Umami Burger 2 with David Neher

"Umami Burger 2 with David Neher" is Episode 112 of *Doughboys*, hosted by Mike Mitchell and Nick Wiger. "Umami Burger 2 with David Neher" was released on July 12, 2017.

## Synopsis

The 'boys return to previously loathed chain Umami Burger with vegetarian and actor David Neher (*Community*, *The Gorburger Show*) to test drive the new Impossible Burger, a veggie patty that allegedly has the same taste and texture as beef. David talks about eating in his home state of Oklahoma, and the trio tries another edition of Snack or Wack.

## Nick's intro

"*Seeegaaa*"

That's what voices sang over the vanity card for the 1991 video game *Sonic The Hedgehog*, an international megahit for Sega's 16-bit Mega Drive (rebranded as the Genesis in the U.S.).

While arcade and computer games of the era were already capable of speech playback, the micro-song was a revelation for a home console and the digitally compressed chorus served as the symbolic moment of triumph for the video game company. Sega was here to stay.

Though the Genesis-era ended up representing the peak of the company's relevance, Sega did indeed stick around, aided by its speedy spiny mammal mascot: a remarkable evolution for a business that began as a coin-operated amusement distributor in the 1950s.

The name Sega comes from an abbreviation of its original corporate title, Service Games (the words in English because this Japanese game giant was in fact founded by an American).

After the Second World War, Marty Bromley, a coin-operated machine worker who was in Hawaii during the Pearl Harbor attacks, saw an opportunity to import slot machines into the Land of the Rising Sun. This sort of post-war intermingling of Japanese and American business interests extended far beyond the mechanical amusement industry and greatly influenced the economies and cultures of both nations, including, of course, its food.

Japanese food like sushi and ramen went from an exotic delicacy in the U.S. to being readily available in strip malls and grocery stores. Similarly, Japanese audiences developed tastes for American food like fried chicken and burgers. In 1908, a Japanese chemistry professor named Kikunae Ikeda had detected and named the so-called "fifth flavor," a meaty, brothy taste present in food like mushrooms, shellfish, and soy sauce.

A century later, an American restaurateur named Adam Fleischman opened a Los Angeles burger joint based around the Ikeda-discovered flavor. The concept was a hit and expanded to two-dozen locations and, in distinctly L.A. fashion, currently offers burgers co-branded with celebrities like Cindy Crawford, Mindy Kaling, and Youtuber Cameron Dallas.

Now, in 2017, this American chain built off of Japanese flavor profiles has come full circle and opened a restaurant in Japan.

Will this eatery endure as long as the formerly Service Games?

This week on *Doughboys*, we return to Umami Burger.

## Fork rating

The Doughboys previously reviewed Umami Burger in episode 8, when Nick gave it 3 forks and Mitch rated it 2.5.

* Impossible Burger
* Sam's Crispy Chicken Sandwich
 Mike Mitchell
* Impossible Burger
* Sam's Crispy Chicken Sandwich
 David Neher
* Impossible Burger
 shared
* truffle fries
* cheesy tots

## Snack or Wack

    In Snack or Wack, the Doughboys have a snack and decide if it is 'good' or 'bad.'

For this episode, they try Mamba Fruit Chews, and try both sour and regular flavors.

 Mike Mitchell
 David Nehar

## Hall Of Snack

Mitch rated sour Mambas as snack, and placed regular Mambas in the Hall Of Snack. In order for it to be properly placed in the Hall Of Snack, there must be no objections and both Nick and David approved.

Nick decided to nominate Golden Oreo, which was approved.

David nominated a Granny Smith apple, but Nick and Mitch rejected it. He tried again with pickle chips, and they were approved.

## #hashtags

* #TheGreatNaming
* #CatfishNavy
* #SchlotzkysNation
* #NoodleLengthChallenge or #UseYourNoodle

## Related Episodes

* 112. Umami Burger 2
* 328. Umami Burger 3
* DD. Doughboys After Dark
* 317. Little Caesars 2
* DD. Bud Bowl

## Photos (via @doughboyspod)

Impossible BurgerSam's Crispy Chicken SandwichCheesy TotsButtered Corn