When Atsuko Okatsuka's face, framed by her iconic bowl cut, pops up on Zoom, one of the first things she says is that she’s “a simple girl.” (I’d asked what kind of salt she cooks with; she couldn’t recall.) The award-winning half-Japanese, half-Taiwanese comedian (whose name is pronounced “AHTZ-ko Oh-COTS-kah”) is self-deprecating and humble, and wields these weapons onstage and off. The effect is remarkably endearing. In her latest special, Father (available on Hulu), she toys with the concept of fatherhood. Because while her fans affectionately call her Mother, she says she couldn’t feel further from the nurturing, domestically inclined, saint-like image the archetype evokes. She doesn’t have it all together. Her husband, Ryan, does the laundry. And sometimes, food absolutely bores her. Here we chat about the role spice played in forming her American identity, the bay leaf conspiracy, and her go-to Cheesecake Factory order.
Kat Hong The Powerpuff Girls are made from sugar, spice, everything nice, and, thanks to Professor Utonium and his butterfingers, a powerful dash of Chemical X. What ingredients can be found in the recipe of Atsuko Okatsuka?
Atsuko Okatsuka Oh, wow. Amazement, because I’m very easily amazed. There’s curiosity and perseverance. And whatever translates to a love of people and things. There is a bit of habanero pepper in there, too. And fish sauce, chili oils, and sriracha. I don’t think those are spices, but those are my favorite [ingredients]. Does that count?
Kat I’ll let the writers featured in this issue be the judge of that, but I’m curious about your love of spice. You moved from Japan to L.A., where foods tend to be spicier, when you were eight. Did you slowly ramp up your heat tolerance, or…?
Atsuko No, I was so young that I thought I could retrain my palate or something. [Laughs.] Like, This is your new home, bitch! At dim sum restaurants, I’d ask for chili oil, or fish sauce at the Southeast Asian places. And [now] when I’m at home making gluten-free Bolognese, it’s a little psychotic, but I’ll chop up raw habanero peppers and put them into the pasta. But I was first introduced to spicy [foods] by my classmates, who were mostly Latin. They gave me Hot Cheetos and I thought, I’ve never had such flavors in my mouth!
[Embracing spice] became about the environment and [finding] a second home for me. So now, when I put habanero peppers in my pasta, it feels so familiar. Also, besides the straight-up spiciness, I think habanero peppers have a good flavor, like, flavor galore. Ryan always says every meal has to have so much flavor for me.
Kat Why is that, do you think?
Atsuko Oh, because it’s possible. It’s probably definitely a childhood thing, where it’s like, Oh, this could be my last. That happened to me. I didn’t know I was going to move from Japan to America forever. I thought it was a two-month vacation. I didn’t know I wasn’t gonna see my dad again for a year, or my friends. Or that I was never gonna be a Japanese citizen again. So I’m always like, every flavor now!
Kat Do you have strong feelings about bay leaves? People on the internet speculate that they might be a psyop or marketing scheme. Can you taste the difference when they’re used in a dish?
Atsuko [Laughs.] This is, like, a recent thing? I make chicken adobo with gluten-free soy sauce. It’s so great. And I do put bay leaves in it…
Kat And do you feel like it makes a difference?
Atsuko I actually don’t know because, to be honest, I have sometimes not put bay leaves in it. And you’re right—I didn’t taste the difference. But sometimes, I also have a little drink before I eat, so it could be that.
Kat These next few questions attempt to emulate the spirit of your comedy. I love the way you manage to center joy, levity, and delight amidst all of life’s hard stuff. Which is all to say, don’t think too much about these. What is your hot, spicy take on stand-up comedy in 2025?
Atsuko I mostly see the positives. More and more, internationally, stand-up comedy is being known. And every type of stand-up is being seen, like the weirdos of comedy, which is great.
Kat What about the Spice Girls?
Atsuko I was really into the Spice Girls, actually. We would role-play them as kids, and I always played Scary Spice. But I wanted to be Scary because she was the woman of color, and I thought she was super badass. I would do my hair in buns, I would paint my nails. “Ah, ah!”—I would do that scary thing that she did [laughs]. And I love them. Spice Girls forever. Even if Victoria doesn’t want to tour anymore.
Kat Finally, I read that you always order the jambalaya at The Cheesecake Factory. When you popped open that gargantuan menu, what possessed you to say, “Yep, I think I’ll get the jambalaya?”
Atsuko I mean, it is a word that jumps off the page. You go, “You know what? I rarely eat Cajun food, or Creole food, and I’m not gonna get Asian here.” I always eat Asian. So that’s what it was. Jambalaya, boom. It was delicious.
Kat Yeah?
Atsuko Creamy. They make it creamy there.
Kat Like a risotto, or—
Atsuko It’s more like a stroganoff. A precursor to a nice slice of cheesecake.
Kat I don’t really like cheesecake, if I can be honest with you.
Atsuko Well, that’s your hot, spicy take.
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