My boyfriend and I went to Soupa Saiyan 3 (advertised as “Soupa! 3”), the brand new Dragon Ball anime/video game-themed noodle bar that just opened by the University of Central Florida in December. We pass it every time we head out to the interstate, and I knew it was somewhere he’d been wanting to go out to eat for a while, so we made a plan to finally check it out for our Valentine’s Day lunch date last month. We know of the first and second ones on Vineland and in Jacksonville respectively, but it’s so exciting to now have a third one right around the corner from my apartment!
Soupa! 3’s claim to fame, however, is, of course, being the only one of the three to offer sushi on the menu! For $65, you can do their omakase, or “SoupaKase,” a 12-course sushi dinner. I’m not the biggest fan of sushi, let alone 12 courses of it, so the soupakase experience wasn’t for me this time around, but I’ve heard from others in the area that it’s worth making a reservation for.
The other reason to check out Soupa! 3 is the atmosphere that surrounds you when you enter. Murals of your favorite characters cover the walls, one in color and one in black and white; even our UCF mascot, Knightro made the cut! In the front corner, you’ll find shelves dedicated to figurines and paintings of many beloved anime characters. A life-size Goku statue. Colorful LED clouds on the ceiling. Anime marathons on the TV. I could see college fanboys and fangirls spending every meal here!
When it came to our meals, I ordered “The Trifecta” which came with udon noodles, beef brisket, chicken, and shrimp in chicken broth, and my boyfriend, Tex made his own ramen noodle bowl with beef brisket and steak. You can also order their signature drinks; I got lychee lemonade with lychee popping pearls (boba) and Tex got a taro milk tea that we thought tasted exactly like Oreos!
Everything we had was fantastic! I notoriously complain all the time about how there’s nowhere to get good udon soup around here closer than Japan at EPCOT’s World Showcase, but now I can’t say that any longer because of Soupa! 3 nailed it! Thank you for providing my boyfriend and me with excellent service on our Valentine’s Day date! We will definitely have to come back sooner rather than later and I highly encourage you all to as well, if you’re in the area!