photo courtesy of The Food Network
us and didn’t pick a winner of last weeks Kaiseki challenge, we were clear of whom our finalists were in this competition: Chef José Garces vs. Jehangir Mehta. For a while there I thought that Chef Mullen was Chef Garces’ biggest threat, I also thought that episodes ago, with his failing ice cream attempts and quirky presentations, that Chef Mehta would be long gone by now. Believe it or not Mehta has grown on me (I’ve never been fond of skinny chefs) – not that I want him to win. I am by far routing for José all the way! But Jehangir (juh-hang-er) has shown us he is copiously trained in the art of global cooking, and he finds working with exotic ingredients irresistible which is to his benefit. He is a happy chef who sincerely loves cooking. He may push the envelope too far sometimes, but he is willing to take a risk and that risk has proven to be rewarding many times by the judges. I would no doubt love to venture into his restaurant, Graffiti in New York, and feast on a multitude of multilayered ingredient, courses, perfectly presented and prepared by Mehta and his staff.
Garces on the other hand, was the guy on the show that viewers fell in love with right away. His has that warm, wide smile, and a teddy bear presence. He cooks from his heart, but is no teddy bear in the kitchen. He is focused, and as sharp as a steel Japanese knife. He wastes no time, is creative, precise, and has an extraordinary sense of confidence. Those qualities sound like Iron Chef material to me. José has far more experience than Mehta when it comes to running a kitchen with that fact the he owns 6 restaurants (Amada, Tinto, Chifa, Distrito, Village Whiskey and Mercat a la Planxa) whereas his opponent, only owns one (Graffiti in the East Village). May I add that Chef Garces also has a published book, Latin Evolution. He certainly is quite accomplished.
Yes Garces seems to be the complete package. As my man said to me yesterday “He has TV presence, can cook his ass-off, has 5 restaurants in Philly, one in Chicago, and it looks like more in the works (Philly, Vegas? NY?) and, the Food Network needs him as much as he needs them- they both get a lift from the relationship.” and I couldn’t agree more. José will make the show look good. He has a sellable persona which is key for The Food Network- he’s got the looks, the resume, has fans in his hometown of Chicago, and his adopted “new hometown” of Philly, and, he is close enough to the Network’s studio in NYC to make regular appearances. While he may have some similarities in cooking style to Bobby Flay, José is the Latin guy that fills the void in the current composition of Iron Chefs. He’s got the roots, has embraced his roots, has grown those roots, and continually shows off his roots in his cooking. He has also shown us how his background has made him more versatile in the kitchen when it comes to cooking other cuisines. He is a true Master. Master Chefs belong on The Iron Chef wall of fame.
And if you still aren’t convinced that Chef Garces will be the victor, don’t you think it was at least a bit telling that he was on the Today Show, AND he is also throwing an Iron Chef Bash at Distrito this Sunday starting at 8:30pm! Now I’m not a TV fan, in fact, I barely ever watch it, but I’m hooked on this show. Who knew that a kitchen could be the ideal environment for Primetime TV drama? I’m looking forward to Sunday’s show (Food Network 9pm). The duel will happen in America’s famed Stadium Kitchen. The challenge: to create 5 dishes that represent the ethnic melting pot of America. We’ll see some other familiar faces on stage. José is bringing his sous chefs Chad Williams (Chifa) and Tim Spinner (Distrito) as battle backup. Also looks from the previews that the other Iron Chefs will partake it the judging. I think Jehangir is about to become a Hanger Steak on a stick, roasted Ecuadorian style. I know who I’ve placed my bets on, so………..Let the Battle Begin!
Filed under: Bites, Events Tagged: | Alton Brown, Distrito Iron Chef Party, Jehangir Mehta, Jose Garces, Philly Events Sunday 11/22, The Food Network, The Next Iron Chef 2009
[...] Posted on November 23, 2009 by Maria Valetta I can’t help but say, I called it! Yes, my post; And The Next Iron Chef Is… gave you all the reasons why Chef Garces was going to win. And just in case you missed it because [...]
A great idea for future recipes this. Thank you for sharing it. Have you noticed how so many people appear to be cooking again? I wonder if the lack of funds due to the current climate has something to do with it and we all appear to be cooking again! its great!