Iron Chef Morimoto at NY Anime Festival

This weekend NY Anime Festival hit the Javits Center. It seemed a little strange to me when I heard that one of their special guests is Iron Chef Masuhiro Morimoto, and it seemed even stranger when he asked the audience at his panel about the difference between anime (animation) and manga (comics). But NYAF is a celebration of all things Japanese.

Chef Morimoto was incredibly charming and funny. He told many amusing stories about why he became a chef (his mother wasn't a very good cook) and the difference between the original Japanese Iron Chef and Iron Chef America on the Food Network now.

I love it when my obsessions overlap!


The chef salutes the audience.




The other highlight of NYAF - the fans! They are everywhere in costume- dancing, posing, swinging (fake) swords around and generally looking like they are having a wonderful time.