Sugarfish with Jason Mantzoukas

"Sugarfish with Jason Mantzoukas" is Episode 141 of *Doughboys*, hosted by Mike Mitchell and Nick Wiger. "Sugarfish with Jason Mantzoukas" was released on February 15, 2018.

## Synopsis

Actor and comedian Jason Mantzoukas (*The Good Place*, *How Did This Get Made?*) joins the 'boys to discuss the difficulty of dining with a serious allergy and to review LA based upscale sushi chain Sugarfish. Plus, a flavored Diet Coke edition of Drank or Stank.

## Nick's intro

Actor Larry Thomas holds the ignoble honor of having portrayed both Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden. Thomas, a white American of Russian, Romanian, and Jewish heritage, sports an ambiguously ethnic look thats landed him roles as two of the world's most reviled bogeymen, as well as an entirely different sort of villain: a one-off *Seinfeld* character named Yev Kassem, best known as "The Soup Nazi."

The character, based off the real life Al Yeganeh, the Persian-American owner-operator of famed New York City eatery, Soup Kitchen International, made an indelible pop-culture imprint with his catchphrase "*no soup for you!,*" which Thomas claims to have improvised.

And the character also inspired a naming convention applied to those who operate as cruel despots in what would normally be low stake circumstances. In Los Angeles, that moniker was given to Kazunori Nozawa, who was dubbed "The Sushi Nazi."

Nozawa, a Japanese immigrant who, in 1985, opened his eponymous sushi bar in the Studio City neighborhood, was known for presenting precisely prepared fish with the dishes dictated according to the chef's discretion. Much like The Soup Nazi, The Sushi Nazi's food was as lauded as the stern service was decried, which included famously ejecting actress Charlize Theron for daring to ask for a substitution.

Despite, or perhaps in part due to, Nozawa's reputation, Angelenos cued up for hours for the opportunity to endure his abuse and enjoy his cuisine, and the chef is widely credited with popularizing the fixed-course omakase-style in the United States. In 2008, a frequent customer at Nozawa's counter named Jerry Greenberg, who'd earlier cofounded an IT-consulting firm worth billions, partnered with the chef to expand his concept and simplify it for the masses; aiming to maintain the high quality of food, but make the service as friendly and accommodating as the established high-end chains in its price range.

The Greenberg and Nozawa collaboration became a local hotspot, particularly frequented by the power-lunching set, and locations soon dotted the greater LA area with patrons craving its ponzu sauce-coated fish and slightly warmed vinegar rice. In 2017, the chain expanded east, opening its first outlet in New York City as the man dubbed "The Sushi Nazi" laid claim to The Soup Nazi's home base.

This week on *Doughboys*: Sugarfish.

## Fork rating

* Nozawa Trust Me
 Mike Mitchell
* Sweet Shrimp
 Jason Mantzoukas

With these scores, Sugarfish makes the Platinum Plate Club!

## Drank or Stank

In Drank or Stank, The Doughboys have a drink and rate it either 'Drank' or 'Stank.'

For this episode, they try the four flavors of Diet Coke.

 Mike Mitchell
 Jason Mantzoukas

## Quotes

**Alexa:** Here's something I found on Wikipedia. Comedian Mitch Hedburg...
**Mitch:** Alexa, shut up!

## #hashtags

* #GatheringOfTheChuggalos vs. #GatheringOfTheJuggaNos
* #Juggadoughs or #JuggaBros or #OrJuggaGals
* #DracuLikedIt vs. #DracuNope

## The Feedbag

What kinds of foods do you like to stock up on when you know you'll be trapped at home?

## Analyze *Heathcliff*

Here are the Heathcliff comics that Nick brings up from his phone to read to Jason, as a peek into the non-joke jokes that recur throughout the strip. Are these jokes? Nick is sincerely confused by their presence. Jason had explanation. Mitch didn't give a shit.

## Related Episodes

* 252. Ore-Ida
* DD. Wige Hard
* THON21. Doughathon
* DD. May the Forks Be With You
* DD. The Mitchy Clause
* 419. Zankou Chicken

## Photos (via @doughboyspod)

EdamameSugarfish Hand RollSugarfish SushiSugarfish Sashimi