"L&L Hawaiian Barbecue with Eugene Cordero" is Episode 21 of Doughboys, hosted by Mike Mitchell and Nick Wiger. "L&L Hawaiian Barbecue with Eugene Cordero" was released on October 1, 2015.
Synopsis[]
Actor, comedian, and newly appointed captain of #SpoonNation Eugene Cordero (Other Space, Kroll Show) stops by to share his love for island institution L&L Hawaiian Barbecue / L&L Drive-Inn. Plus, another edition of Flavor of the Week.
Nick's intro[]
Hawaiian plate lunch
In the 19th century, Hawaii's sugar plantations were in desperate need of labor, and so an influx of immigration from Japan, China, the Philippines, Portugal, Korea, and more. As these cultures intermingled with each other, and with the island territory's native population, so too did their dishes and flavors. And so Hawaiian food became the original pan-Asian cuisine.
Sometime in the 1880s, inspired by the Japanese bento box, plantation workers collectively created the plate lunch: a heaping helping of rice, macaroni salad, and a protein such as teriyaki beef or char siu pork.
Nearly a century later, Hawaii, now a US state, and the plate lunch firmly ensconced in local food culture, entrepreneurs Johnson Kam and Eddie Flores, Jr. purchased a drive-in restaurant in Honolulu specializing in the dish. After growing it into a massively successful regional Hawaiian chain, they traversed the Pacific to the western United States in 1999, coining the term "Hawaiian Barbecue" to market the plate lunch to unfamiliar mainlanders.
The chain's expansion to the contiguous states was a success and they exploded throughout the American West. Today, there are 200 locations in places as far-flung as Texas, New York, New Zealand, and Japan.
This week on Doughboys: L&L Hawaiian Barbecue.
Fork rating[]
| guest / host | ordered | rating |
|---|---|---|
| Nick Wiger |
|
4 forks |
| Mike Mitchell |
|
4 forks |
| Eugene Cordero |
|
4.5 forks |
| shared |
|
Thus, L&L is a member of the Golden Plate Club.
Flavor of the Week[]
Flavor of the Week is a segment where The Doughboys try different varieties of one brand.
For this episode, they have four varieties of Hawaiian Sun: Luau Punch, Strawberry Lilikoi, Mango Orange, and Pass-O-Guava Nectar.
They agree the Strawberry Lilikoi tastes like punch with a strong aftertaste of strawberry. They enjoy the Mango Orange Drink: Mitch thinks it tastes like an Orange Julius, and Eugene thinks it would be good with vodka. The Luau Punch tastes just like Hawaiian Punch. The Pass-O-Guava Nectar is friend of the podcast and Eugene’s wife, Tricia McAlpin's favorite and The Doughboys agree with her that it is the best one.
| guest / host | Luau Punch | Strawberry Lilikoi | Mango Orange | Pass-O-Guava |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nick Wiger | 4th | 3rd | 2nd | 1st |
| Mike Mitchell | 4th | 3rd | 1st | 2nd |
| Eugene Cordero | 3rd | 4th | 2nd | 1st |
#hashtags[]
- #Spoonmail
Quotes[]
| “ | Mitch: What is cooler? A ship or a football captain? Eugene: Both of them are amazingly cool. |
” |
–Eugene re: being captain of #SpoonNation | ||
| “ | If there's any of you out there that eat spoonfuls of mayo solo like Wiger, tweet at us. | ” |
–Mike Mitchell | ||
| “ | This is why I hired you: I want you to beat the shit out of Wiger. | ” |
–Mitch, re: Eugene being captain of #SpoonNation | ||
The Feedbag[]
| “ | Mitch, you’re right about that burnt taste in Starbucks drink. Starbucks does burn their beans. That’s how they get the coffee taste to be so uniform. Roasting coffee beans is delicate process and in order to avoid that they just roast the beans to the point where you can’t taste the actual bean at all. It’s easier for them and that way every Starbucks has the same bland taste. Dark Roasts are almost universally panned in the coffee community. Why would you want to taste the roast? It would be like ordering a steak so completely burned that you could only taste how charred it was. Now to my feedbag question. What level of service is perfect for you guys? Do you like to be talked to and asked about your day? A quick interaction with a smile? Curious. |
” |
–Nathan Hare | ||
| guest / host | preferred level of service |
|---|---|
| Nick Wiger | Nick likes friendly, and loves corny waiter jokes. |
| Mike Mitchell | Mitch likes to pick his server's brain, but if the server is too chatty, it can slow service down. |
| Eugene Cordero | Eugene likes a quick interaction up front, but then the server lets him be. also likes good recs. |
Restaurants[]
| official visit | location | notes |
|---|---|---|
| L&L Hawaiian Barbecue | Glendale, CA | Nick, Mitch, and Eugene went together to this location |
| restaurants | location | notes |
|---|---|---|
| Jollibee | - | Eugene teaches Nick about Jollibee |
| Father's Office | Los Angeles, CA | Eugene mentions this burger spot as a treat from his diet |
| National Coney Island | Detroit, MI | Eugene mentions this as a favorite chain in his hometown |
| Taste Chicago | Burbank, CA | Joe Mantegna's restaurant (now closed) |
| Buddy's Pizza | Detroit, MI | Mitch mentions this chain in Detroit that he loved |
| Jet's Pizza | Detroit, MI | Eugene mentions this chain in Detroit |
| Hungry Howies | Detroit, MI | Eugene mentions this chain in Detroit |
| A-Frame | Culver City, CA | Nick and Eugene bring up this restaurant as a favorite in LA |
Related Episodes[]
| Eugene Cordero episodes |
|---|
|
Photos[]
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