The heady scent of seasonings and spices is back in the “iron chef” kitchen as the series returns to Netflix with a reboot called Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend . Fans of the original Japanese series from 1993-99 know that this groundbreaking show started with Asian master chefs cooking up a delicious storm in a reality TV format that went on to inspire Iron Chef series around the globe. Years later, many of those chefs are still making waves with their expertise, helming restaurant chains serving great food and showing young apprentice chefs how to realise their culinary dreams. For those curious about what these famous old chefs have been up to, here’s how they are spending their days today. Where to eat in Hong Kong in June, from Agora to Yat Tung Heen Rokusaburo Michiba – Iron Chef Japanese The very first Japanese iron chef, Rokusaburo Michiba, was already a successful restaurateur before his debut on the show. After he retired from the show in the late 90s, Michiba made frequent special appearances as a guest or as a sponsor of competitors who were his apprentices. The show also had a special episode called “The Legend of Michiba” dedicated to him in season four. Outside Iron Chef , Michiba continued to operate his several restaurants throughout Japan, the most notable being Kaishoku Michiba, a traditional Japanese restaurant with the Iron Chef ’s famous fusion cooking style. He still oversees his restaurants and works as a chef at 91 years of age. Lunch at Kaishoku Michiba, owned by Mr. Michiba the first/original Iron Chef Japanese in Ginza Tokyo. I opted for “… pic.twitter.com/5PT3UP51ke — Tanat Tonguthaisri (@gastronomy) October 21, 2015 This celebrity chef was also featured in a manga series called Kando O Retsuden . In volume two, entitled “Michiba Rokusaburō Monogatari”, Michiba was depicted as the main character in all his glory. Meet the reality TV winner leading Rosewood Hong Kong’s steakhouse into a new era Chen Kenichi – Iron Chef Chinese Nicknamed the “Sichuan Sage”, Chen Kenichi is an expert in Sichuan cooking and was the only original chef who remained with the show for its entire six-year run. According to his company’s website, following his time on the show, Chen expanded his family restaurants to 14 locations across Japan, with branches in Fukuoka, Matsuyama, Nagoya, Takamatsu, Tokyo and Yokohama, as per TV Insider. He then passed the business to his son, Chen Kentaro. Chen also published numerous cookbooks including Ironman Kenichi Chen’s Chinese Cooking , Today’s Main Dish , My Honest Cooking , Iron Pot Rules and Carrying on My Father’s Work – Creating My Own Flavours, as per TV Insider. Masaharu Morimoto – Iron Chef Japanese After months of careful consideration, Michiba, the original Iron Chef Japanese, chose Masaharu Morimoto as his replacement when he left the series. How Roganic is leading a sustainable dining revolution in Hong Kong Morimoto started out as a sushi chef before really showing his genius as he started fusing foreign techniques with Japanese cuisine. Morimoto is perhaps the best known of the iron chefs thanks to his worldwide network of restaurants. After his time on the series, he opened restaurants in New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Disney Springs in Florida, Las Vegas, India, the Middle East, Mexico and various other locations, according to his website. Other than the original Iron Chef series, Morimoto also appeared on other cooking shows like Hell’s Kitchen and Top Chef and he is the only member to be featured as a regular on Iron Chef America . According to TV Insider, Morimoto recently partnered with Grgich Hills Estate to release a cabernet sauvignon with the label Morimoto Dream. Yutaka Ishinabe – Iron Chef French His appearance in the series was short, but Yutaka Ishinabe left a powerful impression after being labelled an Honorary Iron Chef (the other being Michiba) after only eight battles in the series. Unlike the other chefs, Ishinabe was said to have left the show because he found the time constraints to be stressful and was not satisfied with the taster’s reviews of his final battle, as per The Things. Since leaving the show, Ishinabe has run a restaurant chain in France called Queen Alice. Meet Hong Kong’s best chef – Écriture’s Maxime Gilbert wins SCMP’s top dining prize Masahiko Kobe – Iron Chef Italian Masahiko Kobe was the last and youngest chef to join the original Iron Chef line-up. He was the only Italian cook the show ever had – and was the least challenged in the series because of it. Kobe was nicknamed the “Prince of Pasta” as per Tofugu and he went to open his own restaurant, Ristorante Massa, in Ebisu, Tokyo. Sadly, Kobe passed away in 2019 at the age of 49 after falling in his kitchen. Hiroyuki Sakai – Iron Chef French Ishinabe’s replacement, Hiroyuki Sakai, remained with the show until the very end and even made an appearance with Morimoto in the Iron Chef America spin-off. Which Hong Kong restaurant has the best wine list – and best bartender? Sakai won the title of “King of the Iron Chefs” during the series finale after he defeated all his fellow chefs. Sakai then made appearances on other shows like Iron Chef Thailand and Masterchef Australia as a guest judge. According to his website, he is the owner of La Rochelle, a French restaurant with three branches in Tokyo and Fukuoka. For his contribution to the French culinary world, Sakai received the Chevalier de l’Ordre du Mérite Agricole award from the French government in 2005, per his website. Want more stories like this? Follow STYLE on Facebook , Instagram , YouTube and Twitter .