I went to the new homemade soup and sandwich shop on Shishman yesterday (about two blocks down from the Radisson)--SupaStar! It's got a great name, great food and a great sense of style.

[caption id="attachment_2658" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="SupaStar--two blocks down from the Radisson "]<a href="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/dsc01634.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-2658" title="SupaStar" src="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/dsc01634.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="375" /></a>[/caption]

The shop caught my eye even before it was open with it's clever name and sign. <em>And</em> I love both sandwiches and soup! It's like the shop was made for me.  However the problem of thinking things like this is that you run the risk of setting yourself up for disappointment.

Luckily, I wasn't disappointed. In fact, it was better and tastier than I imagined. Yep. It's supa.<!--more-->

[caption id="attachment_2659" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="My Lunch at SupaStar"]<a href="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/dsc01631.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-2659" title="My Lunch at SupaStar" src="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/dsc01631.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="375" /></a>[/caption]

Okay, all puns aside, the staff is friendly and helpful in both English and in Bulgarian.  You might be happy to know that I ordered all of my lunch in Bulgarian and only when my food was being rung up was there a switch to English--I didn't understand the question which was something to effect of: what kind of sandwich did you picked out?  I was pretty proud of myself.

The hardest part was that the signs on the soup are hand written and they weren't very easy for me to read.  Other than this the whole ordering, paying and eating part was <em>easy</em>.

[caption id="attachment_2660" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Inside SupaStar "]<a href="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/dsc01632.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-2660" title="Inside SupaStar " src="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/dsc01632.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="375" /></a>[/caption]

I ended up with a carrot and coriander soup, a ham sandwich with coleslaw in it and a bottle of water for 7 leva.  The soup was in a giant bowl and the sandwich was big enough that I could only eat 1/2 of it.  I took the other half home for dinner.  I should have also bought some more soup--you can also do take away.

There are lots of seats in the shop. There's a bar along the big glass windows on the first floor and lots of cute tables and brightly colored chairs upstairs.  I picked out a little table by the window over looking Shishman.  That's where I decided this: I am in love with this little shop.

[caption id="attachment_2661" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Outside Looking In "]<a href="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/dsc01635.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-2661" title="Outside Looking In " src="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/dsc01635.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="375" /></a>[/caption]

I liked it so much that I'll probably go back for lunch next weekend as well.