Benihana with D'Arcy Carden

"Benihana with D'Arcy Carden" is Episode 173 of *Doughboys*, hosted by Mike Mitchell and Nick Wiger. "Benihana with D'Arcy Carden" was released on September 27, 2018.

## Synopsis

Actor and comedian D'Arcy Carden (*The Good Place*, *Barry*) to review and discuss her childhood relationship to this week's chain, Benihana. Plus, discussions about favorite autumn eats and snacking habits on sets before getting into a Halloween edition of Cereal.

## Nick's Intro

"*The Home Of Porn's Hottest Star*s": this was the tagline for *Genesis* magazine, a men's softcore periodical designed to compete with industry titans *Playboy* and *Penthouse*, launched in 1973 by Hiroaki "Rocky" Aoki.

Aoki's interest in adult entertainment was perhaps related to his legendary libido. A thrice-married serial dater, Aoki at one point bragged about having three different women pregnant with his children simultaneously. Pornography was one of Aoki's many divergent interests: he competed in the professional powerboat-racing circuit, was an international backgammon champion, and crossed the Pacific Ocean in a hot-air balloon. And the source of revenue that enabled Aoki's extravagant hobbies was an early career business success: a teppanyaki-style steakhouse opened in Manhattan in 1964.

Teppanyaki, a showy style of cooking employing a table-sized flat-top grill with customers seated around its perimeter, had originated in Japan after World War II as a way to introduce Japanese diners to then-foreign Western ingredients and preparation methods. It evolved into a category itself foreign to Westerners, and sensing an opportunity, Aoki - a Japanese-American immigrant who had built a successful ice-cream truck business in New York City - imported teppanyaki to the U.S.

Aoki was so conscious of making the theming feel authentic, he had his father ship an entire Japanese barn to the States, which he used to build his establishment's interior. The restaurant's novel, unique experience, complete with flamboyant demonstrations of flair and scripted light comedy, made it a huge draw in short order for both ordinary New Yorkers and the city's elite. The Beatles and Muhammad Ali were among the A-list clients who patronized the original location.

Aoki expanded the size of his restaurant and then expanded the scope of his business, opening a Chicago branch in 1968, and soon had outlets across the U.S. And today, the celebrity fascination with the chain has not subsided: Tyrese Gibson built a fully-equipped replica of one of its grills in his backyard and Tori Spelling sued the corporation after sustaining severe burns from direct contact with one of the dining room's flattops. Some of Aoki's children have become celebrities in their own right: actor Devon Aoki and her half-brother superstar DJ, Steve Aoki, who now has gotten into his father's business, recently opening a pizza concept called Pizzaoki.

Today, the elder Aoki's chain claims 76 franchises across North and South America, and licensed versions exist in Asia and the Middle East.

And while *Genesis* magazine never ascended beyond being a low-tier porno rag, grouped on the newsstand alongside *Club*, *Juggs*, and *Swank*, Aoki's restaurant chain remains the champion of its category: a trailblazing Japanese import that made its format a stateside sensation, a place, to quote its tagline, "where dinner is the show."

This week on *Doughboys*, Benihana.

## Fork rating

* Exotic Mojito
* Benihana Trio
	+ Filet Mignon
	+ Chicken
	+ Colossal Shrimp
* Green Tea Ice Cream
 Mike Mitchell
* Benihana Punch
* Benihana Trio
	+ Filet Mignon
	+ Chicken
	+ Colossal Shrimp
* Rainbow Sherbet
 D'Arcy Carden
* Coconut Mojito
* Land 'n Sea
	+ Filet Mignon
	+ Scallops
* Green Tea Ice Cream
 as part of their Specialty meals
* Benihana Salad
* Hibachi Shrimp Appetizer
* Hibachi Vegetables
* Mushrooms
* Chicken Fried Rice

With these scores, Benihana makes the Platinum Plate Club!

## Cereal 🥣

In this segment, told one bowl at a time, The Doughboys eat some cereal.

For this episode, they try an October spooky cereal: Halloween Crunch, the seasonal variation of Cap'n Crunch.

They all seemed to quite enjoy it.

## Quotes

**Mitch**: NO HE DOES NOT

**D'Arcy**: Cute! Did you still have the beard?

## The Feedbag

If you were in a position where you have supplement a meal with something from a vending machine, what would you choose?

## #hashtags

* #PastaPronunciation
* #SoupHead
* #IceIsNice vs. #Titanic
* #IChooseToBelieve
* #YuSongDidNothingWrong
* #AmyPoehlerizing
* #AssGadd

## Related Episodes

* 173. **Benihana**