Weekday Lunch: Vanessa's Dumpling House

I must have a fetish with going to Vanessa's while it rains out. It's not a heavy downpour but it's still rain. I felt for light and cheap lunch today so I actually took the bus and got myself some dumplings.

It's a small place. Once you enter, walk straight to the back and slowly work your way up to the door. You put in your order, pay, and the cashier gives you a receipt which you will move a couple of steps up and wait for your number to be called. The wait can be anywhere from 2-10 minutes, depending on if the place is packed or not. I guess it's a win-win for me since I go on rainy days, usually less people on these messy weathers.

What's so great about this place? The cheap dumplings, actually a lot of their food on the menu are cheap but you simply can't pass up on $1 for 4 pieces of dumplings. They're not your average size either, bigger than the usual dumplings you get at restaurant and they are so good and juicy.

Top Left - Chive and Pork Dumpling
Top Right - Hot and Sour Soup
Bottom - Sesame Pancake with Beef

They have other options other than chives and pork, and if you don't like pan-fried they also have it in soup. The possibility are quite endless and I still can't get over the fact that it's so inexpensive.

The pancake sandwich was huge. It's like a size of a face, though more on the triangular side. You can have it plain, pork, beef, duck, etc. and there are cilantro and pickled carrots to accompany the meat. This alone can fill you up if you're a small eater and it was just $2.

I always see myself coming back for their Hot and Sour Soup and it's not like the other foods aren't good there. I've literally gotten hooked onto this soup, for $1.25 you can get a nice medley of vegetable in a hot and sour broth. This entire meal can feed two people and it only cost me $6.25, jealous?

It's a hole in wall kind of place, on a block where no one really knows. It's either by word of mouth or if you're a crazy food person then you would be able to find this on the internet. There are quite a number of cheap eats in NYC, you just need to know where to look.

Vanessa's Dumpling House
118 Eldridge St 
New York, NY 10002
(212) 625-8008