Ep 1. Flay vs. Pham

Iron Chef America is an American cooking show where two chefs go head-to-head in a timed culinary battle, creating masterful dishes from secret ingredients. The show's fourteenth season started off with a thrilling episode between Iron Chef Bobby Flay and Chef Vietnam-born Chef Stephanie Pham.

The two chefs were given the secret ingredient of truffles to incorporate into their five-course meals. The judges for the episode included regular judge Donatella Arpaia, comedian Judy Gold, and the actress Elettra Wiedemann. The episode was hosted by Alton Brown and the chairman of the show was Mark Dacascos.

The first dish was the amuse-bouche, and Flay prepared a crispy oyster with shaved truffles and crème fraîche while Pham made a dish called “Abalone Po'er,” which had pork belly and abalone with truffle oil. Both of the dishes impressed the judges, but Pham’s dish was more creative and won her the first round.

The next dish was the appetizer, and Flay prepared a dish named “Truffled Lobster Bisque,” which had tomato-caviar crème-fraîche in it while Pham made “Banh Mi,” which had foie gras pâté with truffle and Chinese bun. The judges were split over the dishes, but in the end, Flay managed to win the round, tying the score.

The entree was the third dish, and Flay prepared a roasted veal loin dish with shaved truffles while Pham made “Bo Ssam,” which was a marinated pork belly dish with truffle kimchi. The judges were again split, but Pham managed to win the round and take the lead with two rounds to one.

The fourth course was the cheese course, and Flay went for the classic pairing of truffle and cheese with his “Truffled Burrata” dish while Pham took a more exotic route, creating a dish called “Molten Egg yolk” with truffle oil and crispy rice. The judges were once again divided, but in a close decision, Pham won the round and took a commanding three rounds to one lead.

The final course was dessert, and Flay went for a classic dessert with a truffle twist, creating a “Gâteau Basque” dish with truffled honey and chevre cream. Pham, on the other hand, went for a completely different flavor profile and created an innovative “Pandan Cake,” with truffle sauce and coconut cream. The judges were once again split, but in another close decision, Flay managed to win the round.

In the end, the scores were tied at three rounds each, and so it came down to the final decision by the battling judges. In a dramatic finale, Chef Stephanie Pham managed to defeat Iron Chef Bobby Flay in an incredibly close decision, winning her the opening battle of the fourteenth season of Iron Chef America.