Vanessa’s Dumpling House

Good luck nabbing a place to sit here—the modest Chinatown eatery is typically packed to the gills due to its super-cheap-yet-super-tasty chive-and-pork dumplings. At four delicious fried dumplings for just $1.50, diners can get their fill with just a few bucks and still have money left over for sesame pancakes sandwiches and steamed buns. On a nice day, grab the food to go and settle with the crew under a tree at Sara D. Roosevelt Park a block west. If you’d like to try your hand at cooking a batch at home, a bag of 50 dumplings ranges $10–$15.