'SOUP' in the City - SJP dines out at Mullingar man's popular Dublin restaurant

Restaurant owner, Conor Hughes, is still fielding calls from the media to talk about the time Sex in the City’s Sarah Jessica Parker and her family dined in his popular ramen restaurant.

The Mullingar chef who is owner of two restaurants, one in Dun Laoghaire, the other in Smithfield, said he also received many “excited” calls from friends and family after they heard that SJP and husband Matthew Broderick, accompanied by their 19-year-old son and 12-year-old twin daughters were in town.

The first inkling the famous Hollywood couple were coming to his Smithfield restaurant, SOUP 2, was when they called to change the time of their original booking which was made under a false name.

“The second time he rang he used his real name, ‘Matthew’, so we kind of guessed. It was either another ‘Matthew’ with a New York number or it was the real Matthew Broderick!” explains Conor.

“We seated them but we didn’t make a fuss.I just went over and said hello, treated them like anyone else, and they were lovely. They seemed to really enjoy the food, the kids especially,” adds Conor, who explained the family enjoyed a meal of sashimi, fried chicken, cauliflower wings and ramen.

Was there truth to what was originally reported, in that Sarah Jessica Parker offered to help waitress the busy restaurant?

“It wasn’t quite as dramatic as reported elsewhere, but it was busy that day, so I was dropping out food and helping out in the kitchen. She (SJP) jokingly said ‘Oh me and Matthew could help out if you wanted’. She was just being nice,” Conor explains.

“When they were leaving she gave me a hug, and said goodbye and gave us a nice tip,” says the 37-year-old, who opened SOUP in Dun Laoghaire just over four years ago. His second restaurant in the city centre is open just over a year and a half.

Conor, who trained in a number of fine dining and fast casual restaurants in both Dublin and the US, says when he opened his second Smithfield restaurant, they had to “fight” for customers.

“When we opened our Dún Laoghaire restaurant, it was busy from the get go, but we’ve really had to fight for our customer base in Dublin city centre, so it’s things like this that really make all the difference.”

The couple are reported to own a holiday home in Donegal, which has been part of Matthew’s family for over 40 years, and were there recently to attend a GAA tournament sponsored in memory of Matthew’s parents, James and Patricia.