Real NYC Soup Chef Behind Seinfeld's Infamous Character Revealed
The notorious soup vendor from the hit sitcom was inspired by an actual Manhattan restaurant owner whose reaction to fame was anything but grateful. Discover the explosive real-life confrontation that followed.
Jerry Seinfeld's sitcom featured plenty of memorable food-related conflicts. Pakistani restaurant owner Babu Bhatt watched his business crumble after following Jerry's terrible suggestions. The chocolate babka bakery showdown created chaos over party desserts. Poppie, the unsanitary Tuscan pizza maker, left his mark on Jerry's furniture in the worst possible way.
George's ridiculous marble rye bread heist became one of the show's most beloved episodes. The gang constantly clashed with Monk's Café staff throughout the series. But one food vendor became the target of perhaps the show's harshest culinary comedy.
The Inspiration Behind Television's Most Demanding Chef
Season seven introduced Yev Kassem in 'The Soup Nazi' episode. This soup kitchen owner enforced impossibly strict customer behavior rules inside his restaurant. Despite his terrible attitude, people kept returning because his soups were absolutely incredible. Bad service couldn't ruin such amazing food.
The character drew inspiration from a real Manhattan soup kitchen owner. Writer Spike Feresten later revealed that the actual person behind the fictional character was far from pleased when the episode aired on television.
Ali Yeganeh's Explosive Reaction
Ali "Al" Yeganeh owned Soup Kitchen International on West 55th Street, which he opened in 1984. Feresten brought Jerry Seinfeld to the restaurant one year after 'The Soup Nazi' episode broadcast. Yeganeh's greeting was immediate and hostile: "Get the fuck out of here." He physically removed Seinfeld from the customer line.
Seinfeld responded with typical confidence: "What's the problem? I made you famous." Yeganeh wasn't buying it. "You didn't make me famous," he shot back. "The Today Show made me famous." Seinfeld persisted like his television counterpart: "Well, I want soup."
"And then [Yeganeh] literally said a real version of 'no soup for you'," Feresten told Comicbook.com. The actual version contained significantly more profanity than the family-friendly sitcom version. Seinfeld received a permanent ban from Soup Kitchen International that day.
The Restaurant Today
The original soup kitchen still operates at its Manhattan location. Several name changes occurred after Yeganeh's operation shut down for tax evasion in 2017. The Original Soup Kitchen maintains the same address where Yeganeh's behavior inspired Feresten's famous episode.
Yeganeh no longer serves customers directly but continues overseeing the business. All soup recipes remain his personal creations. Visitors can still experience the location that sparked one of television's most memorable food-related characters.
'The Soup Nazi' wasn't Jerry Seinfeld's favorite episode from his series. 'The Pothole' earned that distinction because "It was really fun to shoot, and it was fun to set Newman on fire," Seinfeld told Digital Spy. "And he screamed, 'Oh, the humanity,' like from the Hindenburg disaster." 'The Rye' also ranked among his favorites due to the expensive outdoor set filming at Paramount's New York replica.