Bowled over: Where to get great soup in St. John's
Here are some of the city's finest dishes to fight off the winter blues
Winter is upon us. And let's be honest, it's not going away any time soon.
To get through the long dark months ahead, nothing fights those cold-weather doldrums better than a warm bowl of soup. Or chowder. Or ramen.
There have always been great soup options in St. John's — the pea soup and chowder options alone are dizzying — but lately, the variety is better than ever.
Soup's on! Here's where to get a great bowl in St. John's.
Pork belly shoyu
Bad Bones Ramen, 178 Water St.
Can I get an amen for ramen? The Japanese iteration of noodle soup is beloved the world over. and at Bad Bones Ramen, the pork belly shoyu is a constant favourite.
With a base of shoyu broth, both smoked pork belly and pork tenderloin float in a swirling pile of egg noodles, sheltered by bok choy, enoki, green onion, bean sprouts and a ramen topping staple: a marinated egg.
Pea soup
Traditional Coffee House and Deli, 1496 Torbay Rd.
It might be the understatement of the century to say there are lots of places to get a good bowl of pea soup in St. John's. Newfoundland's staple soup is widely available from coast to coast (and in every nan's kitchen), but this Torbay café ladles up a winner — make sure to time your visit, they only serve it up on Fridays!
Tomato and avocado bisque
Wedgwood Café & Catering, 17 Elizabeth Ave.
Wedgwood Café is an Elizabeth Avenue institution, known for lunchtime favourites that are kicked up a notch. Their soups are no exception. Crowd favourite tomato and avocado bisque is extra creamy thanks to the punch of avocado and can liven up the coldest of days.
Red Thai curry with chicken
Rocket Bakery, multiple locations
Talk about souped-up! Rocket Bakery knows what they're doing when it comes to soups — their three locations pump out two different kinds every day of the week — but it's the red Thai curry with chicken that gets slurped down the fastest, thanks to the kick of red curry paste in a lively coconut-milk based soup.
Cod chowder
Duke of Duckworth, 325 Duckworth St.
This one is undoubtedly controversial. One could not determine the best chowder in the city without extensive, expensive and life-shortening research — there are dozens of great options.
That said, while this hole-in-wall watering hole is known for its excellent fish and chips, tourists and regulars worship their seafood elixir. Offered in small or large bowls, this chowder is packed with huge chunks of cod and served with a fresh dinner roll.
Obviously.
Turkey soup
Breen's Deli, multiple locations.
Let's talk turkey. Like chowder, it's another beloved soup in St. John's with tons of choice, but Breen's knows how to walk the walk. Their turkey dressing sandwiches are a famous lunchtime favourite in the city and their soup is on par with its chunky pieces of poultry and root veg.
Tom yum
Gingergrass Thai and Vietnamese, 345 Duckworth St.
Gingergrass is one of the newest restaurants in St. John's and has been landing the flavours of southeast Asia since its owners opened their doors. The tom yum soup has the perfect balance of spicy and sweet it should have, with that necessary smack of sour and salty for good measure. Served with either chicken, tofu or shrimp, it will warm you from head to toe.
French onion soup
The Guv'nor Pub, 389 Elizabeth Ave.
Surprisingly, this soup is harder to come by these days, despite its everlasting appeal. At the Guv'nor it's still served in the classic crockware you (or your parents) got when they were married in the '70s, with bubbling mozzarella cheese keeping a rich broth and onions so hot, it's guaranteed to burn your mouth because you dive in too quickly — as you should with any good french onion soup.
Chicken soup
Balkan Kitchen, 27 Cookstown Rd.
Nothing beats chicken soup. Nothing.
The Bosnian rendition at the Balkan Kitchen ticks all the boxes with a flavourful broth and huge chunks of roasted chicken and veggies. Make sure you order the massive spinach and cheese pie to share to pair with your bowl.
Fish stew
Get Stuffed, 190 Duckworth St.
The fish stew at Get Stuffed has been on the menu since the restaurant opened, offering up a great option for those who want to go heavy on the seafood but light on the cream. Heaps of cod, salmon, scallops, shrimp and mussels poke out from the broth made luscious with Pernod and tomato, served with grilled bread to soak up every last drop.