Elite Chefs Anne Burrell, Michael Chiarello, Elizabeth Falkner, Alex Guarnaschelli, Chuck Hughes, Robert Irvine, Beau MacMillan, Spike Mendelsohn, Marcus Samuelsson, and Geoffrey Zakarian will battle to become a member of the elite Iron Chef culinary society. The show will feature an eight-episode season. It will premiere on October 30.

It's one of the few shows that Alan Wong, general manager of Kung Fu Plaza, has his eyes on in Las Vegas. He won't be alone. His family, who has operated Kung Fu Plaza in Las Vegas since 1973, frequently watches shows that include elite chefs. Their love of food as well as their name Kung Fu (which means try harder) goes beyond the kitchen.

"When you own a restaurant, especially one that is part of your family, you have a tendency to always ask yourself what can you do to be better, try harder, and make everything more memorable," says Wong. "All ten of these chefs exemplify this quality, and they have to exhibit it on Iron Chef because they never know what they will be cooking."

Although Wong is not a chef at Kung Fu Plaza, he has worked for the authentic Thai and Chinese restaurant since he was a little boy. His first introduction to the restaurant beyond playing in his mother's office occurred when he was very young. The restaurant was extremely busy and the dishwasher never showed up for work.

Chefs And Owners Are Frequently Tested On The Spot

"I remember that day very well," smiles Wong. "I immediately felt a sense of pride in being able to work alongside my family. It didn't matter that I needed a step up to reach the sink. I was an equal contributor to my family."

Wong says he likes Iron Chef because the spontaneity of the "secret ingredient" of the show captures the essence of what it is like to run a restaurant. While every manager strives to create consistency, anything can happen and usually does. You quickly learn, even from the first day, that every role is vital. Even a dishwasher.

"There is a question on our minds all the time, from our servers to our chef from Thailand," says Wong. "How does one deliver on the promise of being a master chef? We do have some experiences that are similar, including cooking off-menu specialty foods that our Asian guests expect when they travel abroad. Iron Chef captures such greatness."

An Overview Of The Next Iron Chef: Super Chefs

According to the Food Network, the top ten chefs will include: Anne Burrell (Secrets of a Restaurant Chef, Worst Cooks in America); Michael Chiarello (Bottega Restaurant, Napa Valley; Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello); Elizabeth Falkner (Citizen Cake, San Francisco; Iron Chef America – challenger); Alex Guarnaschelli (Butter, The Darby, New York; Alex's Day Off, Chopped); Chuck Hughes (Garde Manger, Montreal; Chuck's Day Off); Robert Irvine (Robert Irvine's eat!, Hilton Head Island; Restaurant Impossible); Beau MacMillan (Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain, Phoenix; Iron Chef America – challenger); Spike Mendelsohn (Good Stuff Eatery, Washington D.C.; Iron Chef America – challenger); Marcus Samuelsson (Red Rooster Harlem, New York; 24 Hour Restaurant Battle, Chopped) and Geoffrey Zakarian (The National, The Lambs Club, New York; 24 Hour Restaurant Battle, Chopped). Extended bios can be found on The Next Iron Chef.

"The Next Iron Chef competitors this season are all superstars in their own right – they've won James Beard Awards, prepared menus for presidents and heads of state and are at the top of the culinary pyramid," said Bob Tuschman, general manager and senior vice president, programming and production for Food Network. "With these extraordinary chefs battling it out every week in true Iron Chef style, the show promises extraordinary culinary competitions, feats of bold imagination and nail-biting suspense."

Wong says that he is reluctant to forecast a winner. However, he said he would not be surprised to see Spike Mendelsohn or Geoffrey Zakarian make any final round. He said he wouldn't count Chuck Hughes out either, mostly because he knows how to roll up his sleeves and get busy with the food.

Kung Fu Plaza, which is the oldest and most authentic Chinese and Thai restaurant in Las Vegas, was originally opened in 1973. It is open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., 365 days a year.