'Next Iron Chef' recap: 'You were simply outcooked'

 
When I first wrote about the competitors for this season of "The Next Iron Chef" I expressed shock that celebuchef Ming Tsai would put it all on the line in a bid to join the culinary elite in Kitchen Stadium. And several of you took me to task, saying I was being duped. You said the show was a sham, the outcome inevitable: Food Network would anoint Tsai as the next Iron Chef, and the show would just be a, well, just a show. There was no way, you said, that Ming the Merciless would lose.

What do you say now?

I certainly would have wagered that Tsai would be among the final two standing. But it's a good thing I'm not a betting woman. 'Cause Tsai was eliminated this week along with chef Celina Tio. That leaves a Marco-versus-Marc finale, with chefs Marco Canora and Marc Forgione battling it out.

Could anyone have predicted this pairing heading into the season?

But week after week, both chefs accepted the judges' notes on their already formidable cooking skills and scrambled to improve. They both seemed to have a knack for that artful balance that any Iron Chef must achieve: They transform ingredients in new and exciting ways, while still elevating the "secret" ingredient to hero status -- and never allowing their creativity to overshadow it.

This week's challenge was all about seduction. First up, the final four cheftestants had to come up with a signature cocktail and a little bite to go with. Canora won, in part, by spanking the mint. This being Vegas, the final four "gambled" on their key ingredients for the next round. Forgione, that lucky guy, got lobster. Hard to beat that in the seduction department. Canora had wagyu beef (which he was able to swipe from Tsai, due to his earlier win) while Tio had Hawaiian moi fish, and Tsai was left with Mangalitsa pork. "I think I actually hit the jackpot," Tsai said of the switcheroo. That may be so, but Tsai served up a lardo pork dish that ended up being too fatty and off-putting for at least two of the judges.

"Chef Tsai," host Alton Brown said, "You were simply outcooked -- and not by much. But by enough, and I'm sorry, but you won't be the next Iron Chef." OUCH!

Were you surprised by Tsai's elimination? And who do you think will win? Canora or Forgione?

And memo to chef Tio: It was a pleasure watching your personality blossom. Soulless, you are not.

--Rene Lynch
twitter.com/renelynch

Photo: Food Network

Comments

[jtbwriter]

I'm done watching this charade-but not for the reason you gave (Duped?). Ming Tsai is a good chef whose food I'd eat in a heartbeat! I've watched his shows on both FN and PBS-he cooks for everyday people and not for the snotty Donatella and her crowd! He would have made the best Iron Chef and given Flay and Symon a run for their money. But I knew the boot was in when she continually sneered at his dishes and drooled over Marco and Marc. Too bad-after last years dumb down winner I had hopes NIC was on the up and up-wrong! FN has lost me for good-fool me once-shame on you, fool me twice, shame on all of us!

[Mimi Gadien]

Tsai would have brought class to FN. What are we left with now ? a punk and a greasy cook ? These two leave a foul taste in my mouth . Anyway FN lost it this time . They are totally out of touch with what viewers want . Keep forcing now junk programs down our throat , I have the easy trusty remote click clicker y clicking away

[magdalana]

I am so sick of Donnetella.. What an arrogant wench in her judgement of Ming... He cooks with elegance and expertise. He has a wonderful personality and is confident in his way of cooking..Shame on her and her co-horts for disrespecting Ming in such a shameful way.. I won't watch with her as a judge anymore... I was suprised at Chef Symon too, it seemed as if he was going along with Donnetella a few times when you could tell he didnt' want to... BAD SHOW

[pmydellamat]

I completely believe that this is the Food Network's attempt to replace Chef Batali, and I'm not saying this just because I wanted Chef Tsai to win. If you look that the pattern of the show, the Iron Chef America show has been in need of a chef that specialized in Italian cooking since Chef Batali decided to take a different direction with his career.

I really felt that Chef Forgione or Chef Tsai should have gone home last week because of they both made some rookie mistakes. That being said, this week it doesn't seem right that Chef Tsai was eliminated. I struggle to understand how the texture of lardo could be off putting. Lardo is fat so of course the texture may be a little off-putting. In my opinion the dishes that Chef Tsai presented seemed original and were on point in terms of the theme.

However, this week Chef Forgione again made a rookie mistake by rolling his ravioli dough too thick to compensate for his filling being too wet. Any Italian grandmother or Italian chef knows that is a rookie mistake. I've only taken one Italian cooking course and I know that was a mistake.

It's sad that the marketing gods of Food Network decided that having an Iron Chef Italian was more important than choosing the best candidate. I am truly offended that the Food Network has sunk so low to blatantly demonstrate that the show was rigged. Additionally, throughout the competition, Alton Brown seemed somewhat sympathetic to the contestants yet with Chef Tsai's elimination he seemed a bit hostile. Obviously, there is more going on here than we know and with the rather "choppy" editing job of this competition we may never know what really happened.

That being said, since the choice is between Chef Forigone and Chef Canora, I would stand behind Chef Forigone. Chef Canora whines and kvetches too much to be an Iron Chef. However, I refuse to watch the show anymore. I cannot and will not support the actions of the Food Network.

[D]

Re: Previous Comments. its a vote for the food, not the person. in my opinion, these were the two best chefs all season, although i was a fan of both Tsai and Tio as well.

[Ninetta]

I will REALLY miss seeing Chef Ming Tsai. I was really hoping he would be the next Iron Chef.
I think he is a GREAT chef and should have a show on the Food Network.
And he is so good looking too.

[carol scandura]

Chef Tsai was "outcooked" by someone who couldn't even cook ravioli properly????? I'm Italian and I'm outraged! The judges with the exception of Michael Symon....were WRONG!!! Something's going on that we viewers don't know about.....

[Morgan]

I agree with the comments already posted. Ming Tsai already beat Bobby Flay (and by quite a few points, if I recall) as a challenger on Iron Chef America--what more credentials does he need to display? If the judges really want to pretend that they're objective and it was all about what the chefs put forth that particular day, well only two judges had problems with Tsai's entree, whereas all three objected to Forgione's pasta.
I really don't care which one wins--they are not up to the caliber of Flay, Batalli (BTW, why is he no longer on the show???), Cora, Symon, and of course Morimoto. (The jury's still out for me on Garces.) Anyway, when these lesser chefs cook, I'm afraid I will be switching channells.....

[Wolfie]

Amazing that Chef Tsai was eliminated. I just couldnt believe it, and now i know the show is another bs effort by fn to garner ratings. OMG! I'm not going to watch it again. And symon is a giggling fool, completely intimidated by hot babe donatello. the other guy, well, who is he and who cares.

[DonZ]

I am so disappointed by Tsai's elimination, no surprise though, after I watched a few earlier episodes of the next iron chefs.

Although it is a game, I doubt that the judges gave unbiased scores.

Chef Tsai doesn't need this embarrassing show to proof that he is qualified as an Iron Chef.

Sorry FN, you've lost a fan.

[truthjager]

Another rigged "competition" to replace Italian chef Mario Batalio after he got in a dispute with FoodNetwork & left. The judges, especially Donatella, have had a positive Canora bias since the start. Maybe the clueless FN management think Canora's ponytailed resemblence to Batali will dupe the viewers. If Morimoto leaves, the show's just another dumbed down FN clone of itself. Maybe they should just get a McDonald's floor sweeper as the "Next Iron Chef" & rebrand the outcome the "Paper Plate Chef" considering the direction FN is going.

[Marcia Rojas]

It is absolutely RIDICULOUS that Chef Ming Tsai is not the next Iron Chef. For heaven's sake, he has already been on the Iron Chef show and he BEAT Bobby Flay. I am really sorry now that Chef Tsai even joined The Next Iron Chef show, because he is FAR AND AWAY a better chef than any of the others! he could run circles around the other contenders, most of whom are a joke!! (the guy with the mohawk is really good, but he is nowhere near Chef Tsai.) Ming Tsai is an excellent chef, talented and experienced, innovative, and has one of the most wonderful shows ever on TV. I raise my glass - and all my kitchen utensils - to Chef Tsai!!!

[Linda]

Anybody but Canora! Can't imagine why the FN folks would even consider having such a whiny drama queen as an Iron Chef.

[Marcy]

I am saddened by Tsai's elimination. That Donatella woman is so into Canora, it is disgusting. It has already been decided Canora will win the competion. They had Forgione as the competitor so that Canora will win hands down. Canora whines too much to be an Iron Chef. He also cheated. If Tsai would have not been elimiated, Tsai would have won, but since Donatella was too busy making goo-goo eyes at Canora, she did not see that Tsai would have made a wonderful Iron Chef. Too bad. Maybe next year, they should not have Donatella as a judge. They need someone much more professional.

[jrhoriginals]

I also am done watching the next Iron Chef. I have enjoyed Ming Tsai shows and have a couple of his cookbooks. I also think they selected the wrong person to be the next Iron Chef the last time and don't watch any of Symon's shows. Granted I did not taste the dishes, yet I think favorites were played. Yes Ming would have made a great Iron Chef. I still enjoy watching the original Iron Chef shows when there is nothing else of interest on the television.

[Karen]

Eliminating Chef Tsai last night was a game changer for me. Prior to that I was completely engaged in the spirit of the competition; and after that I felt like Tsai and I had both been jerked around. Although Chef Forgione seems like a talented young chef and a true gentleman, he did not seem like he was anywhere near Iron Chef material YET. It looked like he was routinely berated for very basic mishaps by the judges. Ming Tsai, also a gentleman, is a proven mature chef, and seemed unduly underpraised in this series. Could editing have accounting for this? Was he not intended to win? I don't doubt that Chef Canora has fine talent, but he seemed to be a raging drama queen in the kitchen, and at times almost unstable. Not really Iron Chef material at all. Chef Tsai had the chops, the maturity, and the gravitas to be The Next Iron Chef. Where did he go wrong? I don't even think I will watch the final show- down. As for the wonderful Iron Chef series itself, I had always believed that its line-up was exceptional in every way. Somehow Kitchen Stadium doesn't seem as exalted a place anymore.

[Julie Athayde]

I really liked Chef Tio and was hoping she would win. As for the rest, the only one I truly DISLIKE is Chef Canora. It seems certain that he will win, but he seems so arrogant, I really can't stand him. Oh well what do I know?

[Pam]

I dont normally post on these things, but I have to say personally I didnt want him to win, he was very arrogant and offputting to me and made me cringe although I will acknowledge that he seemed to be an excellent cook...I did like Tio, but the Forgione and Canora both look to be just as good as any of the others..as for making mistakes...every single Iron Chef has made them at times...they are not always perfect either...my opinion and it is only my opinion and means spit for the most part is that it looked to be a tough competition to get to this point...they are all good in their own way and since obviously we are not the judges then it is not up to us for if it were then we would be the lucky ones sitting at the tables doing the judges unstead of the experts...so since we aren't we dont know do we...and if it were a contest for personality, he would been out a long time ago if I were judge...Just saying ...

[KokonaKamelot]

Ming Tsai deserved to be the next Iron chef.
There are enough Italian cooks on Food Network!

[Nia Iman-Santoso]

I am a big fan of chef Tsai, but deep down I knew that for the show purpose, they won't choose another Asian chef, after they have Marimoto. But too bad, because chef Tsai has the best Iron Chef material, and he is so eager to be the next Iron Chef, and his second course that got good review from a fellow chef (not just the food critique), should lose his seat on the final. I am so disappointed with the result.