Liz Miller
Wouldn't it have been nice to have had a warm bowl of coconut-ginger soup delivered to your front door during Monday's snowstorm? If your answer is yes, a new St. Louis concept has you covered now and through winter's last chill.
Billed as St. Louis' first "virtual" or "ghost" kitchen, delivery-only concept Soupboi launches this week. The folks behind the soup-centered spot are familiar faces: Tim Wiggins and Travis Howard of On Point Hospitality, the owners of local favorites Yellowbelly (4659 Lindell Boulevard, 314-499-1509), Retreat Gastropub (6 North Sarah Street, 314-261-4497) and the Hideout (210 North Euclid Avenue).
Soupboi's initial menu offers four soups — cauliflower-red curry, tortilla, coconut-ginger and miso-mushroom — plus a Rice Crizby Treat for dessert. Soups are all priced at $12, served in sixteen-ounce portions and vegan-friendly. Yellowbelly executive chef Ben Tulin developed all four soup recipes, which are now available to order through DoorDash. You can upgrade your meal to a 32-ounce serving (the "Soupersize") for $21. The concept's operating hours are Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The concept was inspired by "ghost kitchens" or "virtual kitchens" in Chicago, New York and Silicon Valley, says a recent release, which "allow restaurant operators to use existing restaurant facilities or commissary kitchens to offer unique concepts via delivery only."
Soupboi is described as Wiggins brainchild. All Soupboi menu items will be prepared in Yellowbelly's kitchen.
"It seems fitting that we are announcing Soupboi right after our first weather storm!" Wiggins said in a release. "It's the time of year that I crave a comforting bowl of soup, but we know that people don't want to leave their office or house for lunch. With Soupboi, they don't have to. The soup-focused menu didn't really make sense for our existing concepts, but we utilized the idea and created its own Soupboi brand, menu and experience. There is no storefront or dining area so guests simply order online or via the app on their phone, and your DoorDash delivery driver brings your soup right to your door."
Here's the full Soupboi menu:
- Cauliflower-Red Curry Soup with white rice and crispy chickpeas
- Tortilla Soup with cashew crema, crispy tortilla strips and cilantro
- Coconut-Ginger Soup with barley, crispy garlic and turmeric
- Miso-Mushroom Soup with grilled bread
- Rice Crizby Treat with fruity specks
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