing of an inexpensive ingredient with one of the most expensive ones. The small saucer of red vinegar is there for the tasters to add to their own taste to round out this dish. I got this idea from a previous sharks fin battle. The texture of of noodle should be the same as that of the sharks fin. The vinegar adds another twist to this dish. The truffle adds a sophisticated side to this dish and adds a slight earthiness as well.
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Post by ironchefcanadian on Dec 9, 2006 0:20:02 GMT -5
Kurimoto: "I find that the noodles are slightly softer and not as chewy as the shark's fin, which makes it a nice enhancement. I like the idea of making the vinegar an option for the diner; I find that it does go nicely, but others may not like the additional sourness."
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Post by Arrianna on Dec 9, 2006 1:01:11 GMT -5
Kazuko Hosoki: This is really good. I like how you played the two completely different ingredients with similar textures against each other with the noodles and shark fin. The truffles add a nice earthyness to the dish. The soup with the creamy custard, delicious.
I don't find the vinegar necessary but it is a nice option.
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Post by missteetheironchef on Dec 9, 2006 15:36:15 GMT -5
Post------------ You know I'm doomed! End Post--------------
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Post by achen on Dec 9, 2006 21:58:24 GMT -5
-----Post----- No your not. It is still early yet. -----End Post------- Chen: My third dish is Pad Thai: This Southeast Asian dish is reformed by the iron chef into a dish that comes from two countries. The noodle is cooked with a Thai style, but with influences from Singapore. The vegetables and lime adds a cooling freshness to this dish with a bit of crunch. The spicy saltiness comes from the fish sauce and Thai peppers. The tasters can add more heat with the sambal on the side. This dish is a spicy dish. I have been presenting dishes that are spicy then dishes mild/not spicy to make it easier on you judges. This dish was inspired by a dish from Thailand. They used rice noodles but I had tried it with mung bean noodles before and it came out the same. They used spicy fish sauce instead of regular hot sauce. The lime and barely cooked mung bean sprouts will help soften the heat of the spices. The inclusion of the curry was inspired by the Singapore version of this dish. The pickled mustard was included to perk up the tasters appetite and also for some heat relief. Thank you and please enjoy this dish.
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Post by Arrianna on Dec 10, 2006 0:11:14 GMT -5
Kazuko Hosoki: This dish confuses me a little. There are so many flavors I feel as if I am being pulled in too many directions. The cellophane noodles do add more body then the rice noodles would but the use of curry combined with both the pickeled mustard and the sambal on the side...
It just lacks focus.
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Post by achen on Dec 10, 2006 0:45:56 GMT -5
Chen: Sorry about that. Just wanted to test my boundaries. Oh....
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Post by ironchefcanadian on Dec 10, 2006 9:40:12 GMT -5
Kurimoto: "Well, I have to agree that there are too many spices competing for the taster's attention here. This level of 'heat' might do for Chinese or American palates but I can't see very many Japanese enjoying this -- unless they're teenage boys doing a manhood test. The cellophane noodles are once again performing their function in this dish, so judging will be a bit of a balancing act."
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Post by Sanji Himura on Dec 10, 2006 14:25:09 GMT -5
I completely disagree. Yes, there are several different flavors and textures that tasters will try to follow the rabbit, but this reminds me of a dish that I've tried on my most recent trip to Thailand, and I think that the noodles here add a lot more than body to the party. A perfect dish for winter, I'd say.
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Post by allezcuisine on Dec 10, 2006 17:33:52 GMT -5
Hirano: I agree with Himura-san. I really enjoy this dish. The hint of lime really adds a wonderful element to this dish -- it mellows the dish out.
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Post by achen on Dec 11, 2006 2:08:54 GMT -5
Chen: Thank you. My fourth dish is: Chen’s Signature Pan Fried Noodle: This simple dish shows how the iron chef can replace the common noodle with the cellophane noodle to produce a wonderful dish. The tasters are entertained with the smell and the noise of the popping noodles. The puffiness of the noodle is controlled by the sauce. The rich breeze of the meat and seafood sauce bundle the noodle into a soft heaven. This is another dish that I had when I was younger. The noodle was made with a regular noodle. It would be part crunchy and the rest soft. This is similar to a famous Chinese noodle that is first fried then cooked in a sauce. This dish is not spicy to give you judges a slight rest from heat. Please enjoy
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Post by missteetheironchef on Dec 11, 2006 11:05:24 GMT -5
Post---- That looked great! End Post---
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Post by ironchefcanadian on Dec 11, 2006 11:11:10 GMT -5
Kurimoto: "I like the presentation, it's exceptionally colourful. The noodle texture has been rendered well by the pan frying, and the vegetables have the al dente texture that we expect from good stir-fry technique. About the only concern I have is that there's too much sauce. I mean, it tastes fine, but the amount here may turn the noodles soggy over time. So I wouldn't consider this a dish that could be eaten at a leisurely pace."
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