Photo: Kelly Sullivan/Getty; Chance Yeh/FilmMagic
Alton Brownknew that one day he would get the call to return toKitchen Stadium,the famed stage of theIron Cheffranchise. But there was something else he wasn’t expecting.
The culinary star was getting a co-host —Top Chef’sKristen Kish.Both food media giants treaded lightly into their new roles since they didn’t know each other personally yet.
“I think we were both a little apprehensive,” Brown, 59, told PEOPLE exclusively at theNapa Valley Film Festival, celebrating the Netflix launch. “We didn’t know each other, but we got to know each other really quick, and we had a great time with it.”
Some of the cast of Iron Chef: Quest For A Legend pose together at the Napa Valley Film Festival at the Culinary Institute of America at Copia celebrating Netflix’s premiere.Kelly Sullivan/Getty
While they hadn’t formally met before the first day of filming, both Kish and Brown had ties to the franchise.
Brown is best known for his Food Network fame, hostingIron Chef Americafor 246 episodes from 2004 to 2018. Kish, who was aTop Chefseason 10 winner, also appeared (and lost) onIron Chef America.
Kelly Sullivan/Getty
Although Brown didn’t know much about Kish, the Korean-born chef knew exactly who her co-host was.
“I had been watching him since [I was] ‘yea big,’ so already a culinary icon in my world,” Kish tells PEOPLE.
After a little bit of research, Brown’s memory of Kish was jogged: “She was onIron Chef— she was robbed,” he says.
“See? He’s a good friend,” jokes Kish. “But then he was really polite, and he was like, ‘Oh, yeah, I remember you.’ And then I had a freak out moment.”
The two became fast friends while filming. “He is probably one of my favorite humans on the face of this Earth,” says Kish.
Adam Rose/Netflix
As for the new twist on the classicIron Chefseries, challengers use a secret ingredient in each episode and battled it out against Iron Chefs, putting their best dishes forward to a revolving door of judges.
Brown says he always knew the show would come back, and he’s pleased with the changes that Netflix has made to the series.
With Brown’s knowledge of the ins and outs of the show and Kish’s experience as a contestant, giving advice to the talented chefs was easy.
“What I’ve learned, especially being a part of this season…is that it’s all about the packaging of how you deliver that food,” says Kish. “That is more important than ever before,” adds Brown. “The table pitch is important.”
Iron Chef: Quest For An Iron Legendis streaming now on Netflix.
source: people.com
