This special episode was made exclusively for English-speaking audiences, especially "Iron Chef fans in the States."
Also, for each of the non-Japanese East Asian challengers, as much as possible, the name used is the romanization used by either the English-dubbed version of the show or any English language publication or website.
All East Asian challengers, except those with Wikipedia articles, will have their names in kanji in parentheses upon first mention in the list.
In the case of East Asians with mixed Chinese-Japanese heritage, such as Chen Kenichi, they follow the same criteria as the Chinese names (i.e. Eastern order and Japanese pronunciation guide beside kanji).
^15 This is Bruant's second appearance in Kitchen Stadium, challenging the Iron Chef he did not choose in the tag-team battle the year before.
^17 & ^18 Lin and Michiba's battle ended in a draw, hence the overtime match the next week with a new theme ingredient.
^29 For the summer battle, Chairman Kaga grouped the four Iron Chefs by the continental birthplace of their cuisines.
Much like the 1995 Iron Chef World Cup, it pitted the masters of French, Japanese, Chinese, and New American (instead of Italian) cuisines against each other in elimination matches.
This was also Yukio Hattori's second time taking the role of challenger; former Iron Chef Japanese Rokusaburo Michiba took his place as commentator.
^35 The 2,000th Dish Special, wherein two teams composed of Iron Chefs and past challengers, was aired in two parts.
This was also the first episode wherein Chairman Kaga boycotted the battle due to the Iron Chefs' recent losses.
^39 Theme ingredients included tuna, kohada (Japanese gizzard shad), anago, eggs, and kanpyō.
The last Iron Chef standing would then battle the last ever challenger in the show's regular run, Alain Passard.
Also included in the first part were Kobe and Sakai's visit to an Asian cooking class in the Culinary Institute of America and Morimoto and Michiba's guesting in an episode of Doorknock Dinners.
The first was prolific guest Toshirō Kandagawa, who shaved himself bald to atone for his antagonistic role in the past.
The second, Bobby Flay, was brought back to fulfill a clamor for a rematch against Morimoto as according to several reports, Flay did not take his loss very well, even complaining about the treatment against him in that battle (the show even cited a Time magazine article to bring home the point[2]).
In the events that led to the Japan Cup, Chairman Kaga (the character) had died due to puffer fish liver poisoning.
A memorial service was held before the new chairman, Kaga's equally flamboyant nephew, played by actor Masahiro Motoki was introduced.
The Japan Cup, launched to keep the tradition of Kitchen Stadium alive, held and recorded at the Tokyo Big Sight.
[4] Unlike the previous series, the 2012 revival had challengers nominated by prominent personalities, such as past Iron Chefs.
Through public vote, challengers who won battles would have a chance to officially become future Iron Chefs.
All East Asian challengers, except those with Wikipedia articles, have their names in kanji in parentheses upon first mention in the list.
In the case of East Asians with mixed Chinese-Japanese heritage, such as Chen Kenichi, they follow the same criteria as the Chinese names (i.e. Eastern order and Japanese pronunciation guide beside kanji).