Panda Express 2 with Cristela Alonzo

"Panda Express 2 with Cristela Alonzo" is Episode 162 of *Doughboys*, hosted by Mike Mitchell and Nick Wiger. "Panda Express 2 with Cristela Alonzo" was released on July 12, 2018.

## Synopsis

Actor and comedian Cristela Alonzo (*Cristela*, *Cars 3*, *Lower Classy*) joins the 'boys to talk about growing up with authentic Mexican cuisine, and to make a return visit to Panda Express. Plus, another edition of The Wiger Challenge.

## Nick's intro

In September of 1996, now-bankrupt game publisher, The 3DO Company, released a mostly-forgotten PC fantasy game called *Meridian 59*. While met with mixed reviews and unremarkable sales numbers, it was the first of a medium-transforming genre: the massively multiplayer online role-playing game, an unwieldy label usually acronymized as the slightly-less unwieldy MMORPG. The narrowband limited gameplay of *Meridian 59* was followed by Origin's more commercially successful, but hacker- and troll-plagued *Ultima Online* in 1997, which ruled the roost until Sony's fully 3D *EverQuest* emerged in 2000, which was then supplanted in 2004, when titan of computer-game publishing, Blizzard, released its hotly-anticipated and immediately genre-defining entry, *World Of Warcraft*.

Commonly called *WoW*, the game leapfrogged past its predecessors in terms of accessibility, depth of gameplay, and aesthetics - the last of which was partly due to the contributions of Blizzard art director, Samwise Didier, credited for establishing the fantasy world's uniquely vibrant, colorful palette. Didier, a longtime staple of the company, also altered *Warcraft* lore forever with his Blizzard April Fool's prank: introducing the Pandaren, a race of blade-wielding panda creatures.

The viral goof would soon morph into canon, as the *Warcraft 3* expansion *The Frozen Throne* included optional Pandaren heroes. And then in 2011, *World Of Warcraft*'s fourth expansion *Mists Of Pandaria* fully embraced the panda race as playable characters. While haughty high-fantasy fans scoffed at the inclusion of the tranquil fluffballs, they've become a beloved part of the franchise, including in *WoW*'s most popular territory, China.

The giant panda is of course a national symbol of the People's Republic, and when Chinese immigrant Andrew Cherng and his wife Peggy decided to open a sit-down restaurant in Pasadena, California in 1973, they chose the panda as their mascot. A scaled-down fast-food version opened in the Glendale Galleria Mall in 1982 and would became a massive success throughout the country.

Today, as millions of users still actively adventure in the *World Of Warcraft*, Cherng's family-owned fast-casual eatery is the largest Chinese-American chain in the world of reality.

This week on *Doughboys*, we return to Panda Express.

## Fork rating

The first time The Doughboys reviewed Panda Express, Nick rated it 2.5 forks and Mitch gave it 3. They seem to like it a lot more this time.

* Kung Pao Chicken
* Beijing Beef
* Chow Mein
* Chocolate Chip Cookie
 Mike Mitchell
* Veggie Spring Rolls
* Chicken Egg Roll
* Honey Walnut Shrimp
* Beijing Beef
* Orange Chicken
* Fried Rice
* Chow Mein
 Cristela Alonzo
* Broccoli Beef
* Orange Chicken
* Chow Mein

## The Wiger Challenge

In The Wiger Challenge, Nick presents Mitch and the guest a mystery beverage, and they try to guess what it is. The closest guess is declared the winner and receives the remainder of the drink.

For this episode, the mystery drink was a Pamplemousse La Croix that Nick stole from work.

Mitch and Cristela both got it half right.

 Cristela Alonzo

## Quotes

**Mitch:** Was there a beachbody panda there? Are the pandas more in shape?
**Nick:** They have a hunkier panda in a speedo.

## Related Episodes

* 91. Chicken Fight: Small Pieces Region
* DD1. Chicken Fight: Fat Chance Kitchen, Round 1
* 162. **Panda Express 2**
* 286. Panda Express 3