Chen Kenichi, whose name is often romanized Chin Kenichi, was a Japanese chef best known for his role as the Iron Chef Chinese on the television series Iron Chef.
11 Facts About Chen Kenichi
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Chen Kenichi was the only Iron Chef to have held his position throughout the life of the show.
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Chen Kenichi was born in Japan to a Japanese mother and a Chinese father of Japanese nationality, Chen Kenmin and his legal name was Ken'ichi Azuma.
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Chen Kenichi was the son of Chen Kenichi Kenmin, who is regarded as the father of Sichuan cuisine in Japan.
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Chen Kenichi's special dish, "prawns in chili Sauce", was an adaptation of a dish that his father had introduced to Japan.
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Chen Kenichi originally accepted his position on Iron Chef out of the need for a challenge, although the format of the show intrigued him.
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Ultimately, it was fellow Iron Chef Hiroyuki Sakai who convinced Chen Kenichi to stay, with their agreement that should one leave the show, so would the other.
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Chen Kenichi enjoyed a run of 14 consecutive victories, the longest of any Iron Chef.
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Chen Kenichi was remarkable for his frequent tasting of food, frequently dipping his ladle into steaming concoctions for sampling, only to place the same ladle back in the food.
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Chen Kenichi was an avid baseball fan and stated that it would have been his choice to go professional but opted not to.
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The branch in Singapore, operated by his son Chen Kenichi Kentaro, has earned two Michelin stars since 2016.