BITES ON A BUDGET is a toothsome and tasty series where members of the OC family forage for great food––under $10!

Mercedes and I ventured into the Lower East Side to try out what the famously cheap Vanessa’s has to offer, and we were pretty pleased with the outcome. The chive and pork fried dumplings (four pieces for $1.00), cooked to perfection, were stuffed with fresh-tasting meat. We paired these with shrimp boiled dumplings (eight pieces for $4.00), a healthier choice that was no less flavorful.

I also ordered the vegetable noodle soup ($3.00) and Mercedes the peking duck noodle soup ($3.75). Sadly, they were hardly indistinguishable aside for the occasional pieces of duck floating in the broth... Luckily the sesame pancake with egg ($1.50) made everything worthwhile, and was hands-down our favorite dish. Complete with fresh bits of cucumber, it could double as a very scrumptious, Asian-inspired breakfast sandwich.

In order not to fall asleep into a food coma, we topped off our feast with two iced coffees (which, incidentally, tasted like a milkshake). Yum!

Photos by Mercedes Beach.

VANESSA'S DUMPLINGS
118 Eldridge Street
New York, NY 10002
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FILED UNDER: bites on a budget , vanessa's dumplings , food , mercedes beach , rachel hodin