I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a bit of a creature of habit when it comes to certain things in life: walking routes with my dog, Friday night pizza delivery, and places to eat in Chinatown. And ever since my jury duty stint 2 years ago in lower-Manhattan, the Excellent Dumpling House has remained my go-to for the latter.
While always crowded, service is exceptionally speedy and I’ve never waited to get a seat as a solo diner. Communal dining is the norm in this no-frills joint, but don’t worry, people are too busy slurping on their big bowls of noodles so conversation engagement is rare.
You’ll start with a pot of (free!) hot tea while perusing the menu. Obviously, their excellent dumplings are a solid choice (veggie dumplings being my fave), and I’d also order a side of scallion pancakes…crispy, crunchy, and packs a punch of flavor, especially when soaked in soy sauce. So good, so good!
They have the more traditional “Chinese lunch” (seen below) that will give you a bowl of soup, main dish, spring roll and rice for a little under $7. Bonus points for having the best egg drop soup I’ve ever tasted…complete with corn nibbles!
Have to say…the saddest part of that trial ending was my daily lunches at the Excellent Dumpling House, so I always make a point to swing by for some bites whenever I’m in the hood. The only thing this place is guilty of is living up to its name.
WHERE: Excellent Dumpling House 111 Lafayette Street New York, New York
Jessica Tiare Bowen lives in the juicy Big Apple with her adorable pink-nosed chihuahua, Gillman. He’s the inspiration for her first published children’s book, “Park Avenue Pound Puppy.” The book is the combined result of her two greatest passions: pooches and penning stories.
Her passions include art, urban hikes through Manhattan, drinking coffee with 3 creams and 6 sugars, making extremely detailed itineraries and traveling to far away places, singing along to Broadway shows, Netflix movie nights, discovering incredible treasures at Goodwill and thrift stores, and listening to stories from little people under 7 and big people over 70.
She started her career as New York City Teaching Fellow, teaching elementary school and theater arts at a special education school in the South Bronx for 6 years. She is now a Special Education School Improvement Specialist working in public schools throughout New York City. She is the Editor-In-Chief of the online New York City travel magazine, Used York City. The magazine focuses on finding the best of New York…as used by New Yorkers. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and an ASPCA Ambassador.