Chen originally accepted his position on Iron Chef out of the need for a challenge, although the format of the show intrigued him. Even though he is the longest-serving Iron Chef and the only original Iron Chef, having been an Iron Chef for the series' six-year run, Chen has on several occasions considered leaving his position; among his reasons was the desire to tend to his restaurants, which had become booked every night since the show's start, as well as a bout of depression following the death of his mother. Ultimately, it was fellow Iron Chef Hiroyuki Sakai who convinced Chen to stay, with their agreement that should one leave the show, so would the other.
Because of his long tenure, Chen has fought more battles than any of the other Iron Chefs, at 92 battles. He won 67, lost 22, and tied 3. He also has a run of 14 consecutive victories, the longest of any Iron Chef. His most memorable dish was Chili Prawns.
Despite his excellent record on the show, Chen often appeared endearingly surprised and relieved at victory. Arguably, his win over Japanese-Italian-French "fusion"-style chef Juinichi Itoh in the yogurt battle exemplifies this. He was also remarkable for his frequent tasting of food, frequently dipping his ladle into steaming concoctions for sampling, only to place the same ladle back in the food. The commentators to the show referred to this practice in humor as Chen's "eating".
Read more about this topic: Chen Kenichi
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