it's too bad that it has to be such a male dominated, ego driven and sexist show. have you noticed that a woman will rarely win against an iron chef?? have you also noticed that the panel has only one woman judge and two men?? no wonder the men iron chef always win. also, have you noticed how many women iron chef are out there??? I so wonder about this show and the food industry... just like another male dominating industry, men grabbed the power and will never give it to women. but in reality, women cook at home in almost every family, so you tell me how come men are always on top in iron chef and top chef shows...? the answer is simple, it's a sexist field.

It lacks the ironic humor of the original. The Japanese were having fun with the idea of cooking as competition... and playing it straight.. the result was utterly delightful. The Americans are humorlessly playing for keeps- it's pathetic. There was a subtlety and a beauty to the photography, the commentary... and yes, the English translation in accented voice was delicious, too.Alton is, sadly, a bit much, ...Oh, but I miss the hushed excitement of the Japanese commentators, and the shy, sensuous confessions of the female panelist- "I really liked it!" and the worldly, companionable bantering of the more substantial male panelist.. and the delicate, precise wording of the author-panelist... and the delightful mythos built around the person of the chairman and his "kitchen stadium". Also, come to think of it, the dignity they gave the challenger by presenting his myth as well.

With all of the violence on TV and in the local news, it is refreshing to have a show that has no violence or adult language, yet is still entertaining. My children look forward to watching with us every week. Each of us have a favorite chef and favorite judges. We all enjoy Elton Brown. We enjoy learning about the background of the main ingredient, unique vegetables and seasonings. We play along at home to guess who the winner will be.It is a great hour of entertainment, as well as informational. Best of all in our hussle, bussle life, it is an hour the family spends together.

"If memory serves me correct..." Iron Chef is a name that strikes a chord in almost any true foodies' heart, whether it is the distinct memory of seeing most of the world's greatest chefs battle Japan's finest, or just the simple fun of seeing such intensity with cooking food on your TV screen. For me, I joined the millions of Iron Chef fans around 2000, about the same time everyone else here did; I was stunned. I couldn't believe that people could put so much intensity into their work. I grew to appreciate food just as they did, and began to realize how wrong we really have it here in the U.S. With obesity on the rise, we continue to see food only in its worth and buy only what we can get for the cheapest price. In Iron Chef, this couldn't be more opposite. Seeing a $200 dish isn't rare, and only the finest of materials goes into a meal prepared by an Iron Chef or challenger. Now with Iron Chef America, one can again watch as the best do battle, nearly just as they did several years ago in the original Kitchen Stadium. The flare is all there as Alton Brown and Kevin Brauch entertain us as we watch our own American Iron Chefs do battle. With the magic of a new Kitchen Stadium in place, we are likely to see as many memorable events as the original. One great memory in my mind is seeing Iron Chef Sakai and his trout ice cream. I can only hope to see Batali, Flay, Cora or Morimoto attempt a similar daring, and somewhat yucky, dish; all in the name of Iron Chef. So in short, we have real food in America, and we have the chefs to make it. Now we get the honor and privilege of seeing them in action in our own legendary Kitchen Stadium. Allez cuisine!