The modest Manhattan takeout spot run by the chef immortalized on "Seinfeld" as the "soup Nazi" topped super-swanky Le Cirque 2000 in the prestigious Zagat restaurant guide.
Al Yeganeh's Soup Kitchen International, spoofed on "Seinfeld" for its often curt service, rated 27 points out of a possible 30 for food deemed "extraordinary to perfection."Le Cirque's food got a 25 rating, "very good to excellent."
"I believe I'm the best," said Yeganeh, who hates being called "soup Nazi." "Who says I should come in second best?"
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News of the rating bonanza will only frustrate soup fans for the immediate future though, because the shop where customer lines typically run down the block is closed for remodeling and won't reopen for about 10 days.