Sunday, May 23, 2010

Vanessa's Dumpling House

I realize whole heartedly that reviewing a restaurant on a blog dedicated to improving heath seems like a bit of a diversion, but I just have to. I am so thrilled to find a place in NYC where I could get an astronomically cheap, yet healthy meal. Besides, I want to live a healthy, normal life. Part of that life being able to go out from time to time.
Vanessa's is on Eldridge, in the border of the lower East side and the village. It has a few tables and chairs, so people share tables. The menu is very simple: Dumplings, boiled or fried. Fillings, chicken, pork, shrimp, veg. You can have them alone or in soup broth. You can also have sesame pancake sandwiches with your choice of filling. They are usually filled with finely chopped, but bountiful veg, and then a lean protein. My Sweetheart's was filled with egg. 4 dumplings is 1.50. A sandwich is 2.50. The price is just unbelievable. I had 5 boiled dumplings of various kinds. I think the pork and scallion were the best, with the shrimp being a close second only to the veggie. I could have left the chicken and chive. They were just OK. They also have buns with the fillings, but I thought they were a bit heavy on the bread.
All in all, 3 people, bill was less than 20 bucks and everyone took stuff home.

Great win for the day!
Hope you have a strong start for this week!
Where are your healthy eateries in your town?

4 comments:

  1. If you were to draw a business plan out, Vanessa's Dumpling House would probably not be it. After all, sharing tables? Nevertheless, I bet they are wildly successful. It seems that if people know the food is good and reasonably priced, they will come out of the woodwork to eat there.

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  2. We like to eat at a nice little place in town near our office called Scovie's. There's lots of healthy items to choose from but I LOVE the cherry chicken salad! :)

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  3. hello from a fellow dumpling lover! i live near a mini chinatown and have found a shanghai dumpling restaurant where i can buy bags of their delicious dumplings, frozen. i keep a stash handy and boil them up in a homemade broth of basically veggie stock, onion, spring onion/shallots, chilli, ginger and soy sauce. mmm.

    like you say, they're a healthier option, plus they're cheap, convenient and so tasty!

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  4. It's good to spread the word when you find a great place! Dumplings are so yummy. I make nice ones too :o)

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