On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Canal Street (J, M, Z, N, Q, R, W, 6)
Franklin St (1)
Canal-Church Sts (A, C, E)
"This is THE Dim Sum place to go! Sunday is traditionally when families would get together and go out for dim sum so this place get packed…" read more »
Loading...
EXCELLENT Dumpling House!!!
A cold and windy night in lower Manhattan- we wanted delivery with really only one requirement: Delicious, house made crab rangoon and warm dumpling soup. 20 minutes later our ordered arrived.. and we were both very impressed.
The crab rangoon was perfect- with a nice crisp wafery shell with a creamy perfectly seasoned filling. But the star here was the Chicken Dumpling Soup (steamed), with paper thin, tender wrapping around the ground chicken meat. With lots of bok choy.
Mmm.
I haven't tried other dishes (save a bite of the General Tso's Chicken, which my BF ordered: it arrived crisp and perfectly spicy, as he specified)- though the dumpling soup and the crab rangoon were super winners, and will be ordered again to our door in the near future.
Excellent dumplings, delicious scallion pancakes, quick service, super cheap lunch or dinner option.
My favorite dumplings in the city!
Most disgusting wonton soup I've ever had. Seriously, each wonton looked like a creepy brain and it was chewy and one had some weird hard piece stuck in it. Ew, just ew.
To top it off, it was also the most expensive wonton soup I've ever had.
Got tricked in by the name. Pushy waitstaff. Food not too special.
If you want good dumplings and decent teriyaki or chinese food fast this is the place to go.
There are lots of chinese places in the area (China Town). But this one is really quaint and quiet tasty.
Go out on a limb and try something new you should love it.
You know a place is fan-fricking-tastic when you hit it twice in one week.
My sister, buddy John, and I hit Excellent Dumpling House last week before seeing a play at SoHo rep. It was so off-the-hook great throw down dim-sum that when my buddy Dan and I went to see a show at Bowery Ballroom a few days later, I demanded that we pre-game at the Excellent Dumpling House.
Now...you must know why you are hitting this place. It's not ambiance. It's not to be pampered. It's to throw down copious amounts of kick ass dim sum at for realz Chinatown prices.
When my sis, John, and I went we got the following spread. Chicken Dumplings (crispy/tasty/great), Steamed Pork Buns(light/fluffy/sweet), Crab Wontons(standard/good), Scallion Pancakes(see below), and Chicken Fried Rice(very good). The food covered the table, it was all amazing, we stuffed ourselves silly, and our total check was $23....for the three of us. SHUT. UP.
The Scallion Pancakes (yes, I capitalized them out of respect) deserve special mention. Cut into little bite sized triangles, they are a hot, doughy mixture of scallion, herbs, spice, and bread. Dipped in soy sauce and popped into the mouth, they are a slice of New York heaven.
Everything in served up AS it comes off the grill. So everything that hits the table is steaming and sizzling hot.
The waiters basically take your order and disappear and the lighting is so bright it makes the DMV seem romantically lit. But...everyone's nice and the food comes quick. Someone in a position of authority came and pat me on the back as I mashed a Scallion Pancake into my face. "They're good, huh!?" I looked up at a kindly Chinese man in his forties beaming at me. I nodded vigorously and wiped the soy sauce from my chin.
I may just be in a really good mood, but this is the kind of place that makes me so happy to live in New York. If you're there this week, you'll probably see me. I'm headed back.
I came here with my girlfriend as we were waiting for some friends who were supposed to meet us in an hour for dinner, but we needed something to tide us over.
The articles on the front window piqued our curiosity so we got a single order of fried pork dumplings to go.
They were delicious. I am a fan of dumplings that have a lot of chew to them, and these are very chewy, so I loved them.
While we were waiting we salivated as we saw lots of noisy sizzling platters of noodles coming out of the kitchen, and so we resolved we'd come back another night.
As we suspected, everything was delicious, and super cheap. Plus, for dinner this place isn't as crowded as during lunch rush hour, so it's a good bet for a nice easy low-key dinner.
I'd give it more stars, but then, you can't give five to everything now, can you?
My grandpa makes the most kick-ass home grown Cantonese food ever so obviously no other Asian food fare can compete. Came here with the boyfriend to have a quick meal of veg dumplings, scallion pancakes & Shanghai noodles. It was really good and really fast. Glad we tried it...I'd go again...eventually.
I wouldn't rave about this place, nor send anyone here as a destination; however, if you work near the courts, it's a great way to break up the monotony of deli food every day for lunch.
They do rush you a bit, but I need a place to rush when I'm on my lunch hour and I think most of their clientele Monday through Friday between noon and 2 need the same thing. Both of my coworkers enjoyed their meals. I enjoyed mine. It was dirt cheap, too, for the amount of food we got.
Would I go back? Yes.
Excellent what?
We were rushed to order, to eat and to pay. They said the kitchen was closing soon but even after they served us our food they were still seating people. Grrrrrrr. Why don't you check to see if we paid again, d-bag, he did this more than a couple times.
The food was good and decent but not remarkable (see synonyms). I enjoyed it going down but once in the body I felt ehh. Because of the service I gave a 15% tip and was then asked do you want change, now I felt even more offended. My friends wanted to stay and annoy the staff but I just wanted out of there.
They probably have excellent delivery.
So I'm in Chinatown with my hubby because I wanted to buy a fake Gucci bag from those scary hidden rooms in the back of stores on Canal Street... we were hungry so this little restaurant caught our eye. We looked at the newspaper/magazine clippings posted on the outside wall along with their menu and decided to give it a try. Since I'm soo used to yelping the crap outta stuff before I go I thought to myself...'great, another dump, here goes.." but.......... I was pleasantly surprised!
Here's what we ordered:
Wonton and Shanghai Wonton Soup. Both great. ($4.95 each)
Scallion Pancake.. YUM.. crispity and crunchity. ($2.25)
Crab Rangoon... the BEST thing ever. Crunchy wonton wrapper with crab/cream cheese filling and fried to perfection. You MUST order this! Seriously, you MUST. ($4.00)
Chicken Corn Cake. YUK. Tastes like yesterdays chicken leftovers smashed up with some canned corn kernels and fried into a mushy mess. Just don't do it. ($4.95)
Cash only. Get in and Get out.
Good selection of appetizers, the fried dumplings are one of the best I've had. The entrees are just OK. Good place for a quick meal.
It's definitely not one of those 5/$1 dumpling places but it's worth the extra 4 bucks. I got some pork fried dumplings for I believe $5 and they were the best dumplings I've had outside of upscale authentic Asian restaurants. What made me REALLY happy was the pairing of the spicy dipping sauce. In so many of these little chinese joints, they only give you soy sauce, but the spicy dipping sauce is my favorite part. So when I saw it here, I was ecstatic.
the restaurant itself is always crowded and you have to share your table with other people which is kind of interesting. but for take out or delivery this place is awesome.
I've only been here for lunch and each time, the restaurant has been totally packed. In fact, when I was there last week, my friend and I were seated at a round table at which a group of businessmen were already eating their food. We didn't care though because the cheap, hot and tasty Chinese food came within ten minutes and more than made up for what could have felt like an awkward seating arrangement. The lunch specials are a total steal: you get a main dish with soup, vegetable fried rice and a fried wonton for no more than $6.50 at most. If you can block out the crowds and the mint green tiled walls which are better suited for a bathroom, you'll be very happy that you chose to eat here.
lovelovelove this place! i've been going for 5 years now and it continues to be just as good as the first time. the service is fast albeit not smiley-friendly and the food always comes out piping hot. the only thing is this place is cash only but i don't mind the inconvenience because the food is so yummy. def my go-to spot even when i'm starving.
i usually order the: steamed seafood dumplings, vegetable rice cake, thai pork chop and/or korean bbq beef and i'm never disappointed....and neither are any of my friends that i've brought here.
Excellent Dumpling House. BAD EXPERIENCE.
1. I asked for water 3 times, from 3 different waiters. Finally after asking the 3rd waiter again, got it. Meal was almost done.
2. I ordered two orders of pork soup dumplings. They brought me some other steamed pork dumplings. Refused to take one of the orders back.
3. The soup dumplings are decent. But Shanghai Cuisine is better. Not as loud or hectic, better service, better dumplings. Even Joe's are better.
If you go here, order takeout. The atmosphere and service SUCKS.
Standard dumplings at this no-frills cafe.
$
This is where I would go every 4 years when, like clock work, I would be summoned for jury duty. It's convenient to the court house and although the place is pretty much a dump - you can get good, cheap dumplings (Good - not excellent) and Excellent scallion pancakes.
They also offer a small sampling of rice dishes.
But the dumplings are not the showstopper here - it's the scallion pancakes. Just the right amount of greasy, crispy and full of scallions.
Oh - and it's really, really, really cheap to eat here. Cash only though - so bring some.
I have to admit, it was all the Zagat, New York Times and various articles posted on the outside window that beckoned me in.
Food was good, I don't know about good enough to warrant all that fanfare but incredibly cheap! Try an average of $6 for something over rice. Think....beef over rice, spicy chicken & whatever over rice. For $6 this cannot be beat! And it's good! I just wish I hadn't read all those articles pasted out front.
The best dumplings in the city! WOW! The Shanghai won-ton soup is really tasty. I recommend that and the scallion pancakes. The service is really rushy, but if you can ignore that you will be able to enjoy nyc's greatest dumplings! Oh, and they are SO CHEAP! cash only!
I don't know...based on how some of the recent reviewers rated this place, I probably would have avoided it. Fortunately, I didn't read the reviews before I tried the food and I am very happy I did. As a visitor from out-of-state, I only discovered this place because I came here with my family. This is one of their favorite places to eat in the city.
The pork jaozi (or yaki mandu) was so tasty and no, it was not greasy. The meat was cooked well and yet tender and flavorful. And the pork siu mai was perfect! The meat again was juicy and flavorful. The mapo tofu was also very tasty. Too bad we ate so much earlier in the day at another place or we certainly would have ordered more dishes.
Hard to give a place five stars based only on the three dishes I tried but this place is known as a dumpling place and the dumplings we ordered were indeed excellent.
When family and I lunched at the Excellent Dumpling House, we didn't actually get dumplings, which is what they're famous for. ("Dumpling" is even in their name!) Most of us ordered noodle soup, which turned out to be reasonably priced at $4 to $5 a bowl, depending on the contents (beef, chicken, pork chop, etc.). Everything was delicious and came to our table quickly, piping hot. Considering this place is a Chinatown restaurant - and a small one at that - it was crazy crowded, yet service was decent, and we didn't actually need to share seats with anyone.
Recommended.
Only come here for the dumplings. Anything else is mediocre, at best.
I had the pan-fried pork dumplings and their hot appetizers sampling. The pork dumplings were SO GOOD as well as the pork steamed bun that came with the sampling. Those two stick out and I'm still dreaming of them.
The others that came with the sampling were good, just not memorable. It could be because they were completely deep-fried, and I'm not too keen on that.
Otherwise, good, fast and cheap - just like how I like my men, I mean, dumplings.
$4.75 ($5.20 w/ tax) for 8 steamed crab meat shanghai buns (love the touch of ginger slices) or pan fried dumplings (great pork filling)..your choice. They also serve a chicken dumpling which my friend loved along with a seafood dumpling that was ok. This place is always packed to the gills on weekends and it's no wonder why. There's no real competition around the Lafayette Chinatown immediate area.
I took my foodie meetup here:
http://www.meetup.com/...
Totally crowded during lunch time. They have smaller tables for 2-4 people, but also bigger round tables that are communal. Cheap and good tasting food. It was so crowded and busy that it's one of those places where the waiters want to rush you out as soon as you're done eating- which I didn't care for. But overall, decent and cheap lunch and I can't complain.
Excellent Dumpling House is excellent. Do not be unappealed by the way the restaurant looks inside or out. Food there is amazing, but you have to keep it simple. They're dumplings are very good except they're dumplings are a little doughy. The have very good noodles and small dishes. There's great service is magnificent. After you order the food it comes within 5 minutes. It may sound like the food isn't cooked fresh but it is. Overall this restaurant is very good and quick. You should definitely go.
Guys, don't be fooled by this trick the foreigner place.
Head to Joe's Shanghai (even though the dumplings are of different style) or Allen St Fried Dumpling for cheap dumplings.
This place also have a minimum eating price requirement(I forgot how much). It's been years I've eaten here, but after that one time - I decided never to come back.
The dumplings are kind of thick, and of mediocre quality. Basically, said - I have had relatives make it of equal quality. The place is also super cramped, and the interior reminds me of a bathroom. Definitely not a clean restaurant.
This is my favorite dumpling house and I've tried most of them - they just use a lot more filling variety (than just pork) like chicken and seafood, and it's in the thinner wrapping paper. It's a lot more expensive (5 for $5) than the 5 for $1 you get at all the other dumpling places.
The tea was good. Better than some other teas that I've had at other Chinese restaurants. That is my first compliment to this restaurant.
The second, third, fouth, fifth, etc. compliments all pertain to the food. So, without further ado, here is a list of what we ate and what I thought of each:
Chicken dumplings -- Delicious! They were cooked perfectly, and the filling inside had such good flavoring. Yum!
Beef with garlic sauce -- Awesome flavor. You could taste the garlic, but it didn't overpower the entire meal. My only complaint about this dish is that the veggies were plentiful, but the meat was slightly scarce. It could've used a bit more beef. But other than that, both the beef and veggies tasted great.
Pork fried rice -- Excellent! Great flavor, served nice and hot, and it wasn't dominated by peas and carrots. Sometimes, chinese restaurants put too many veggies in their rice and that totally takes away from the flavor and consistency. Not in this case. This rice was yummy.
25 bucks, tax and tip included, fed 2 people, and we still had a bit of food left over. Not bad, not bad at all. With my left over money, I was able to go back to Chinatown and buy all kinds of illegal goods and wares. Aaahhh...sweet, sweet syndicated street peddling. I love it. :)
Yay for: Fried Pork Dumplings, Scallion Pancake, Mixed Dumpling Soup (the greens are amazing).
Boo for: Roaches that hang out while you eat, the buggie I found IN my Mixed Dumpling Soup, the bathroom tile decor.
Overall, if you can get over the infestation problem and remember how delicious everything is, you'll enjoy this place. I'd have given it 4 stars if I hadn't seen the roach and the bug the same night...and I'd give it 5 if it had a nicer ambience AND no critters.
Excellent Dumpling House is one of those places that you can kind of take a quick perusal of-- inside and out-- and discern that perhaps they're not the cleanest behind the scenes, if only because they're so BUSY BUSY BUSY. I mean, the tables get a quick swipe with just a damp rag-- there's no cleaner involved there, and that's how they operate after each and every diner gets up from the communal tables. And how many of those diners are thinking to wash their hands after the subway?
But even as I say all that, honestly, it's never deterred me. It's TOTALLY one of those eat at your own risk places. Kind of like the taco truck. Or the taco stand in the back of the dollar store. Or the dude selling shwarma on the street. Or Olive Garden. It's appearances, mostly-- MY kitchen isn't always the cleanest, and so I doubt that most restaurants can be spick and span. I mean, Gordon Ramsay doesn't run the worlds' restaurants.
I used to make it my ritual that every Wednesday, my day off, I would go there and indulge in some dumplings. It's been awhile since I went, and am due to return. The dumpling soup is great. Even traditionally Americanized dishes are above average. Maybe it's the hustle and bustle and the slightly superior feeling you may feel when you accept the brusque nature of the waitstaff and watch with bemusement the tourists who invariably take too long to decide and piss off the waitress, but something about the crammed, no-frills, hectic atmosphere lends itself to an enjoyable eating experience. But that's just me; I eat tacos from the back of a truck.
A Times critic needs to visit Excellent Dumpling House again and update its review.
I hosted a group of eight Meetup-ers in a field test of this restaurant this past Tuesday. We were somewhat satisfied with our experience, at best.
FOOD: Most of the dishes we ordered were greasy. Some of the meats were of only adequate quality and seemed stale. The flavoring of the dishes was unexceptional.
SERVICE: Our hostess remembered our plan to visit, and seated us at a round, comfortable table. Our server was friendly and efficient.
ATMOSPHERE: The furnishings here---a painting, and photos of some of the dishes---have faded. Several members of our party reported that the restroom was not clean.
VALUE: We ordered eight dishes and four appetizers, at a per person cost of $14.
OVERALL: Worth a trip only under extreme circumstances. Chinatown offers much better options, including Grand Szechuan, Big Wong King and NY Noodletown.
I knew it was a bad sign when I began fantasizing about the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory midway through the meal.
Golly, I really don't care for this place. Why it has become to go-to lunch spot for jurors I just can't imagine. There are so many better, more authentic options around (like next door).
It's kind of like the corner deli/diner whose awning or neon reads, "Best coffee in the World." It's a cute claim but we don't take it seriously, now do we. Just because it's called excellent don't mean it is. That's for damn sure.
If you're looking for a clean and aesthetically pleasing dumpling house, or any restaurant for that matter, this is not the place to go!
It's kinda dumpy, there's not much seating room, and they want you in and out. I've never experienced any bugs in my food or around me for that matter but maybe I was too focused on my scallion pancakes... crispy and slightly greasy. YUM! The dumplings are good and the food is cheap, that's A-OK for me!
Cheap, fast delivery, pretty tasty. I like their wonton soup a lot. I never do sit-down here.. too ugly and cheap chinese food is meant for the couch. Cash-only is a little annoying.
A friend and I were in Chinatown and we were starving. We decided to go to Excellent Dumpling House because, asides from being amused by the name, we figured eating somewhere EXCELLENT would be a good idea.
We were pleasently surprised. The food is cheap. CHEAP! We went for lunch, and I ordered the Shanghai Wonton Soup, which was massive, delicious, loaded with obviously freshly-made wontons, bok choy and other noodles, and only $4.50. We didn't know the portions would be so large for the price, so we wound up looking like slobs with the lot of food we ordered and subsequently couldn't finish. We wound up with the soup, lo mein, vegetable dumplings, egg rolls and AMAZING $1.75 scallion pancakes all for $20.00.
I was reading the other reviews and I wasn't aware of the uh, infestation problem. Luckily we didn't see or accidentally eat any roaches. Which is good thing, because the horribly cramped interior would result in lots of tables, chairs and people getting knocked over in my frantic attempts to escape the vicinity of large roaches.
That's the biggest negative about this place-- the space. Although service is lightning speed and turnover is quick, it is so, so small. My friend and I sat at a table with four people we didn't know. Prepare to be bumped into, have your ear screamed into, and shuffle around alot. It is very loud in there-- the staff tends to yell. A lot.
Overall though, twas a good experience. I would definitely, definitely go back. And hopefully not wind up with Egg Foo Roach.
I used to frequent here all of the time when I lived in NYC. Second best dumplings I've had.. the best were at New Green Bo. A little bit on the more pricey side, but very delicious. You may have a difficult time getting water.. they only give you tea and you have to ask about 5 times before they will bring you water (which they won't refill).
The dumplings are good..better than those you'll find in the fast food Chinese-American places. The dough isn't thick and it's meaty. Although their other food isn't consistant for me. I thought the fried rice was ok, but dissappointed in the spring rolls. I guess I favor Chinese restaurants in Queens more than Manhattan...oh btw this place is Cash-Only..like most restaurants in the area.
The food is good, overall.
try the ***burnt creme***, YUMMY. Best 5 dollars you will spend in Chinatown, really.
yumm! fast service. the ambiance is not good, but it's china town. c'mon.
shrimp & broccoli on rice is good. it's not terribly authentic chinese, but i think if it were, it might make me feel ill. although i'm getting dumplings next time.
$10 minimum for delivery.
Peking Duck Lunch Special
Neighborhood: Midtown East
NYC Restaurant Week All…
Neighborhood: Midtown East
Neighborhood: Little Italy
Category: Chinese
Neighborhood: Little Italy
Category: Chinese
Neighborhood: Chinatown
Category: Chinese
Neighborhood: Chinatown
Category: Chinese
Neighborhood: Lower East Side
Category: Asian Fusion
For when you feel like eating ohhh 500 hot dogs or…
Manhattan musts for the out-of-towner; and a few…
I lived here for 7 years.. and what I miss the…
