“No Soup For You!”
Yes, that was the sharp rebuke from the character known as “The Soup Nazi” on the iconic TV series “Seinfeld.”
It is one of the most famous episodes of all, and it made me want to follow “Newman” as he coveted his soup – here is his reaction to being served:
You see, this Chef is always on edge, so you must order exactly the right way and not wast this time, or “no soup for you!”
There is a hilarious moment when Elaine Benes sparks his fury, and the first time we meet this volatile Chef, Jerry Seinfeld and George Costanza go in for the first time…check out this clip:
As you saw, it did NOT go well for George, who didn’t get soup that day!
Why am I telling you all this? Because I visited the real “Soup Kitchen” that inspired the show! Let’s head to 55th and 8th Ave on New York’s west side…
Just like the show, you line up outside the small kitchen to order your soup – although in this case the staff is polite, and there are always 8-10 different soups to order:
As you can see, the day I was there, they offered 9 different soups, plus a Lobster Roll that gets terrific reviews!
I chose Lobster Bisque, New England Clam Chowder and Chicken Dumpling for my taste test, and after ordering you step aside and let them dish it up for you.
Of course there are souvenirs you can purchase as well, and the classic scowl of Actor Larry Thomas, who makes it clear that he’s NOT a smiler.
As you can see, George proudly revealed that there was, indeed “soup for him!” Everyone at the shop was super friendly of course, and enjoys the association with this legendary episode of the show.
Before I start my review, check out this clip featuring the “jambalaya” for sale:
Because I love this episode so much, and this “Jambalaya” clip, I had to try the Jambalaya for myself!
Along with the soup, you get a nice chunk of soft bread, a piece of fruit and a small chocolate!
The soup is very rich and a bit spicy, as the andouille sausage has a kick, and it has chunks of shrimp plus rice, red and green bell pepper and more – in fact, I created this all-in video review of the soup – enjoy!
I enjoyed the Jambalaya so much I went back to try three more soups as I mentioned – here’s a quick review of them all:
Each soup comes with a slice of fresh bread, a piece of fruit – this time a mandarin orange – and a small piece of chocolate…a nice touch!
The Soup Nazi’s New England Clam Chowder!
I started with a favorite of mind: clam chowder! The recipes includes red bell pepper and carrots mixed in among the potatoes and clams…
As you can see, it’s a nice creamy blend of ingredients…there were plenty of chopped clams mixed in and – very important – the potatoes were diced small so they didn’t become massive starchy bites.
This was delicious…full of flavor and very filling!
I next had the Chicken Dumplings soup, with had a nice fresh flavor:
The soup has a chicken roux, with a hint of spiciness to it…and the chicken dumplings were filled with nice chunks of chicken as well…my last soup is the one that Jerry Seinfeld himself longed for on the show:
Behold The Lobster Bisque!
Yes, this is the one that made Elaine sit down because it made her legs weak!
It was delicious! There was a nice hint of rum and tropical flavors, and nice chunks of lobster throughout…and this is the one you want to eat by dipping your bread into it – which I did!
Apparently, the character was inspired by Ali “Al” Yeganeh, an Iranian American soup vendor who ran “Soup Kitchen International” in New York City, eventually turning it into the chain The Original Soup Man.
So it was indeed a true story of an altercation that Jerry once had at a restaurant!
From what I found online, in 2017 the chain emerged from bankruptcy under new ownership, and it re-opened in the original location in late 2018, going by its former name The Original Soup Kitchen. Although Yeganeh is not involved with the day-to-day operations anymore, he still owns the brand name and is in charge of the soup recipes – and they are great!
My “dinner and a movie” series looks at food from film and TV, like when I made a dish inspired by “Downton Abbey:”
Here is my review of a “seafood Newburg” dish:
I also cooked from “The Sopranos” Cookbook:
See the recipe here:
And I cook from Actor Stanley Tucci’s cookbooks as well, like this terrific “doodle” dish:
I love this dish and you will too – click here for my review:
And this is a real “TV dinner” story…the origin of the dish!
It took America by storm, and there’s a great book that tells you why!
Click here for the origin of the “TV Dinner!”
I am sharing and storing all of these recipes on my food website “Bite! Eat! Repeat!” – it’s your site for all things food – if you like what you see, please click on my link and follow this blog as well!
If you like the story, share it with friends on social media! And remember, if you don’t: “no soup for you!”
Categories: Bite Eat Swallow, Bite! Eat! Repeat!, Books / Media, Eat This!, Fast Food, Food, Food Pictures, Food Travel, Recipes, Restaurants, Travel, Wacky Food, World's Wildest Food
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Ha! Love it. I’ve always wanted to try that place. Next time I’m in town, I’ll have to check it out!
It’s fast and very good..I’ve gone there several times with my wife and solo as well and always good…and of course the workers have all the T-shirts, mugs etc for sale all around you as well if you want to souvenir! Thanks for the comment!
Love those clips! It’s amazing how often that phrase gets used, such a part of our culture!
Right? The power of TV! Thanks for the comment!
❤
Chicken dumpling and Jambalaya would be on my wish list. Along with the bread, and fruit to follow, it’s a whole meal deal!
Best wishes, Pete.
Pete it is a nice meal for the price and the soups are really good! Thanks for the comment!
Hi John, this is a great post. Really funny. I never watched this show.
Robbie, it’s iconic over here in the US…and that episode is pretty funny
Some fabulous soups I do love a bowl of soup plenty here to tickle the taste buds and with touch of comedy…Perfect 🙂