Well, I watched The Next Iron Chef, and it really did seem like a semi-retread of Top Chef (at least to me).

But that doesn't mean I'm not going to stick with it.

However, there was a particular aspect of the first episode that I found curious:

Since it was shot at the famous Culinary Institute of America, one would expect the physical conditions and facilities to be top-of-the-line. Yet, the kitchen seemed unbearably hot - I think Chef Besh lost five pounds from perspiration alone. Things were not setting up properly due to the heat. Also, one of the chefs said that the freezer temperature was 48 degrees Farenheit! Another complained about the size of the whisks (way too small).

I get the feeling that these additional "obstacles" were really not meant to be an element of the competition, and it came across as rather unfair to the chefs.

It will be interesting to see what happens in subsequent episodes - especially if all the shows were filmed at the same location (and I don't know if they were).

Signor V.