Umami Burger 3 with Judd Apatow

"Umami Burger 3 with Judd Apatow" is Episode 328 of *Doughboys*, hosted by Mike Mitchell and Nick Wiger. "Umami Burger 3 with Judd Apatow" was released on December 2, 2021.

## Synopsis

Judd Apatow (*The 40-Year-Old Virgin*, *Trainwreck*, *The King of Staten Island*, *Love*) joins the 'boys to discuss Adam Sandler, live shows and LA Eats before a review of Umami Burger. Plus, another edition of Pie In This Guy.

## Nick's intro

In the 1970s and '80s, the US media advanced a scare campaign on an ingredient commonly found in American Chinese food, monosodium glutamate, or MSG.

While the case for MSG's deleterious health effects was the anecdotal account of a single physician, news outlets eagerly ran with the panic, popularizing the racist term "Chinese Restaurant Syndrome," linked to an array of ambiguous allergic reactions. Out of economic necessity, Asian-American eateries of all varieties responded by purging the ingredient from their kitchens, assuring customers via menus and signage that their fare was "MSG Free." And while ultimately the Syndrome was proven to be a hoax, the association of MSG with health risks unfortunately persists, especially among older demographics.

The discovery of MSG was credited to Japanese chemist, Kikunae Ikada, who isolated the compound in 1908, and in so doing, coined the term for the so-called "fifth flavor," commonly found in foods like parmesan, mushrooms, and soy sauce. A century later, restaurateur Adam Fleischman opened a Los Angeles burger bar based around the savory flavor, naming it for the term first classified by Ikada.

The outlet arrived just as the gastropub-burger trend was hitting its stride and it was popular was Angelenos, leading the company to expand throughout the Southland and beyond. Today, the chain has two dozen locations across the country and dotted around the globe.

"Marketing is a hell of a thing," as Natasha Geiling hints at in *Smithsonian Magazine*, "if Fleischman's chain had been called 'MSG Burger,' it never would have gone past a business plan, but naming it for the savory flavor that MSG produces? Well, he might be a trendsetter in American chain restaurants."

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

## Fork rating

The first time the Doughboys reviewed Umami was way back in episode 8, when Nick gave it 3 forks and Mitch 2.5 forks. Two years later, they returned to try Umami's Impossible Burger and Nick gave it 3.5 forks and Mitch 3.25 forks.

* Umami Slaw
* Umami Buffalo Chik'n Wings
	+ Jalapeno Ranch Sauce
	+ Blue Cheese Sauce
* Blood Orange Frozen Lemonade
 Mike Mitchell
* Peach John Daly
* Sunnyside Burger
* Ktown Burger
* Umami Patty Melt
* Truffle Fries
* Cheesy Potato Tots
* Onion Rings
* Chocolate Cake
 Judd Apatow
* Impossible Truffle Burger
* Thin Fries
* Chocolate Cake
* Red Velvet Cake

Mitch shared this order with Mrs. Mitchell.

Judd talked more about his 'usual' order and a time he had both cakes from Umami; unclear what he ordered specifically for the show.

## Pie In This Guy 🥧

Baked a pastry that was tasty
But a mystery which kind
And Mitch alone giving it his best try
Guessing this will be the type of this pie
This will be the type of this pie*

In this segment, Nick presents a mystery pie and offers increasingly-obvious clues about what it is.

There are two lifelines: Ask Emma and the Eye Test (Nick will show a close-up picture).

Judd was not around for this segment, and neither was Emma. Mrs. Mitchell wasn't home either, so Mitch had to compete by himself. If Mitch doesn't get it through all four clues, he will lose.

Mitch wins! Nick will buy him a pie next time he sees him.

## #hashtags

* #HolidayPlate or #JollyDayPlate or #HoHoHungry or #HoHoHongry

## The Feedbag

 Mike Mitchell

## Photos

Umami Patty Melt (Sub Impossible)Umami Patty Melt (Sub Impossible)Umami SlawUmami Buffalo Chik'n WingsBlue Cheese, Jalapeno Ranch, Buffalo SaucesPeach John DalysTruffle FriesCheesy Potato TotsOnion RingsUmami Patty MeltUmami Patty MeltSunnyside BurgerSunnyside BurgerKtown BurgerKtown BurgerChocolate Cake