After two of his men lost to Chen, the grand chef of Heichinrou decides that he will be the next opponent so he can regain the pride of the beloved restaurant.
Niigata Prefecture is known for its rice and sake; the challenger represents the indigenous style of Niigata; former Iron Chef Michiba speaks highly of the ryokan where the challenger is the chef.
Iron Chef Kobe once again faces the challenge of a native Italian with other Italian chefs cheering the challenger on; the colorful bell pepper is the theme ingredient.
Today's challenger is endorsed by Tenmei Kanoh, a photographer and frequent "Iron Chef" judge; this French-trained chef takes the route of using local ingredients in his dishes.