In 1998, Tasaki appeared on Fuji TV's Iron Chef as a challenger and became the only one to not be a professional chef and still win a battle after he bested Iron Chef Italian Masahiko Kobe with fatty tuna as the theme. Though it was not an explicit stipulation of the battle, by virtue of Tasaki being a world champion sommelier, both Tasaki and Kobe paired each of their dishes with various wines. He was also invited back to perform duties as a sommelier during the series finale.[4]