The reason i went to Melbourne in the cold winter

[takashi78]

To join the 2011 Iron Chef Event in Melbourne 
I have loved the original Iron Chef since even before Food Network dubbed it in English. I used to watch it on NHK tv even without understanding a word.
To me that was real cooking competition.
To those who is not familiar with the show link below. This has since gone on to have a cult following around the world.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Chef

So.....one day 2 months ago i was just browsing the net and suddenly came upon the event held in Sydney last year and saw that there was one this year.
Since the chef's restaurants are all in Japan, except for Morimoto who is in the US now, next cheapest alternative is to go to Melbourne. Even going to Japan cant guarantee that the chef will be there that night.
This event is attended by Iron Chef French Hiroyuki Sakai and Iron Chef Chinese Chen Kenichi
So, i think to myself, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity, total fanboy moment , event booked and paid, AirAsia booked and leave approved so Melbourne here i come.

Money cant buy happiness? Well this time it did, i was freakin excited and before the trip sometimes i had a bad day in the office, thinking of it while driving back home puts a smile on my face
Was it expensive? HELL YES! Most expensive meal i paid in my life until now. Worth it? Every single cent of my hard earned mullah!

Now comes the pics.

My door gift, signed aprons by both chef, only to those who paid for the premium seats.
Others had to pay and if lucky have it signed by the chefs.


Before entering some canapes were served.
Buckwheat coated Yarra Valley Chevre with truffle honey
- Quite strong in cheese taste and nice crunch from the buckwheat coating.



The venue



Japanese drum performance to signal the guest to come in and get seated.


This is my table.


This is how near i am to the stage.


Famous intro from the tv show


My setup for the evening




Cant post in MWF without wrist shoot right?


2009 Phillip Shaw No.11 Chardonnay, Orange, NSW


Chef Chen as he comes out


Can see some years has passed since the famous pic of the chef was taken


Chef Sakai



Many more pics to come and off course the food.

Its late and i am tired now....until tomorrow.

[genec]

I have to salute you Pete! A real foodie!! 

[takashi78]

I wish i was master chef haha...actually the winner of master chef was just sitting at the table next to me.
Here comes the rest of the pics.
Wont have much wine pics since we drank mostly white and in pics they all look the same haha.

Live from the kitchen, with reporter just like the tv show.



Chef Chen was really friendly walking the tables when its not his turn to cook. He speaks very little English but fluent in Mandarin.


With the people at my table, i seem under dressed.


1st Course- Chef Sakai "Marron pearl meat salad on vichyssoise, mango, consomme, caviar.


More to come later......

[Cloud7]

oooohhh... I like!!!! I wish I was there too...

tks for sharing!!!!

[David_cheong]

Peter. You’re a true watch lover as well as a food lover.
I admired you determination to go all the way to Melbourne to attend such occasion.
Beside watches, photography and good food, what else next.................
Cheerio
dc

[takashi78]

His restaurants are in Japan.
http://www.sisen.jp/

We having MWF GTG in Japan next? 

[takashi78]

Chef Chen- Abalone fritters with seaweed salad and roe sauce






Chef Sakai- Slow cooked Hapuka, white balsamic shellfish sauce and fresh herbs




More action from the kitchen, yeah bloody dead cow






Chef Mark Normoyle- Porchini roasted aged Angus sirloin, taste and textures of mushroom, cassava root fries, black garlic jus



Chef Chen preparing and demo his signature Mapo Tofu dish







Chef Chen's Mapo Tofu dish served with Japanese rice




Don Pachi Geisha cold drip coffee extracted over 8hrs. $250 per kg coffe beans!
Hint of essence of chicken though very strange!


Chef Normoyle- Gold, silver and chocolate bar, crushed honeycomb, silky rasberry mousse



Dessert for the table to share


Whole thing made of choc


The end




Thumbs up from Chef Sakai




Fanboy moment


With Chef Chen's son, the other fella is someone sitting next to me



I hope you enjoyed the pics.
This was really a once in a lifetime experience for me and the taste of each dish still strong in my memory.

[TheHobbit]

Congrats on the gastronomic adventure.

[nayo]

Wonderful. Thanks for sharing.

[chrisyen]

chef chen look old now.... i wish i can be there.... u shd hv invited us....
u r over dress... the lady wear so little...

[takashi78]

Yaman after seeing the ppl at my table i feel over dress 

Chef Chen is still the younger of the 2.
Chef Sakai is 69yrs old !

[Sid Vicious]

Wow Takashi

Amazing experience

[Friday]

Nice one n thanks for sharing..Takashi...seldom one have the opportunity to meet their idols...for sure one bucket lists ticked there my friend...

[siodee]

You really know how to enjoy life 

Do they actually cooked that fast and yet the food still taste good??

[takashi78]

Well i think they supervise, all the dishes that came out that night was almost faultless in terms of smell,texture, layers of taste and temp contrast.

One thing for sure is that Chef Chen insisted he cook for the entire room on his signature dish.

Maybe big pot of mapo tofu easier to cook as no "assembly" required haha.

[zuki]

during my student time, this program was one of my favourite tv program in Japan...thanks for sharing your experience takashi!

[takashi78]

Now i found that Morimoto has opened a restaurant in Napa Valley in California, its just 1hrs plus drive from my relative house in San Francisco, looks like a target for the next round i am there.

[thanapa]

Wow, wow, wow!! Hiroyuki Sakai is my favourite Iron Chef of all time! Would love to have have autograph my aprons!!

Thanks for sharing the pics Takashi!!

[takashi78]

Looks like quite a few Iron Chef fans in the forum also 

Pity that Chef Sakai doesnt come out to the room much, he choose to stay in the kitchen most of the time.
So the PR work all left to Chef Chen