Chefs Ready for Las Vegas Cooking Battle

LAS VEGAS (TheStreet) -- Chef battles such as the Food Network's(SNI_) Next Iron Chefand Bravo's multiple Top Chefs are all the rage these days, and TravelsinTaste talked to some top chefs about what goes through their heads during such contests.

"You know, it's like going to battle, or getting in a sports game. You can be prepared, you can have a game plan, and you can have a battle plan -- all that kind of stuff -- but once the whistle blows and the game starts, anything can happen and you have to adjust," says Marc Forgione, chef at an eponymous restaurant.

Chef battles such as the Food Network's Next Iron Chef and Bravo's multiple Top Chefs are all the rage. On Friday things heat up in Las Vegas with a Chef Showdown between Akira Back of Yellowtail and Martin Heierling of Sensi and Silk Road."Chefs are absolutely competitive, but we collaborate an awful lot," notes Rick Moonen, of rm Seafood and a contestant in season 2 of Top Chef Masters. "We all share in our passion for cooking. It's not like two warriors going to war. We are all striving for the same results. We are just from different neighborhoods."

And what goes through his mind during the competition? "The amount of adrenaline that goes through your body cannot be equaled," Moonen says. "Just do what you know and that's it."

On Friday things heat up in Las Vegas when the Tuscan Kitchen in the Bellagio(MGM_)hosts an untelevised Chef Showdown between chefs Akira Back of Yellowtail and Martin Heierling of Sensi and Silk Road. Audience members will taste dishes and help decide the winner.

"My style is a melting pot of American influences. A lot of Korean and Japanese influence, but I like to incorporate many philosophies and facets of my experiences throughout my career," Back says of what tasters and watchers can expect.

"My style is authentic but contemporary. I like to do proven things that people like but put my own spin on it. I'm heavily influenced by Southeast Asia and from my experiences there. I also like to work with texture balances. All my food has to pop and explode," Heierling says.

What are the dishes? "I don't have all the dishes finalized yet. Part of the excitement is going in there and putting the pieces together on the spot. I'm going to stick to my roots and focus on seasonal, ingredient-driven food. I like to think that every dish I prepare is a challenge. Even simple food can be challenging to execute perfectly, and they usually are the most difficult," Back says.