"Umami Burger with Heather Anne Campbell" is Episode 8 of Doughboys, hosted by Mike Mitchell and Nick Wiger. "Umami Burger with Heather Anne Campbell" was released on July 2, 2015.
Synopsis[]
Mitch and Wiger survey upstart chain Umami Burger with Whose Line is it Anyway’s Heather Anne Campbell.
Nick's intro[]
Umami in Japanese
Three syllables that together form a Japanese word derived from merging the Kanji characters for 'beautiful' and 'taste': this fifth flavor added to the traditional array of sweet, sour, bitter, and salty, and found in foods like soy and tuna, was first discovered in Japan back in the early 20th century and eventually traveled across the ocean and into the American consciousness.
And so, in 2009, a Los Angeles wine merchant named Adam Fleischman opened a new burger restaurant in the city's La Brea neighborhood featuring a signature burger that amplifies the natural umami in ingredients like beef, parmesan, and mushrooms. The joint became a local hit and six years later has expanded into a chain with two dozen locations across four states.
Is this upstart SoCal creation on its way to becoming the next California Pizza Kitchen?
Or is it just a trend, fated to be memorialized on an I Love The 2010s-style nostalgia show?
This week on Doughboys: Umami Burger.
Fork rating[]
| guest / host | ordered | rating |
|---|---|---|
| Nick Wiger |
|
3 forks |
| Mike Mitchell |
|
2.5 forks |
| Heather Anne Campbell |
|
2 forks |
Nick went to the Umami in Santa Monica; Heather on Cahuenga in Hollywood. Mitch went with Jack Allison to the one on Hollywood Blvd in Los Feliz (he mistakenly says its on Sunset Blvd).
Snack or Wack[]
Spicy Buffalo Wheat Thins
In Snack or Wack, the Doughboys have a snack and rate it either 'snack' or 'wack.'
For this episode, they try Spicy Buffalo Wheat Thins.
After being amused by the box saying "Natural Flavor," everyone is baffled by the combination flavor of wheat and buffalo sauce ("nobody puts buffalo sauce on a pancake"). Heather hated them. Nick and Mitch did too, but kept eating them.
| guest / host | verdict |
|---|---|
| Nick Wiger | Wack |
| Mike Mitchell | Wack |
| Heather Anne Campbell | Wack |
Quotes[]
| “ | No, I don't like that, I don't want to be Burger Boy. | ” |
–Nick Wiger can't stop the inevitable | ||
| “ | I feel like that's the eighth different way you've pronounced 'Umami' today, Mitch. | ” |
–Nick Wiger | ||
| “ | I love all these segments, guys. I love that we ate shitty food. | ” |
–Heather Anne Campbell | ||
The Feedbag[]
| “ | Guys, really been enjoying the show so far! One of my favorite things about chain/fast food is actually exhausting the menu and then needing to modify the food by combining menu items and sauces in order to keep things new.
In other words, how Taco Bell creates new menu items. For example, throwing a McDonald's hash brown inside a Big Mac in order to add a crunchy element or throwing Jack In The Box curly fries inside their 99-cent tacos. What are your feelings about these menu abominations and do you have any favorite combinations? God Bless America. |
” |
–Joe Aranda | ||
| guest / host | memorable Frankenfoods |
|---|---|
| Nick Wiger | Jack in the Box Taco Nachos (nachos with a chopped up taco on top) |
| Mike Mitchell | a California burrito (burrito with fries in it) |
| Heather Anne Cambell | wants a Deep Dish Pizza with a burger inside |
Restaurants[]
| official visit | location | notes |
|---|---|---|
| Umami Burger | Santa Monica, CA | Nick went to this location |
| Umami Burger | Silverlake, CA | Heather went to this location |
| Umami Burger | Los Feliz, CA | Mitch went to this location (with Jack Allison) |
| restaurants referenced | location | notes |
|---|---|---|
| Plan Check Kitchen + Bar | Los Angeles, CA | Mitch mentions having gone to this restaurant for higher-end burgers |
| The Counter | Los Angeles, CA | Nick has gone to The Counter a few times lately |
| Umami Burger | Miracle Mile, CA | Mitch's first visit to Umami was to this LA location (not the review for the show) |
| McDonald's | Amsterdam, Netherlands | Heather lived in Amsterdam and described their McKroket |
| FEBO | Amsterdam, Netherlands | Heather lived in Amsterdam and described this automat chain |
| Juanita's Taco Shop | Encinitas, CA | Mitch was introduced to their famous California Burrito (near San Diego) |
Plugs[]
| plugs | notes |
|---|---|
|
Heather Anne Campbell's plugs |
Related Episodes[]
| Umami Burger episodes | Heather Anne Campbell episodes |
|---|---|
|
|
Photos[]
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