Great Moments in Carts
Inaugural edition

Hello, and welcome to the very first installment of a new feature here on iheartcarts, GREAT MOMENTS IN CARTS!

This segment will feature carefully selected vignettes from the storied annals of cart history.

Food Cart prodigy takes on Iron Chef
dateline: Kitchen stadium, Japan, 10/30/1998
(Iron Chef Episode IC1B06)

The day before Halloween, back in 1998 was an auspicious one for 27-year-old food cart chef Sakai Kensuke. Sakai runs a very popular food cart next to the temple in Aoyama. Though never formally trained as a chef, Sakai's cart is wildly popular, with a die hard following amongst locals who feast on his homemade pastas.

Sakai Kensuke faced off against Iron Chef Masahiko Kobe (who was, fittingly, Iron Chef Italian) in Battle Pumpkin (fitting as this match took place the day before halloween)

Though clearly the underdog, the challenger produced an inventive menu comprised of five courses. The audience, as well as the Iron Chef and judges admired his poise and his self-taught abilities, but in the end, the Iron Chef proved the victor by a score of 72-78. All four judges voted Kobe the winner, but all agreed that Sakai fought the good fight, and could leave with his head held high.

Also of note was Sakai's entrance to the stadium. Sakai made a grand entrace, dragging his food cart behind him!

Oh the great moments that carts provide!
We salute you, Sakai Kensuke!