Rhoasy’s Raddest Restaurants #1: The Soup Kitchen

Now, as a professional eater, I can tell you that I’ll never be too good for some free food— and there have certainly been times in my life where, after losing a little too much money at Brucey B’s, I found I only have 500 NPs in my pocket. And when those times come, I always have a certain something I can rely on- the Soup Kitchen, a lovely place where the Soup Faerie tends to poor (or simply unlucky) Neopians.

First, let’s talk about the atmosphere: the Soup Kitchen is a great place to meet Neopians you might never run into in your day to day life. While I spent my time at the Soup Kitchen, I sat near Neopians who were just starting a new plushie business, Neopians who had lost all their money in a badly placed stock market bid, and Neopians who had just purchased a Ghostkerbomb and found themselves with nothing left in the bank. If you’re interested in making a new friend and you're feeling a bit down on your luck, the Soup Kitchen is the best place to be! Neopians here all have some sort of story, and they’re more than willing to tell you!

Second, let’s talk about the host. The Soup Faerie is very no-nonsense, and while she would help out any Neopian in need, she doesn’t put up with sneaks. Why, while I was there, I watched her grab a sneaky Neopian by the coattails and toss them right out of the restaurant! The Soup Faerie knows everything, and I can tell you, if you’ve got more than 3,000 NP hidden at the bank, the Soup Faerie knows all about it. Don’t try to trick her- she’ll always find you out, and it won’t be pretty.

Now let’s talk about the most important part of a meal at the Soup Kitchen: the food! I went in with a positively empty belly, ready to try everything the Soup Kitchen had to offer. Now, there are some pros and cons to the Soup Kitchen, depending, of course, on how you feel about soup. There is literally nothing but soup in the Soup Kitchen, and while every single drop of soup is delicious, if you’re not into soup, you might have trouble getting into what they have to offer- even if it is free!

If you’re a soup lover like me, however, you’ll be pleased to know that the Soup Kitchen offers great staples like negg soup, lamb broth, and potato and leek! I was pleased to find during my visit, however, that there were some unexpected new favorites, including the delicious two in a bowl mushroom and chokato soup, and the ultimate surprise: the invisible soup, which makes you think you have an absolutely empty bowl, until you drop your spoon inside and give it a taste! I won’t spoil exactly what invisible soup tastes like, but believe me when I say you have to try it for yourself.

The Soup Kitchen is free, and what that means is you can't particularly complain about the food you're given. The Soup Faerie will certainly keep giving you soup until your belly is absolutely full, but if you hate turnip broth, don't expect to be able to return it for your favorite Starberry Soup. As my friend Preesy says, you get what you get and you don't throw a fit! The Soup Faerie isn't interested in taking requests, either- she has so many Neopians to feed, and not enough time to cater to every single one. However, who can complain about free food? Even if your first bowl of soup might not be your favorite, if you eat it and return for another, maybe she'll have just made a fresh batch of your absolute favorite soup in Neopia.

No one is judging anyone else in the Soup Kitchen- show up in your pajamas, in your coat with a hole in it, with only one shoe. Everyone is served and everyone is welcome! However, if you enjoy the high-class feeling of places like Kelp where you're expected to dress nicely, the Soup Kitchen is certainly not the place for you. Though, let's be honest- if you're that type of person, you're probably well above the NP requirement for the Soup Kitchen anyway.

If you're a poor Neopian looking for a quick bite to eat to fill your tummy with some great atmosphere, The Soup Kitchen is certainly the way to go. At the end of the day, I would give the Soup Kitchen three and a half out of five paws. The atmosphere is great and the faces are friendly, but all-soup and no way to decide which soup you're getting can always be a problem. No matter how much you love soup, a whole day full of soup can leave you feeling a little funky, with a belly full of soup and a sleepiness that seems to come from the warmth of the restaurant. I would say that if you're down on your luck, the Soup Kitchen is the perfect place to go- and its especially great for its intimate and friendly experience!

If you're looking for a nice, warm place to take off your gloves and get a free meal, the Soup Kitchen is always the way to go. But don't expect lots of frills- the Soup Faerie has an important job to do, and she's not going to let you get in the way of it. If you've never been and your Neopoints are feeling skint, stop by and say hi! Maybe I'll see you. Next week, I'll be visiting Hubert's Hot Dogs- a fast food restaurant where you snatch your hot dog before someone else gets their paws on it! See you next week, Neopia!