Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
A huge feast including beers for three people came to $34 before tip. Even carnivores enjoy the
VegetarianDimSum
House
(
212/577-7176
), at 24 Pell St., which does satisfying mock-meat versions of all the traditional dishes, minus
the carts.
—Stephen Bassman
Super Taste Restaurant
CHINESE
In the back of this bare-bones soup shop, you can see the noodle-maker at
work, stretching dough as ritualistically as a pizza-maker. The noodles themselves are taut and flavorful, dunked
into a rich beef broth that originated along the Silk Road. Soups average $5. Steamed dumplings with silky wrap-
pings make a great side at $3.
26 Eldridge St., btw. Canal and Division sts.
212/625-1198.
Daily 10am-11pm. Subway: F to E. Broadway; B/D to Grand St.
Vanessa's Dumpling House
CHINESE/DUMPLINGS
If they tripled their prices, this shop on the Lower East
Side end of Chinatown would still be cheap. They offer an amazing $2.25 sandwich, a big wedge of sesame pan-
cake with roasted beef or pork in a fresh cilantro and carrot dressing. Add 25¢ and go full-on gourmet with Pek-
ing duck. Dumplings make a great side, at four for $1 and cooked in a thick, flavorful wrapping. Soups start at
$1 and buns at three for $1. A renovation doubled the size and made things less chaotic, with some tables for sit-
down dining.
There are additional locations on 14th Street and in Williamsburg, but prices are slightly
higher and the food's not quite as good.
118 Eldridge St., btw. Broome and Grand sts.
212/625-8008.
Daily 7:30am-10:30pm. Subway: B/D to Grand St. Other locations:
EastVillage,
220 E. 14th St., btw. Second and Third aves.
212/529-1329.
Subway: L to Third Ave.
Williamsburg,Brooklyn,
310 Bedford Ave., btw. S. 1st and
S. 2nd sts.
718/218-8806.
Subway: L to Bedford Ave.; J/M/Z to Marcy Ave.
Yi Mei Gourmet Food
CHINESE
I'm all for capitalism if it means that two tasty buffets will set up side-by-side
shops and battle it out for the cheapest, freshest food around. Yi Mei and its neighbor Golden Bowl both put out
a dozen-plus daily entrees, from salt-and-pepper shrimp to century eggs to baby
bokchoy.
Choose any four items
and it's $4, and that includes a cup of soup (which resembles bathwater and should be skipped). Both restaurants
are good, but for my (almost no) money, Yi Mei's got the edge.
51 Division St., btw. Market and Catherine sts.
212/925-1921.
Daily 7am-9pm. Subway: F to E. Broadway; J/N/Q/R/Z/6 to Canal St.
3 Lower East Side
Bereket Turkish Kebob House
TURKISH
The guys working here never got the memo that fast food doesn't re-
quire four-star taste. The $3.50 falafel is crispy, served in a flavorful pita with farm-fresh tomatoes and lettuce.
The rest of the menu is even better. My own personal addiction is the
adana
kabob, a spicy blend of lamb and
beef, available as a $6 pita sandwich.
187 E. Houston St., at Orchard St.
212/475-7700.
Daily 24 hr. Subway: F to Second Ave.
Congee Village
CHINESE
The Chinese-Disney-acid trip interior here has recently been scaled back, resulting in
a marble and brick expanse that could
almost
pass for classy. The house specialty is congee, a hearty rice porridge
that starts at $3.50 and comes in multiple combinations (I love the squid with ginger). For sharing, try the house
special chicken, a banquet plate of garlicky delight at $9 for a half. Lunch specials, served over rice, average $4.25.
The original space is wildly popular; for shorter waits try the Bowery satellite. Ask to sit on the upper
level.
100 Allen St., btw. Delancey and Broome sts.
212/941-1818.
www.congeevillagerestaurants.com
.
Sun-Thurs 10:30am-12:30am; Fri-Sat
10:30am-2am. Subway: F to Delancey St.; J/M/Z to Essex St. Other location:
Bowery,
207 Bowery, btw. Spring and Rivington sts.
212/
766-2828.
Subway: J/Z to Bowery; 6 to Spring St.
