Who Is Houston's "soup Nazi?"

[worldlyman]

I like Thai food but I have never eaten at H-town's infamous Kanomwan. It is said that the guy who cooks and runs it is a cranky-ass.

It it ain't him, who is your "Soup Nazi" of Seinfeld vintage?

Does anyone know if that Asian pick-up food joint, Doozo's, is still there in the Park Shops?

When I was a downtown worker in the late '90s I used to go there a lot. You could get twelve dumplings for less than three bucks. Not quite as delicate as actual dim sum items...but Doozo's tasty stuff was still fresh AND hearty. It's the kind of meal than can get you through the day. You could do some serious munching at the drop of a few Washingtons.

The thing is, if Doozo's is still there, I wonder if the owner is. He was like downtown Houston's Soup Nazi to me.

[BayouCityGirl]

Larry Thomas is a friend of mine! (Real Soup Nazi from Seinfeld) He's SO FUNNY in person and hilarious!!!

Too bad I can't see more of him (he is in L.A. and often promoting himself for chairty work)

But anyway sorry to change the subject on ya...kinda reminded me of that.

[dbigtex56]

Well it's not soup, but the propriator of the Texas Junk Company falls into this category.

If he likes you, everything's fine. If you bug him by asking annoying questions or copping an attitude, he'll tell you to "take your ass the hell outta here!"

[MidtownCoog]

Kanomwan

Good stuff. I have let him order for me before.

Doozo's

Still there. Still yummy. Get there by 11:00. His wife always waits on me. He's in the shadows watching the money.

If he likes you, everything's fine.

Same was true with the two rude Yankees (man and wife) who ran that old records shop on the Westheimer curve (shop the curve?). on Westheimer. I think they closed mid 90s.

Can anyone remember the name of that place? He had an excellent collection and you could find some rare stuff there. Excellent

He leared to like me.

[wendyps]

Does anyone know if that Asian pick-up food joint, Doozo's, is still there in the Park Shops?

When I was a downtown worker in the late '90s I used to go there a lot. You could get twelve dumplings for less than three bucks. Not quite as delicate as actual dim sum items...but Doozo's tasty stuff was still fresh AND hearty. It's the kind of meal than can get you through the day. You could do some serious munching at the drop of a few Washingtons.

The thing is, if Doozo's is still there, I wonder if the owner is. He was like downtown Houston's Soup Nazi to me.

Yup, it is still there, and they are definatley the dumplin nazi's. In fact, if you say you are going to the dumpling nazi, everyone knows where you are going...ah great! now I'm craving dumplings, better go get my 5 bucks ready and waiting before I get to the register...

[worldlyman]

One factor in making us down those dumplings so fast...is the sauce. Yeah, the sauce!

[torvald]

I like Thai food but I have never eaten at H-town's infamous Kanomwan. It is said that the guy who cooks and runs it is a cranky-ass.

god forgive me -- but the main fella at biba's on w. gray. i went

there with a friend and when that fella rang up the order he said

"ah, so who's the one in charge here? ya know, who's the boss

with you two?" then when he gave me the change he said "so,

you two going home now? one of you going to be the boss tonight?"

and then he elbowed me! he has also said a few things at our table

when we haven't ordered enough food and also made a comment

once about me probably thinking a certain way because of his

nationality (i don't think it and i don't want to type it either.) all i

had done was hand him the bill with some cash and hadn't said a

thing...

mind you this is over the span of several years, but i don

[MidtownCoog]

but the main fella at biba's on w. gray

He's crazy. He has said some really crazy stuff me my wife and as I well.

Nothing real bad. I think he's just a perv.

[dbigtex56]

god forgive me -- but the main fella at biba's on w. gray. i went

there with a friend and when that fella rang up the order he said

"ah, so who's the one in charge here? ya know, who's the boss

with you two?" then when he gave me the change he said "so,

you two going home now? one of you going to be the boss tonight?"

and then he elbowed me!

"So which one of you is the woman?"

That's priceless.

[Original Timmy Chan's]

The guy at Biba's cracks us up. I love when he walks off as I'm in mid-order. No matter that he didn't get my order, he always brings what I wanted anyways. I don't know how he does that.

He always cuts the ladies off at two cups of coffee. If they ask for another, he refuses and says they don't need it. He also stopped serving coffee to a friend of mine after he found out the friend was English. Apparently the waiter had a bad experience in the Greek Navy with an Englishman. There were jabs flying in all directions that morning, but all in fun.

Of course, he is a perv. Always looking down my wife's shirt as he pours coffee. Of course she calls him on it every time, and he always comes back with a "what was I supposed to do, they were right there!" answer. My wife like to flaunt her breasts anyways, so she's not bothered in the least by him. I think he's harmless...and always fun.

[ssullivan]

Yeah the Biba's guy is a hoot. I only eat there about once every three or four months, but it's always with the same friend of mine. My friend is straight, but the guy in the restaurant always assumes we're a couple and makes comments like that. We just take it in stride and laugh about it after we get back out to the car.

And he cut me off on Diet Coke one night -- he said it was too late for me to be drinking that much soda and brought me a water instead.

[wendyps]

I made the mistake of taking Harry Potter in there to read, and he started going off about how the author was English, and how I was evil to support a Brit! I think anything English in there is a baaad idea, I've never been yelled at so much during a single meal!

[torvald]

My friend is straight, but the guy in the restaurant always assumes we're a couple and makes comments like that. We just take it in stride and laugh about it after we get back out to the car.

that was basically my situation... it was a co-worker,

if it was a "date" that would have made it sort of awkward.

as for my being english... guess i can't win.

still like the calzones, as long as they're cooked enough.

[sevfiv]

And he cut me off on Diet Coke one night -- he said it was too late for me to be drinking that much soda and brought me a water instead.

haha!

he usually brings me two glasses of diet coke at a time so he doesn't have to refill as often

[HoustonianInColorado]

I cannot remember the name of the place, but years ago, there was a restaurant across the street from BookStop on Shepherd, actually on one of the side streets, where coworkers and I went to lunch. The owner was a middle eastern fellow, and when we ordered our lunches from the lunch special menu, he asked what we wanted to drink. One of my colleagues said he just wanted water. The owner said, "NO! You must order a drink. Soda. Tea. Something!" The coworker said, "No, I just want a glass of water." The owner then said, "Get out! Leave now! I cannot make a business on my lunch special prices unless you buy a drink. Get out now!"

I wish I could remember the name of the place, but it was about 16 years ago. Probably the place is long out of business.

[Idylweird]

The guy at Kanomwan isn't bad natured. He just has a stone face and is kind of direct in his speech; possibly because English is not his first language and he's not 100% fluent. Don't let the rumors keep you away. The food is quite good.

[Subdude]

The guy at Kanomwan isn't bad natured. He just has a stone face and is kind of direct in his speech; possibly because English is not his first language and he's not 100% fluent. Don't let the rumors keep you away. The food is quite good.

It's great. Btw the restaurant has moved. It is actually behind a strip center now, so you can't see it from the street. It's like they set out to make it hard to find. Anyway, you'll find it back behind the 99 cent store.

[wendyps]

Did y'all see the cover of the press? Yup, that's right...

"Houston's Food Nazis"

looks like they got EVERY on of our pics...Brian McManus? do you read this board????

[Original Timmy Chan's]

Did y'all see the cover of the press? Yup, that's right...

"Houston's Food Nazis"

looks like they got EVERY on of our pics...Brian McManus? do you read this board????

Yes he does...this thread is specifically mentioned, and several posters (including YOU! ) are quoted in the article!

[wendyps]

really??? I didn't catch that.

how cool we all are!!!

THIS IS SO COOL. Made my day...see goofing off instead of working pays off

[ssullivan]

So today I'm working downtown and stop by Doozo for some dumplings at lunch. I whip out my corporate MasterCard, since this is going on my expense report and the owner's wife gives me all kinds of grief about them not taking credit cards. No problem, I dig out some cash and pay her. Then I ask for a receipt. You would have thought I asked her to sell the soul of her first born child with the response I got. After she told me I was holding up the line for the third time, I gave up, took my dumplings and left to find a table, with no receipt for my expense report. At least the dumplings were good.

[2112]

Burger Mart on Edgebrook (SE Houston)

The guy has owned this dump for, it seems, 100 years. Actually, not a bad deal for a 2-bag burger meal. Anyways, it seems to me that this man has issues and is always angry. I am not the only one to have noticed, by the way. When you first walk in, expect to wait, until "tall man" finally ackowledges you, probably with something like: "wad-do-you-need?" After you place your order (apologetically), he takes the ticket without the least of a "thanks" or a "it will be out shortly". No. He just walks away. If you are in the know, then you know that if you intended to "eat-in", you should next walk through the side door, where there are some pretty banged up tables and chairs, along with some arcades. He won't tell you this. If you wait by the ordering window (phase one), then your order WILL BE TO-GO. Continuing, assuming you were in the know and walked into through the side door, or as I call it, the "inner sanctum", you sit down. There, you will notice another side window, this is where your "for-here" order will be handed to you by an arm. I say "an arm" because when you sit down, many of the tables are strategically placed far from the window, so you can't see the person behind the window. That person of course is "angry tall man", but all you will see is his arm as it places the order on the ledge, and then gestures, signalling to you that your order is ready. No words. Just an arm.

One time, I attempted to ask for hot sauce back at the order window before proceeding into the inner sanctum. I should have known better than to deviate from protocol because that was the only time I can remember when tall man looked at me in the eyes. It was a stern "no" that I will never forget. It was'nt anger really, but more like I had dissapointed him. As my order was handed to me later, I sat down, started to eat, when all of a sudden I heard a "klank-klank", at the side window. It was "the arm", gesturing to me as if to say "here's your damn hot sauce".

About the only thing this place has going for it, well, there are two, is that its pretty damn intertaining to actually go to a real live "soup-nazi" establishment. I've been going there for years, and he never fails me in this regard. Secondly, almost next door, about two blocks, is "taconmadre", one of the best taco trucks in houston.

Damn, I'm getting hungry just typing about it.

[sound of screeching tires as 2112 heads out towards Edgebrook]

[musicman]

Burger Mart on Edgebrook (SE Houston)

The guy has owned this dump for, it seems, 100 years.

Hey 2112, next time ask him if his last name is Moore. I went to school with the original owner's daughter in the mid 70's. The owner was surpirisingly old then. I venture to say he was 20 to 30 years older than my parents which would make him 80 or 90 years old now. It used to be a really well kept place. But I guess that's Edgebrook for ya.

[Original Timmy Chan's]

Did Burger Mart's playground precede the McDonald's playground movement? That's the one thing I remember about Burger Mart as a kid...I wanted to stop there every time we drove down Edgebrook because they had a playground.

I don't think McDonald's had playgrounds at that time...either that or we just never ate at McDonald's. It may have been the latter, as we were always a "Three Gables", "Whataburger", or "C&D Burger Shoppe" family. Thanks Mom and Dad!

[musicman]

Did Burger Mart's playground precede the McDonald's playground movement? That's the one thing I remember about Burger Mart as a kid...I wanted to stop there every time we drove down Edgebrook because they had a playground.

I don't think McDonald's had playgrounds at that time...either that or we just never ate at McDonald's. It may have been the latter, as we were always a "Three Gables", "Whataburger", or "C&D Burger Shoppe" family. Thanks Mom and Dad!

Good question about the playground. maybe he put them in as a result. i'd say late 70's?? I don't think the mcdonalds on the other side of 45 ever had a playground.

don't know three gables. where was that? What kind of food.

my nephew will ONLY eat burgers and chicken strips from c&d. and it's still as packed as ever.

[cabanaboy]

PaPa Jerry of the West Alabama Ice House was jokingly called the "Hot Dog Nazi". God rest his soul.

[2112]

There is no playbround at BurgerMart. Also, the tall man looks like he is between 50 and 60. Definitely not 80's or older.

[Original Timmy Chan's]

There is no playbround at BurgerMart. Also, the tall man looks like he is between 50 and 60. Definitely not 80's or older.

The playground may have been removed (or washed away into the adjacent ditch), but there definitely was one there in the late 70's. Not much of one, mind you, but back in those days us kids were easily amused.

Come to think of it, it seems that I noticed that the playground was missing a few years ago.

I only ate at the Burger Mart a handful of times, and the last time was probably around 1980. I bet that coincides pretty closely with the opening of C&D Burger Shoppe.

don't know three gables. where was that? What kind of food.

Three Gables was somewhere in Pasadena...I was very young last time I went there, so don't ask me exactly where. I want to say somewhere on or near Southmore, but don't get me to lying.

Three Gables was another burger place. Similar to a Whataburger...

[Trophy Property]

I was amazed to see this post just a few weeks after reading the article in Houston Press. That Writer celarly stole the idea from here. I love it*.

* Plagerism is cool in my book **

** I did notice the citing of this site in the article.

Kudos to HAIF.

[native_Houstonian]

Finally had dinner at Kanomwan Thai Restaurant last night. Very tasty and the owner lived up to the "Soup Nazi" name. Service was a bit slow, but we brought a couple of bottles of wine, and didn't mind waiting too much. We'll be back!