Meet the Iron Chefs!
Superstar Chefs Mario Batali and Masaharu Morimoto to Appear in Destineer’s ‘Iron Chef America: Supreme Cuisine’ For Wii™ and DS™
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – June 20, 2008 – Let the battle begin! Destineer is proud to announce today the participation of celebrity chefs Mario Batali and Masaharu Morimoto in the “Iron Chef America: Supreme Cuisine” video game for the Wii™ system and Nintendo DS™. Both of the world-famous Iron Chefs will be lending their voice and likenesses to the game as they challenge players to defeat them in the fast-paced culinary challenges of Kitchen Stadium.
“We are tremendously excited to bring Mario to the Nintendo DS and Wii — Mario Batali that is! We think his intimidating presence will bring sweat to the brow of any challenger when they confront him in Iron Chef career mode,” said Juan Benito, Creative Director of Destineer. “We are equally thrilled to be working with the bold and visionary Chef Morimoto, the only Iron Chef to hold the title on both Iron Chef America and Fuji Television’s original Japanese Iron Chef program.”
“I’m thrilled to be involved with Iron Chef America: Supreme Cuisine,” said Chef Batali. “My kids are thrilled that they’ll be able to play as me – or against me – in a video game!”
“One of the most exciting things about being involved with a video game is that it’s a completely new way to bring the joy of cooking into a home,” added Chef Morimoto. “Iron Chef America: Supreme Cuisine will hopefully inspire a new generation of great chefs!”
In “Iron Chef America: Supreme Cuisine” players square off in Kitchen Stadium and battle through a series fast-paced and intense culinary challenges. Each victory advances players closer to a final showdown that will determine who will reign supreme as the next Iron Chef America. “Iron Chef America: Supreme Cuisine” is schedule for a Fall 2008 release.
About Mario Batali
Mario Batali has created a thriving restaurant empire and has established himself as a top restaurateur. Together with his partner Joe Bastianich, he operates seven New York City hotspots, including Babbo Ristorante e Enoteca and Del Posto, Lupa Osteria Romana, Esca, Casa Mono, Bar Jamón, and Otto Enoteca Pizzeria. Chef Batali also operates the acclaimed Osteria Mozza and Pizzeria Mozza in Los Angeles and the B&B Ristorante and Enoteca San Marco in the Venetian Resort Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Their latest project is Carnevino – an Italian steak house opened in January of 2008 in the Palazzo Hotel, adjacent to the Venetian.
Mario has authored several cookbooks, including Molto Italiano: 327 Simple Classic Italian Recipes to Cook at Home, recipient of the prestigious James Beard Award for International Cookbook. Mario’s upcoming cookbook Mario Batali: Italian Grilling takes the mystery out of making tasty, authentic, smoky Italian food. Among his many accolades, Mario was named “Man of the Year” in the chef category by GQ Magazine in 1999. In 2002, he won the James Beard Foundation’s “Best Chef: New York City” award and in 2005 the James Beard Foundation awarded Mario “Outstanding Chef of the Year.” Mario is also one of the recipients of the 2001 D’Artagnan Cervena Who’s Who of Food & Beverage in America, a prestigious lifetime achievement award.
Mario splits his time between New York City’s Greenwich Village and northern Michigan with his wife Susan Cahn of Coach Dairy Goat Farm, and their two sons.
About Masaharu Morimoto
Masaharu Morimoto opened his own restaurant in Hiroshima at the age of 25, where he distinguished himself from his peers by infusing European and Western cooking techniques and ingredients into his preparations. Five years later, Morimoto sold the restaurant and spent the next few years working in some of New York City’s most notable Japanese restaurants. In 1993, became the executive chef at the Sony Club. Within a year, Chef Nobu Matsuhisu recruited Morimoto to open New York City’s Nobu restaurant. Since 1998, chef Morimoto has combined his passion for cuisine, competition, and performance as the Japanese Iron Chef on the wildly popular television show, Iron Chef America. In November of 2001, Morimoto opened his first restaurant in the United States in the city of Philadelphia. ??These days, as the Japanese Iron Chef and owner/chef of Morimoto Restaurant, Morimoto divides his time between Tokyo, New York, and Philadelphia. “Going to a restaurant is like going to the theatre,” says Chef Morimoto. Compared to running his restaurant in Philadelphia, Morimoto says cooking on TV is “10,000 times more stressful because the Iron chef is never supposed to lose.”
About Destineer
Destineer develops and publishes commercial videogames for personal computers and videogame consoles, and creates PC-based virtual training systems for military, intelligence and first-responder organizations. Destineer is a privately held corporation headquartered in Minneapolis, MN, with development studios in Minneapolis, Raleigh, NC, and Austin, TX, and publishes games under the Destineer, MacSoft, Bold Games, and Atomic Games brands. More information is available at Destineer’s website: www.destineergames.com.
About United Media
United Media (UM) is a worldwide licensing and syndication company that focuses on building brand equity around a wide range of creative content. The company recently partnered with HarperCollins to build a licensing program around the publishing phenomenon Fancy Nancy. United Media licenses and/or syndicates other properties, including Peanuts, Precious Moments, Dirty Dancing, Televisa’s El Chavo, Mary Engelbreit, Raggedy Ann & Andy, and Dilbert. United Media is an E. W. Scripps Company (NYSE: SSP). For more information, visit www.unitedmedialicensing.com.
Contact Information
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For any additional Press Inquiries please contact Jeremy Zoss at 763.231.8000 or send an email to press@destineerstudios.com. Check out destineergames.com for additional information.
