Bobby Flay Served Up Some Major Disrespect For This Esteemed Iron Chef

Robert William Flay, best known as Bobby Flay, recently made headlines when he broke from the Food Network after a 27-year history of appearing on "Iron Chef" and "Beat Bobby Flay."

Although some fans are sad to see him leave, other chefs are glad to see him go.

Part of the reason Flay parted ways with the network was due to his salary. He wanted a bigger paycheck than "Guy's Grocery Games" host Guy Fieri. Flay reportedly wanted an annual salary of $100 million dollars, which the network refused to provide. Fieri is now the network's highest-paid star with a salary of $80 million.

Although fans have taken notice of the icy relationship between Flay and Fieri, it doesn't come close to the feud between Flay and another culinary titan.

Flay competed against esteemed Japanese chef Masaharu Morimoto during a 2000 episode of "Iron Chef America." Morimoto is the former executive chef of the highly acclaimed Nobu Japanese-Peruvian restaurant in New York City.

In the episode titled "New York Battle," Flay disrespected his fellow Iron Chef competitor not only once, but twice.

When the competition ended, Flay declared himself the winner before the judges could even finish voting. To add insult to injury, Flay then decided to pull a dramatic stunt and jump on top of his cutting board. Besides the issue of respecting the rules of food safety and good hygiene, the move was a slap in the face to Morimoto's culture.

"Bobby Flay is not a chef," Morimoto stated. "In my country, the cutting board is sacred."

Despite the premature declaration of victory, Flay was proven wrong when the judges tasted both dishes and declared Morimoto the winner.

After the episode aired, fans expressed outrage on Morimoto's behalf, and Flay went on record to give his side of the story.

"It was like I killed his mother," Flay joked, before adding, "I had apparently disrespected [him]. That's the last thing I wanted."

Regardless, Flay's apology did not seem all that sincere, as he later added, "It was no big deal. I do worse at a Knicks game."

This is not the only stunt Flay has pulled in his effort to "make good TV." During a 2017 live taping of "Iron Chef America," he ripped off his chef's coat at the end of the episode to reveal a shirt saying, "This is my last Iron Chef battle ever."

When stunned producers warned him that they may not be able to edit out the stunt, Flay allegedly replied, "I know. That's the point."

Now that Flay and the Food Network have officially parted ways, it's unclear how Flay's culinary journey will continue.

As for Morimoto, he has since gone on to befriend celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay and has appeared as a judge in several of his Fox network cooking competitions, including"Hell's Kitchen" and "Masterchef."