The Soup Nazi is Back
Do you remember that Seinfeld episode where Jerry broke up with his girlfriend over a cup of soup, and subsequently said, “You will be stunned… you can’t eat this soup standing up, your knees buckle”? Well now I completely and utterly understand him. After drinking the soup at Pike Place Chowder I too was intoxicated by its taste.
Tucked behind the famed Pike Place Market, the inconspicuous restaurant hides one of the greatest gems of the entire market. Be patient though, because when there’s gold, the miners come. And while the wait was well over 15 minutes the inconvenience is mitigated by the apropos location. Having the fresh Pacific breeze wistfully blow the scents of fresh produce from the market, and the lusciously creamy aromas of the soup simmering away, it truly epitomizes west coast living. While all there soups are incredibly delicious-and yes I have tried all of them- the one that makes my knees buckle the most is their Seared Scallop Bisque.
When I first tasted this soup, I was hesitant to take a second bite fearing that I was only imagining how amazing this soup was, but alas I mustered up the courage and kept going. The creaminess, the butter, the hints of scallop was almost too much to handle, but oh so good. As you venture on you will find an abundance of succulent scallop pieces, along perfectly tender potatoes. But the true piece de resistance of the dish is the aromatic lime flavor that makes it so unique. Bisques are never thought to have a citrus flavor profile but in so many ways does it work: it cuts the richness of the cream, it enhances the flavor of the scallop, and it brings different dimensions to cream soups that tends to be single dimensional. Needless to say this soup give you a new appreciation for bisque.
Although the servers at the PPC aren’t quite as ruthless as the Soup Nazi was- in fact they are quite nice- this real life soup stand is truly that good. I would recommend any first-timer to try the sampler (you pick 4 5oz. cups of chowder), and the Market Chowder, which is just like their daily special. Last time I had a crab and oyster bisque that was just sublime. How much do I love this chowder? Well of the last 4 trips to Seattle I have always gone, and I promise that once you taste this chowder you will do the same.
Restaurant: Pike Place Chower
Location: Pike Place Market
Website: pikeplacechowder.com
Pike Place Chowder
Description
This is THE place for Chowder, a true Northwest staple.
5
EAT HERE!
About the Author
Caleb Liao Having grown up in a restaurant opened by his mother, Caleb has always been overly zealous and passionate about food. He finds that the best form of fellowship is through food and loves to spread the “gospel” of good eats. Now he is just a university student looking to take his pallet on an adventure.
