Vanessa’s Dumpling House

My dinner companion wanted to come here which I wasn’t to thrill but I’m always willing to try new places so I gave in. I ordered the two dumplings, pork and mushrooms and chicken. They were okay nothing special but very filling. Each order came with three and I was only able to eat 4 out of the 6, I’m sure if they were better I could have ate them all.

1. Solid dumplings.
2. Solid price.
3. Solid speed.
What more can I say?
Notes & highlights:
— $ 10 minimum for credit card.
— Pan fried dumplings over boiled for more flavor.
— Steamed buns are light, airy and delicious.
— Sesame pancakes… deadly scrumptious.
— Gets pretty packed at times — be ready to grab a seat!

Very displeased with the service and disappointed with them. Placed an order for delivery and it took them 2 hours for the food to arrive and it was cold. It wasn’t a huge order, just 3 items and a soda. Not happy at all with the food or service and they didn’t even bother to apologize for the long wait.

So good and so cheap. It can take a little while to get your food, so don’t bank on it being a quick bite during rush times.

for less than $ 20 two of had four items, and two beers and everything was good.

For $ 20 we had enough food to be full them decided on 2 beers. A little over $ 20 and to be full and satisfied well yum to you Vanessa Dumplings.

Nothing special. Taro bubble tea was flavorless. Dumplings were meh. Would not rush back.

Everyday at least one person from my company goes to Vanessa’s for lunch. One order of perfectly pan-​fried dumplings for $ 1.70, soup for $ 2.00, or a sesame sandwich at $ 3.75, who wouldn’t?!
There is a fair amount of table seating for large and small parties, including two «hidden» tables in the back for the days when you want to hide from the world. There’s always soy sauce and watered down sriracha sauce to drench your dumplings in.
I always get an order of Chive and Pork dumplings (4 pieces). If you peek over the counter, they cook on a giant wok in massive amounts, and always with a quick turnaround. Perfect for a quick bite.
They also have sesame bread sandwiches, which is an interesting take on the classic Chinese breakfast. While normally eaten as plain, soaked in its grease and scallion filled goodness, Vanessa’s has decided to combine it with beef, pork, chicken, kimchi to make it a sandwich. An interesting fusion of American and classic Chinese ingredients. I’ve tried the kimchi sandwich, which is literally kimchi stuffed in the bread, and it’s actually quite delicious! Will come back to try the other flavors… probably tomorrow for lunch.
The dumpling noodle soup is a great value for what you’re getting. Decent amount of noodles, dumplings, and vegetables. The broth was quite salty, but it’s great for the price and amount for one portion.
Overall, great value, tasty food, close to work. What more can you ask for? #meetyouatvanessas

Unimpressed.
Ordered the chicken basil dumplings served in «soup,» which was so bland, I hesitate to even call it legit soup. Kinda bold of em to charge an extra dollar to get it served in this flavorless stuff.
Props for not using msg, but a bit of seasoning would’ve gone a long way. Tried to add some soy sauce and Siracha to the dumplings, but that could only do so much. The dumpling skin was thick and mushy, and the meat inside lacked flavor as well.
Service was amusing. One lady copped an attitude with me when I asked for an extra bowl to split the dumplings with my boyfriend. She just stared back at me with this annoyed look on her face and asked, «what for?»…as if I needed to give her a better reason before she’s willing to grant me an extra plastic bowl. I eventually got the bowl, but not without a some shade and a side-​eye.

So happy to have run into this place after a disappointing trip to the bagel store. It was quite cozy. We ordered the pan fried pork and chive dumplings which are my favorite as well as the scallion pancakes both were delicious. I love this place more than the union square location. This will be my new go to.

Whenever I work in Williamsburg, I make sure to order from Vanessa’s Dumplings. I placed an order this afternoon of flat noodles with pork and broth and a side order of chive dumplings and asked for delivery.
The woman who took my order was very kind and did not rush me off the phone like many others places do. I asked how long till the food arrives and she said thirty minutes, which is the usual expected time for many takeout restaurants. Within fifteen minutes of getting off the phone my food arrived!
It was delicious. The pork was tender and juicy and the noodles were perfectly cooked. The dumplings were a little crispy on the outside but soft on the inside.

So this review and four star has nothing to do with the establishment… only the food!
Planned on going to the location but due to the rain figured I would order delivery.
Ordered: Dan Dan Mien (noodles with spicy meat sauce. Pan fried chicken dumplings. Assorted boiled dumplings and a strawberry bubble tea.
The noodles were great. Pan fried dumplings were amazing. The boiled are not my favorite but this place does them correctly. Bubble tea was good.
Delivery took about 35 – 40 minutes
Total order $ 18.50

I felt like kung fu panda eating dumplings. The pancake sandwich was interesting to see and yummy. I had the beef, cilantro and carrots sandwich. We also had to try the pan fried chicken with basil dumpling along with the bun version. All I can say is delicious! We also ordered 2 passion fruit bubble teas, they were to sugary. I mean diabetic coma! I would recommend using less sugar.

4 stars for being so damn cheap. No, its not the most delicious place in the neighborhood. The dumplings are workaday, filling, acceptable, but I can’t stop ordering delivery because 1) seamless is addictive 2) they are fast and consistent and 3) its two generous meals for the $ 15 minimum. About as cheap as the taco truck. Ya gotta love that.
That said, I think that the noodles in the noodle soup are too mushy. Dumplings are better, and the «sesame pancake» is more like thick, fried bread, a sandwich more than a traditional pancake.
I’m enjoying exploring their menu.

I like the Manhattan location best (prices slightly lower) but this spot definitely satisfies the craving for late night dumplings, especially if you live in the area.
Oddly enough, I feel like the Sesame Pancakes here are the best items on the menu. The dumplings are good, don’t get me wrong, but I just enjoy other places dumplings so much more. The Sesame Pancakes are so good and you can add an egg to any of them for around 75 cents. Peking Duck with an egg was my favorite so far.
Overall, other dumplings spots have cheaper prices than Vanessa’s in general but may be less accommodating and organized when it comes to their menus, service, etc. Vanessa’s is good for that, they’ve altered the Chinese fast food experience to be a bit easier but that comes with a slight increase in price.

Ever since Prosperity got shut down for sanitation violations (which honestly don’t surprise me– you’d see that in places like China!), I’ve lost a small piece of what I love about New York City’s Chinatown.
Luckily, Vanessa has come through to offer a very similar menu for very affordable prices. The key differences here is that you can actually come inside and have a seat, do work, and continue to order more dumplings should you feel like eating more. All you need to do is tell the worker what number off the menu you want, and they get on it hella quick.
My favorites have always been the pork and chives steamed dumplings. I am not a fan of fried dumplings, but those also seem to be a real winner here. Really though– the entire menu is so vast, and if you had just $ 5, you would still be able to come out full and satisfied.
The restaurant looks cleaner, feels nicer, and doesn’t necessarily push you to leave once you are done. Definitely check this place out to fill that little dumpling void that we all know and need.

Perhaps I stand alone on this, but I really don’t care for Vanessa’s at all.
First off, the most important part of Vanessa’s is the dumplings. Personally, I think the skin of the dumplings are way too thick and mushy. Second most important part of a dumpling house is the table sauces which seem waterdowned, amiright? The only thing I would come back for is the bubble tea, but even so I felt the boba balls were, again, too mushy. I have yet to try the scallion pancake and some of the other items on the menu, but I don’t think I’ll be coming back anytime soon to try.
This one was just a miss for me.
If you happen to be in Chinatown, change your plans and head to Shu Jiao Fu Zhou for some grade-​A dumplings.

Biking from Midtown to Williamsburg needed to refuel! This place was a perfect! Allowed us to try a few things on the menu without over eating. And nice priced — cheap but doesn’t mean cheap quality food.
We ordered the Vegetarian, Pork Dumplings, and Variety Option.
Was fun to watch them cook in the open kitchen floor plan.
Perfect for grab & go.

Been here a million times and never written a review until now… but here we go.
Great, cheap eats with three locations (Union Sq, Chinatown, Williamsburg). Quick service, reliable, and consistent. You always know what you’re getting and if you’re tight on time or cash, it’s a great and tasty option. (credit card minimum $ 10). Here’s a quick run down of my top choices at Vanessa’s (not ranked in order of preference, with the exception of #1)
1. spicy wontons – hot chili oil, garlicky goodness, topped with cilantro and scallion. filled with pork and chives, ooh! my favorite option on the menu here ($ 5)
2. pan fried pork and chive dumplings – 4 to an order and the cheapest, fastest and most abundant option here. $ 1.50, juicy, nothing fancy, dough is thicker than I’d like, but at these prices, who’s complaining?!
3. boiled shrimp dumplings – have some broth swimming around inside them, so be careful or you’ll have a little squirt of hot liquid. Delicious, $ 5, 8 pieces to an order, mmm.
4. boiled veggie dumplings – 8 pieces, pretty delicious, but nothing to write home about.
5. sesame pancakes with chicken – bit on the oily side, but a delicious, filling sandwich. could be enhanced by some jalapenos or other hot peppers
6. boiled chicken and basil– not much to say, but try these. (especially good option if you like meat, but no pork on your fork)
there are way more things on the list. pork buns, miso soup, noodle soup, dumplings in soup and it’s all very affordable. Not to mention, there’s also the option to buy your favorite dumplings frozen and in bulk, so that you can prepare them on your own at home.
WISH THEY WOULD STOP USING WATERED-​DOWN SRIRACHA!!! GIMME THAT REAL GOOD STUFF

First of all I am not sure why this specific location has lower reviews than the other two locations… the Williamsburg location is by far the best of them all!
Now how can I summarize my love for Vanessas in one Unilocal review… I can’t but I will try anyway.
I love Vanessas and you should too. The food is fast, f*cking delicious, and dirt CHEAP. As someone with a v. sensitive stomach I will even recommend this place, I have never felt sick, gotten a migraine or regretted eating here.
Moving on to why I love it so much… the food!!! Obviously you need to get an order of #1 the pork and chive fried dumplings $ 1.25 for 4 you can’t say no. My number one pick would be the chicken and basil boiled dumplings they are full of flavor AND you must add the hot and spicy sauce which comes with cilantro hot oil and hot peppers, yes please! The duck pancake is by far my favorite of the sandwiches, I recommend adding carrots since this one just comes with carrots. Also if you’re getting a sandwich you may as well get the chicken/​beef/​pork noodle soup to dip it in. The chicken noodle soup was recommended to me by the staff and it blows your regular chicken noodle soup OUT OF THE WATER, seriously if you have a cold and you don’t live with your mom but you need some nurturing, order this soup– you won’t regret it.
Also possibly the cheapest beer in the area… so jump on that as well. It may not be the cleanest and you may have no where to put your trash but so what, this isn’t fine dining, this is the best of the best cheap eats you can get.
WARNING once you try Vanessa’s you will be coming back.