Vanessa's Dumpling House

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(212) 625-8008

118 Eldridge St (nr. Broome St.)
New York, NY 10002 40.7182 -73.9917

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Neighborhoods: Lower East Side, Downtown, Bowery

Hours:

Daily, 7:30am–10:30pm

Price:

$

Last updated 6.24.11

Category:

Restaurants, Wholesale Women's Clothing

Payment Methods:

Cash

Restaurant Special Features:

Lunch Spot, Cheap Eats

General Info:

Open 7 Days

Cuisine:

Chinese

Editor's Tips

What People Are Saying About Vanessa's Dumpling House

Featured Review

Contributor

Contributor

The Scene – A mix of students and area residents crowd into this narrow, barely there space for its quick, tasty treats at dirt-cheap prices. You'll spy locals partaking in a familiar part of the Dumpling House experience--chatting with the friendly owner Vanessa Duan, that is when she's not bossing her frying staff around in Mandarin or packing up the joint's never-ceasing flow of orders. – – The Food – It's hard to resist the plump, sizzling allure of the hearty boiled and fried pork dumplings. But regulars know that the sandwiches are the real star here: Choose…

Editor's Tips

What to Drink:
Fresh, hot soy milk is prepared daily (sugar optional); otherwise expect only bottled sodas and water.
Where to Sit:
Don't expect to nab any of the extremely limited barstool seating in the back (which comfortably seats only six to eight people). To-go is a must here.
Know Before You Go:
Take a quick peek into your to-go bag, especially during peak hours when items can get lost from your order.
food quality
88.24000358581543% positive
  1. “No matter when I go there, people are waiting for the fresh batch of fried dumplings to be prepared.”
  2. “dumplings for $1 or a YUMMY sesame pancake for only 50 cents!”
  3. “my absolute favorite item is the sesame pancake with tuna salad with kimchi (you have to ask them to add the kimchi) -- the sesame pancakes are always fresh and crispy and crunchy, with the tuna salad (peas, carrots, scallions) and kimchi this sandwich is”
  4. “love their egg rolls!”
  5. “like to get my sandwich and/or dumplings and get some cold soy milk and go over to the park on chrystie and watch people play soccer.”
  6. “This little hole in the wall has great food and it is very cheap!”
  7. “If you like chinese food, and the crowd of china this place will make you feel in china.”
  8. “Great food at amazing prices, just keep in mind that it's an absolute madhouse trying to get your order in; there's not line, expect people to cut in front of you, but I'm willing to put up with it for their dumplings.”
  9. “GREAT dumplings and sesame pancake-sandwiches with beef.”
  10. “Dumplings are excellent and also love the sesame pancake with beef ($1.50).”
  11. “The dumplings are the major attraction-but the sandwhiches are VERY tasty and a must try.”
  12. “my favorite fast-food, by far.”
  13. “Its sesame bread, though, was fresh, thick, warm and tasty.”
  14. “great prices and great food.”
  15. “You can also get these in a soup, which is pretty good.”
  16. “My sandwich's cold beef was lackluster.”
  17. “Dumpling House serves hot delicious food all day long at a terrific value (dozens of items, most under $2.)”
menu variety
100.0% positive
  1. “Testifying to the restaurant's popularity, a steady stream of diverse customers flowed in in order to dine at the limited number of tables and counter by the window, or order take-out.”
overall
100.0% positive
  1. “Temple of Chinese Delights, my favorite restaurant.”
  2. “Dumpling House is my favorite restaurant in New York and you'd be depriving yourself if you don't try it.”
service
83.33000183105469% positive
  1. “Staff is suprisingly friendly considering the cramped/hectic work environment.”
  2. “like to get my sandwich and/or dumplings and get some cold soy milk and go over to the park on chrystie and watch people play soccer.”
  3. “i've brought at least 2 dozen people to this place and everybody absolutely love it, "the best dumplings i've ever had in my life -- and so fast, and so cheap!”
  4. “love all the staff members.”
  5. “Great food at amazing prices, just keep in mind that it's an absolute madhouse trying to get your order in; there's not line, expect people to cut in front of you, but I'm willing to put up with it for their dumplings.”
  6. “No matter when I go there, people are waiting for the fresh batch of fried dumplings to be prepared.”
value
100.0% positive
  1. “love the dumplings -- so good and SO worth the price.”
  2. “great prices and great food.”
  3. “This little hole in the wall has great food and it is very cheap!”
  4. “Very good dumplings, very, very, very low prices.”
  5. “It is dirt dirt cheap but still maintains a good quality product.”
  6. “my absolute favorite item is the sesame pancake with tuna salad with kimchi (you have to ask them to add the kimchi) -- the sesame pancakes are always fresh and crispy and crunchy, with the tuna salad (peas, carrots, scallions) and kimchi this sandwich is”
  7. “If you're a vegetarian, you can order 8 steamed vegetable dumplings for 2 dollars.”
  8. “i've brought at least 2 dozen people to this place and everybody absolutely love it, "the best dumplings i've ever had in my life -- and so fast, and so cheap!”
  9. “Great food at amazing prices, just keep in mind that it's an absolute madhouse trying to get your order in; there's not line, expect people to cut in front of you, but I'm willing to put up with it for their dumplings.”
  10. “Incredible value for very good dumplings”
  11. “think they should have stuck to their knitting and ran the business as it was: cheap, charming (in a hole-in-a-wall way), and efficient.”
  12. “Dumpling House serves hot delicious food all day long at a terrific value (dozens of items, most under $2.)”
  13. “Great value and wonderful flavor”
wait time
100.0% positive
  1. “Boiled dumplings are also great, but they're made to order, so you'll usually have to wait 5-10 minutes.”
  2. “Dumpling House serves hot delicious food all day long at a terrific value (dozens of items, most under $2.)”
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

10/28/10

Great value!!!

by yohoss at Citysearch

Crowded on weekend afternoons, but cheap, cheap, cheap and delicious!

3 Star Rating: Average

09/22/08

Not Special.

by tomrady75 at Citysearch

Eh... totally average. I went Sunday night because my friend and I were really craving some Chinese.

I know that a lot of people on here had rave reviews for this place...but I found the food pretty bland and the atmosphere sub par at best.

Everything was average, but nothing was great. I'd say there's no reason you shouldn't give it a try, but don't really expect anything memorable.

3 Star Rating: Average

08/17/08

had better dumplings

by nicole336 at Citysearch

I went there for the first time after the expansion and was disappointed by the experience. The most obvious change was the price, which I can understand as a lot of work went into the renovations. The ordering process is now computerized and you prepay before you get your food. This is where the process broke down. I ordered $1 of Chive dumplings and $1 of cabbage dumplings. The chives dumplings was ready, but the cabbage dumplings were not. I wound up waiting 40 MINUTES for the cabbage dumplings as other items were being cooked before the cabbage dumplings were back in rotation. Standing and waiting 40 minutes is silly for $2 worth of dumplings. I counted 11 people on staff, but only ONE person frying the dumplings and pancakes. Before the change in the ordering process, it's easy to just walk up and buy whatever is ready to go. If it's crowded, I'd come back another time. Because of the prepay, now you're stuck waiting instead of being able to make subsitution for what's available or just walking away. I think they should have stuck to their knitting and ran the business as it was: cheap, charming (in a hole-in-a-wall way), and efficient.

4 Star Rating: Recommended

08/11/08

yum

by apples19 at Citysearch

great prices and great food. The place was packed but we were lucky to get a table. Spent $16 for two people and brought home leftovers! great place if you are on a budget.

  • Pros: food and price
  • Cons: little bit of a wait for food and could use someone to focus on cleaning table only
4 Star Rating: Recommended

06/19/08

A Highly Affordable Dumpling-fest

by nycinephile at Citysearch

The New York City Thrifty Gourmets Meetup Group field-tested Dumpling House (listed on printed menus as "Vanessa's Dumpling House") on Tuesday, June 17th at 8 PM. Testifying to the restaurant's popularity, a steady stream of diverse customers flowed in in order to dine at the limited number of tables and counter by the window, or order take-out. Vanessa didn't greet me with a smile or welcome, but did take my order quickly and promptly passed it to her three-member staff for preparation. Given the large number of customers and the many dishes being shuffled about, I felt that I needed to hover nearby in order to ensure that my order was filled correctly. I was not impressed by the hot and sour soup, but did appreciate that it was not filled with thickeners and nicely balanced its peppery and sour notes. My sandwich's cold beef was lackluster. Its sesame bread, though, was fresh, thick, warm and tasty. My fellow diners and I sampled a wide variety of steamed and fried dumplings and boiled won tons and enjoyed virtually all of them. I'll definitely return to enjoy more of the spicy won tons and the fried dumplings with pork and scallion! Citysearchers who visit Dumpling House as a group will be rewarded by being able to share the ample portions and split the cost---my fellow diners and I spent no more than $10 per person on our dumpling fest. :)

  • Pros: Spicy won tons; fried dumplings with pork and scallion; sesame bread; varied menu
  • Cons: Crowded; limited seating; orders not filled correctly

The Details on Vanessa's Dumpling House

Place Categories:

  • great boiled dumplings
  • great chinese food
  • efficient cheap
  • thick sesame bread
  • crunchy sesame pancakes
  • incredible value
  • favorite restaurant
  • great sesame
  • love place
  • tasty very
  • love staff members
  • cold beef
  • favorite fastfood
  • like crowd
  • order steamed vegetable dumplings
  • great nothing
  • love egg rolls
  • cold soy milk
  • fresh batch
  • pretty good soup
  • absolutely love everybody
  • affordable highly
  • beyond perfect price
  • good quality product
  • suprisingly friendly staff
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