SushiStop with Alie Ward

"SushiStop with Alie Ward" is Episode 380 of *Doughboys*, hosted by Nick Wiger and Mike Mitchell. "SushiStop with Alie Ward" was released on January 12, 2023.

## Synopsis

Alie Ward (*The Henry Ford's Innovation Nation*, *Ologies*) joins the 'boys to discuss working set jobs, Franklin Village spots, and the Fancy Nancy bedtime hack before a review of SushiStop. Plus, a special sushi edition of A Single Item Must Be Banished.

## Nick's intro

In the 1980s and '90s, video games and computer software were the domain of physical media. And if you wanted to buy a cartridge for *Super Castlevania* or a CD-ROM of *Microsoft Encarta*, you likely went to your local mall to hit up Babbage’s. Founded in 1984 and named for the inventor of the computer, Charles Babbage, in 1999, the company was acquired by pre-Amazon bookseller titan, Barnes & Noble, and rebranded as GameStop. In 2005, GameStop acquired rival EB Games, formerly Electronics Boutique, and the merged entity had a functional monopoly over video-game retail.

That is, until increased broadband speeds and hard-drive sizes joined to decimate the physical games market and all but eliminate the physical PC software market. Struggling to remain profitable, GameStop added toys and clothing to become a sort of nerd-culture Hot Topic — though one could argue Hot Topic itself already fills that need. By the beginning of the current console generation, as both Sony and Microsoft released versions of their PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S consoles sans disc drives, all signs indicated GameStop appeared headed for a Blockbuster-style slow fade to bankruptcy.

But in January of 2021, during a bleak stretch of the COVID pandemic, stir-crazy amateur daytraders connected by social media gave rise to “meme stocks,” with GameStop, buoyed by millennial nostalgia, becoming the chief beneficiary. By the end of that month, GameStop stock was up 3000% and mobile trading app RobinHood was besieged by bad press and condemnation from both parties for restricting trading on the security. While the price has come down significantly from that ludicrous high, it’s still trading staggeringly higher than its nadir, and the memeification of its stock price has given new life to the game seller.

So why did a sushi restaurant founded by Chef Shuji Kimura in LA’s Sawtelle JapanTown neighborhood choose to borrow its brand name and logo from GameStop? No clear answer exists, although one could speculate it’s because both sushi and video games are major cultural exports of Japan.

With a downright cheap price point for an often wallet-emptying delicacy, Kimura’s sushi bar quickly added additional stores throughout the city and county. The chain was even featured in a viral BuzzFeed video, entitled “$3 Sushi Versus $250 Sushi,” though I refuse to watch to learn the verdict.

Today with over ten locations in the greater LA area, it may not be as ubiquitous as its video-game inspiration, but it certainly has its share of otaku eagerly sampling its wares.

This week on *Doughboys*… SushiStop.

## Fork rating

* Miso Soup
* Green Salad
* Yuzu Albacore Roll
* Avocado Cucumber Roll
* Tuna Sampler Sushi
* Salmon Sushi
* Freshwater Eel Sushi
 Mike Mitchell
* Pan Fried Gyoza
* Tempura Bowl
* Sashimi Ceviche Hand Roll
* Yokozuna Trio Sushi
* Crunchy California Roll
* Yuzu Albacore Roll
* Chicken Crunchy Roll
 Alie Ward
* Tempura Bowl
* Grilled Salmon Collar
* Dynamite Bay Scallop
* Baked Salmon Roll
* Bay Scallop Sushi
* Salmon Sushi

**Spoonman's Bite of the Night** went to the Yokozuna Trio Sushi.

In this episode, Doughboys producer Amelia Marino offers her fork rating for SushiStop (4.5 forks).

## A Single Item Must Be Banished: Sushi Edition 🚫🍣

In A Single Item Must Be Banished, Nick shares some food items with options and they decide which option is unnecessary.

Today's theme was sushi.

## Quotes

**Nick**: I think you are a tattle.
**Alie**: You're maybe a loose-lips hot goss.

## The Feedbag

* parmesan
 Mike Mitchell
* sour cream
 Alie Ward

## Photos

Avocado Cucumber Roll, Yuzu Albacore Roll, SushiGreen Salad, Water, Green TeaMiso SoupYuzu Albacore Roll, Sashimi Ceviche Hand Roll, Yokozuna Trio SushiCrunchy California RollTempura BowlYuzu Albacore Roll piece