The Food Network posted the following Iron Chef Marathon Drinking Game (quoted here) on their website:
"Take a sip of sake. . . every time:
- the young female judge giggles or gasps
- Kitchen Stadium reporter Ota interrupts by yelling "Fukui-san!"
- a slow-motion replay is shown
- Chen makes a goofy face
- Morimoto uses an innovative technique that astounds the commentators
- the chefs bow."
I'd add the following to the respectable beginning above, for a more complete Iron Chef drinking game--yes, yes, there are other such games (notably an older one here and another recent one here), but read on anyway:
Take a sip of sake every time:
- you hear the phrase, "If memory serves me right. . . "
- Taga bites into that yellow pepper
- the challenger is introduced as a defender of tradition
- Sakai gets squeamish while handling live seafood (take two sips if he drops it)
- a judge comments on how subtle a certain dish tastes
- a commentator remarks on Kobe's speed
- a commentator remarks on Kobe's youth
- a young male judge boasts about how much he eats
- a female judge is asked how she would prepare a certain dish
- the camera zeroes in on Chen's perspiring head
- a judge or commentator insists that there is absolutely only one way to prepare a certain item
- a commentator is stunned when it turns out he was wrong
- someone approves of a chef's use of fat to flavor a dish (take two sips if the chef entirely wraps the item in fat)
- a chef makes a bizarre-flavored ice cream (yes, squid counts as bizarre)
- . . . the judges hate it
- Chen makes a spicy sauce that wins over the judges
- a chef uses a ring mold in a dish, and the commentator attributes it to Sakai's masterful influence
- the Ota faction shows up
- a commentator insists that women love a specific dish or ingredient
- Sakai immediately prepares that dish
- Sakai is accused of cooking to win, and not taking risks
- Morimoto is accused of taking too many risks and departing from Japanese tradition
- anyone mentions a dead chef
- anyone mentions the parent of a chef, dead or not
- the challenger's supporters make haughty comments from the Royal Box
- a judge gets belligerant and argues with a chef (most notably in the "But I want to eat the lobster!" Lobster-flavored Asparagus Battle)
- the judges take sides early, and start squabbling during the tasting
- you find yourself humming along with the intense music
- the Iron Chef wins
- the Iron Chef wins, and the challenger vows to have a rematch (take two sips if this is Ota again)
- someone makes a sweeping generalization about Americans or American food
- someone makes a sweeping generalization about Americans or American food, and it's laughably wrong (e.g., "All Americans eat hot dogs for Christmas dinner").
Do you have other things to add to the list? Feel free to email me!
Also let me know if you'll be in Boston on New Year's Eve and want to join us for an exciting Iron Chef Marathon party.
The photos on this page are of various other, slightly less-well-known, but just as hard-working Iron Chefs, or of their creations. Watch for the Chefs' upcoming battles!
C
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Created: 11/29/00. Last Modified: 2/09/01.