Michael Smith versus Bobby Flay: Iron Chef America gets a little Canadian flavour

49 thoughts on “Michael Smith versus Bobby Flay: Iron Chef America gets a little Canadian flavour”

1. I can’t wait to see Michael Smith break a sweat. Hopefully he realizes his kindergarten tone of voice won’t fly down there…

2. You can do it too !!!!!!!!!!!!!

3. Go Micheal!!!!! Will be watching and cheering for him with my boys tonight-he’s our favourite Chef :-)

4. SPOILER ALERT!!!!!

   I think they tore out his heart and served it back to him. I’ve never seen someone lose by 14 points before. They had very little positive say about any of his cuisine.

   Well,you know what the insecure Canadian in me thinks of the american judging….. ;)

5. I watch both Michael and Bobby regularly and think highly of both of them. I was shocked to see how they put Michael’s presentation dishes down. In my mind, he was the better chef in this instance. Maybe because he is a proud Canadian (though born in America), the judges had to put down his dishes to make Bobby look good but his dishes were far superior to Bobby’s. I was shocked to see the judges being so nasty to him. Michael, in my mind you are the star. I always watch you and love you Michael. I love how you also put your Rachelle and your son on the show. I will keep watching you in your “Chef Abroad” and “Chef at Home” because you are the best. (I am originally from St. John’s, Newfoundland but live in Toronto) Cheers for a job well done Michael.

6. when will the hypocrisy ever stop?? so the judges according to u liked bobby flay because they and him were americans, not cuz of the dishes but because of their nationality, and u say u prefer michael smith because u r both canadians, so really the only difference is their vote counted and yours didnt??? its pathetic!!! cant u just be gracious losers and not wine whenever things don’t turn out in the favor of the o so humble canuck?? i get so fed up with the double standard!!

7. The score was pretty shocking. I thought Smith outshone Flay on the plating and originality for sure. Taste is a matter of preference, and I think the 3 judges preferred to eat things that were more familiar to them than to accept something a little more out there. I don’t think the scores were fair, as I think Smith deserved better. But that said; Flay is Flay — extremely hard to beat. And avocado is definitely a familiar southwestern staple for that southwestern chef.

8. Thank you for confirming what i always thought. Chef Smith’s cuisine is very basic and bland. His food lacks a depth of flavour. Is it me or does he put bay leaves in almost everything?? P.S. – I’m a Canadian. Bobby Flay for president!

9. the difference in scores is all the proof you need to see the judges were un qualified.
   the look on Flays face at the end said alot too.he knew there was shenannigans .it doesnt mater Canadian american spanish.there is NEVER a score difference like that.none of the judges were qualified to judge food in any sort of informed manner.i think we can all agree on that .if steingardener and the regs were there,the comments and score would have reflected an informed opinion.
   NObody loses by that much.
   i hope there is a rematch as soon as Mike rests up after the olympics.

10. Yes, I don’t think it was a fair score for Chef Michael Smith either. So those judges thought they’re all have the best pallettes in the whole universe??? Yeah, get real!!

11. As far as judging, there was one on the panel to counter Donatella Arpaia. For me, she was the real problem with the “judging” and in the end, the episode did seem rigged. Michael Smith is a serious contender, very very talented and as creative as any of them. His club sandwich was assembled with wit and if you watched closely, just before the commercial when the 60 minutes was called, you could see Flay really looking over Smith’s presentations.

    Stuff like this makes me miss the Japanese original version more. It was an all-around more entertaining but also honest program.

12. Typical. Just because a Canadian loses the fix must be in. Why can’t you all just accept the fact he is nothing more than a cookbook chef now. He’s not in their league and it has nothing to do with his nationality (and yes, I’m Canadian and proud of it!). By the way he’s been making those silly anchors for about a decade now. Perhaps it’s time to try something new and current?

13. Mattagascar, nobody who watches Iron Chef saw his anchors. There’s nothing wrong with bringing a trademark to your dishes. The fact is that the judges were terrible. Nobody was saying Smith was a clear winner, it’s the gap in scores that are highly suspect. And the “actor” judge “I don’t like oysters, I don’t like avacado” – hmm… maybe they should have chosen a judge that actually likes food. He clearly knew he was out of his element so followed along the other judges.

14. Anyone who watches this show regulary knows the scoring was way off the scale. Loosing by a couple of points is normal, but not what happened on that episode. Popular chefs are now more celebrities than in the past, they can all be called
    “cookbook chefs” which is hardly an insult and its perhaps more than you or I will ever achieve in the kitchen, Mattagascar.

15. I agree with anyone who says the judging wasn’t fair. Chef Michael Smith had a lot of originality and I think that scared the judges. Amen to what Gustav said, get judges that actually like food… No judge on Iron Chef America should have a right to say they don’t like some food or much less judge accordingly. I love to watch both Smith and Flay. The difference in scoring was not just, period.

16. I always thought the judges were supposed to judge on the technical aspect of cooking i.e. flavour balancing etc. and not on their personal preferences. Lots of chefs don’t love the food they cookd but they learn how to cook it properly since it’s their job. Isn’t that the same thing as what the judges are supposed to do?

    I was also floored by the point difference.

17. Well, hopefully there will be a rematch. I doubt the outcome will be any different. Just to clarify though if he had lost by, say 3 points instead of 14 would that be okay? I mean he still would have lost. Katherine, just so you know some of us cook not for notiriety and fame but rather for the love of the craft. I don’t need a book deal to prove anything to anybody.

18. Yes, yes I realize I spelled notoriety wrong.

19. Yes, I realize I spelled notoriety wrong.

20. Of Course it’d be ok if he’d lose by 3 or so points, because the real issue here is not if anyone looses or wins (tho winning is a bonus) but losing by that much is a disgrace and unfair to any chef, much more for such an awaited challenger.
    If Chef Flay had lost by 14 points, I’d be just as upset.
    And Raj, how would U know his food is bland? What a low blow of a comment that is.

21. Smith deserved to lose this one. About time he got taken down a peg or two. Remember, this is the chef who said that Olympic athletes who need their carbs can go to McDonalds! I know chefs who’ve worked with him. He’s happy to let them do the work and then he takes all the credit. This challenge just proved how little time he spends actually cooking.

22. Cooking for notoriety? You’re referring to someone who went to the same chi-chi American cooking school as most of the other contestants and actual Iron Chefs (on this show). To suggest that this is not a love of a craft is just rather, sorry, ignorant and shallow sounding. Yes, so many questions would not have asked had it been 3 points. It does actually work that way.

23. Well Katherine, as someone who also graduated from a “chi-chi” American culinary school I can tell you that there are chefs out there who cook from their ego and chefs who cook from their heart. You can definately taste the difference. The fact that Chef Smith made some sort of stupid comment about “opening a can of maple flavoured whoop-ass and pouring it over Bobby Flay’s head” probably gives a hint about what category he falls in. I’ll let you make your own judgements however. I also respect the fact that you don’t share my opinion, but let’s not resort to name calling and condescending comments.

24. Are you serious this competition was rigged? Every single one of Bobby Flay’s dishes were served on a basic white plate, yet he won both the originality and presentation category… One of Michael’s dishes were served on a sand stone with seaweed, that is major originality and creativity on a dish right there.

    I just do not feel that the results reflected the actual competition.

25. Well I think Smith is an awsome chef, and his shows are great. The Actor judge (who i have never heard of before must be some c list actor) was unfair and he should not of been on the show at all, NEXT TIME get 3 proper judges not some lame excuse for one. I demand a re-match. Oh and btw both chefs are good and I belive they are on the same level as each other for experience.

26. I was excited for this episode, because Flay and Smith are two of my favourite chefs. Except for Flay’s dessert dish, I thought they were all strong. The judges seemed fickle and even ignorant. In the past there have been judges to stand up to Donatella Arpaia’s bullshit opinions, but in this instance it was a C list actor and a nobody. The final count seemed to demonstrate an absurd bias in favour of Flay – particularly in the plating category, in which Smith was far superior. I realize a lot of people don’t like Smith, because of his lame demeanour, but the competition should have been much closer. How do you have food critics who say they don’t like avocado, oysters, medium rare tuna, or LAMB! This show has little credibility and I doubt I’ll watch it anymore. I’ll continue to enjoy the shows of both of these chefs and admire they culinary skill.

27. Two things:

    1. the food should be served to the judges without them knowing who made it. the current set up doesnt work as it should be blind.

    2. Michael Smith should get a bloody hair cut.

    that is all.

28. GET REAL FOLKS!!! Do you really believed Michael Smith would be able to beat Flay on an avocado battle with 3 types of guacamole. This was so laughable. I bet Flay was lauging so hard inside. Let’s get one thing straight here – Michael Smith is NOT a good chef. If you think he is, you better watch more food-related shows – cooking shows, reality shows, food lifestyle, ets.

    He lost by an EXTREMELY WIDE MARGIN. What does this tell you? Maybe, just maybe, the quality of his cooking ain’t to the same level as his opponent. He got clobbered so bad, it was actually funny.

29. Thank you bonnet. Another voice of reason

30. I am just a humble home cook, no culinary training at all, not even a cooking class at the local college. Being a big fan of Bobby’s I asked my Mom for a cookbook of his for Christmas a few years ago. I never cooked one recipe from it, where am I going to ever get white truffle oil? and with what money? My Michael Smith cookbook gets a lot of action though. Do I think Michael should have won, no I don’t(as much as I love the guy) I don’t think he stretched himself far enough. Do I think he could outshine Bobby Flay on a regular basis, day to day, knowledge to knowledge, yes, I just think there is more depth there, and a much more open mind about food, but as I’ve said, just a home cook. The actor should not have been on the panel, his tastes were too limited, and as much as the other woman tried, nobody can out pretentious Donatella. The scoring did seem out of wack, because I didn’t think Bobby produced anything that interesting either, the soup looked nice and probably was wonderfully fresh tasting, but otherwise, it was kind of the same stuff he always does anymore. Anyway i am becomming less of a fan of this show, they are making to campy now, with chairman hamming it up and the challengers having to call out the iron chef of their choosing with over dramitization and fourishing arms, keep waiting for Adam West and Burt Ward to show up in full costume.

31. i think as soon as we all saw it was an avocado battle, there was a pretty strong sense that flay was going to win: if I had to guess – or estimate, rather – I would hazard that flay has cooked with avocado somewhere around fifty times as much as smith has. not a joke. and it’s not like this is an ingredient that has substitutes, or anything: the avocado is unique. i have no doubt that flay’s food, on this day, was much much better than Smith’s.

    plating the guacamole in the food processor bowls was a terrible idea, too. it looked messy, and amateurish

    the anchors looked sort of overcooked, to me, too.

    the real question is why choose an ingredient like this? it’s the equivalent, say, of giving morimoto miso as an ingredient and putting him against someone who runs a french restaurant. avocados were a huge advantage for the southwestern chef here.

32. And the excuses continue. It’s not like avocados are some sort of exotic ingredient!

33. I would like the secret ingredient to be leftovers one time, just for the fun of it!

34. Just to watch the chef’s scratch their heads and the panel turn up their noses, cringing perhaps, at the prospect of leftover meatloaf.

35. Iron Chef America contestants are given plenty of notice from show producers about what the potential secret ingredients are (i.e. told it will be one of 3 potential ingredients). This gives them plenty of time to develop their menus and practice. They even put shopping lists together for each of the potential ingredients and submit them to the producers who go out and buy the ingredients for the actual chosen secret ingredient. Given this advance timing, there is no real advantage for Flay in terms of his familiarity with Avocado. Even if Smith had never used it, he would have had several weeks prior to the taping where he could research and develop his dishes.

36. I would be interested to see how Mark McEwan would make out on Iron Chef, although I don’t really think it’s his bag. And yes I also had heard that the Chef`s are given a short list of possible secret ingredients, and that it is actually shot over four hours, then condensed for tv into one, don`t know how true that is though.

37. Michael Smith talks to the Globe about Iron Chef. Best comment: Antonio Sabato Jr. is a “knob”! Awesome!

    He seems at once secure in his style/cooking, but also a bit bitter at the decision.

    http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/food-and-wine/iron-chef-confidential-michael-smith-v-bobby-flay/article1454600/

38. I must say that I really do not like most of the combinations that Michael Smith comes up with on his show Chef at Home. I would never put some of the things together that he does. He is the trained chef and I am not, of course, but, still, I find myself unimpressed with many of the strange combos he comes up with so to be fair, I do think that the judges on the Iron Chef against Bobby Flay may have thought something similar? I don’t know but I personally do not see the appeal of chef Michael Smith.

39. Hi Lavendarfields

    What combos of ingredients do you mean? I have tried a number of smiths recipes and have been very pleased. The salmon with grainy mustard wrapped in proscuito(please fogive if spelled wrong) is very good, although I did opt for horseradish mustard in my version, and the bacon tomato sauce is a fav in my house, my 5 year old asks for it, and it is great on my chicken parmy. Sometimes the ingreadients on any recipe can be misleading, until you try it you just never know:)

40. and yes i see i have spelled ingredients wrong, one of those days:)

41. I can’t believe how nasty some of you are. All chefs develope a particular taste and specialize in something, which not everyone is going to like. Michael is my favorite but I have seen Bobby Flay as well and I like him also. Maybe Michael is busy thinking about the Olympics. Anyway, everyone can have an off day or evening.

42. Achievments of others can sometimes lead to bitterness and nastiness from would be contemporaries. We can witness this behaviour right now through the olympics. Same jealousy, just a different venue.

43. It doesn’t excuse it, it is just and unfortunate reality.

44. Let me start by saying, I’m Canadian. But I won’t shy away from saying that Michael Smith is not in par with Bobby Flay as a Chef – no way, and you have to admit that (c’mon people!)… His food is way too boring for this show, and that anchor was so 1980s it was embarrassing. His score, although a bit too low (so perhaps the judges were a bit unfair), does somewhat reflect the difference in skill between him and Bobby. It might have been a bit closer had he gone up against Kat (although he would most likely have lost that too). He’s just a boring chef who cooks recipes for people like me to make them at home for the family but NOT for a show like this. And I have tried his recipes… I don’t see him as an “A” chef.

45. I think chef Smith lost because he never had much competition experience. I would take chef Smith’s cuisine any day. Flay only looks good on TV.

46. Chef Michael Smith is not a top-rated chef. He used to be somewhat popular because he the “grandfather” of FoodNetwork (so to speak), but we are all getting tired of his eyes, voice, lack of skill, and the fact that he lets others do all the work and he takes the credit for it. I think he needs to get back to his roots, put on his chef-whites and practice the art of cuisine again. He is so far removed from who he once was. It was such an embarrassment to see his performance on Iron Chef America…..BUT…no one is surprised!!!

47. I was excited to see Chef Michael Smith on Iron Chef America. However, it was a embarrassment to watch his performance, with a pantry worth many $$$$ he grabs a can of tuna? for his dish called “Tuna Snack” a lot has changed since The Inn Chef.

48. Michael’s originality was far greater than Bobby’s. Bobby went the safer more flavourful route while Michael took more risks and deserved a 13 or 14 for originality while Bobby should’ve received a 9 or 10. If that were the case I’d happily say Michael lost fair and square but because of that I suspect favouritism with the American judges. I’m not going to lose any sleep over it though.

49. Clearly out-classed by Bobby Flay you could see the anguish on Smith’s face. He made guacamole and a sandwich – my kids would put him to shame – his plating was a mess and his skills were a mile short of competing with a garnish prep girl at Wendy’s. His annoying way of ‘talking down’ to his audience as if they were little kids caught up with him. His mother even says he has a huge ego and boy did it get de-FLAY-ted. Loser extraordinaire. Thank god we have REAL chefs like Chuck Hughes, Rob Feenie, Lynn Crawford and Susur Lee to show what Canadian chefs can really do. I laughed so hard when Smith used a food processor as a plating vehicle. What a tool.

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