Tucked between a diner and a psychic reading room, Excellent Dumpling House might seem like a place you should just keep walking past and instead choose any of the other 6,000+ restaurants that are scattered across Manhattan, but you’d be missing out. This Shanghainese dim sum spot has been in service for over 40 years serving a variety of small plates for dine-in or carryout, and they do it very well. It might not be a looker and the staff and decor are no-nonsense, but the dumplings and the noodles are some of the best I’ve had in New York City.
Vegetable Spring Rolls
This is the only dish that is not pictured because I ate them so fast. These were crispy fried vegetable spring rolls served with a sweet and sour dipping sauce and a ginger soy dipping sauce. I highly recommend starting off with these. They are GBD (golden brown delicious), and if you’ve ever taken a class at TCB, you know how important that is to us.
Cold Noodle with Sesame Oil and Peanut Sauce
I always think I only need one order of these noodles, but as soon as I get to the bottom of the bowl, I’m already thinking about ordering the next one and am most definitely ordering another round of soup dumplings as well (let’s be honest).
It’s really important to note that I absolutely hate peanut butter. The scent and texture turns my stomach, so much so that every cold noodle with peanut sauce I’ve ever tried has overwhelmed my senses. By some culinary miracle, this dish has found a way to balance the flavors of peanut butter with sesame oil and sesame seeds into a perfect sauce, mixed into chilled and spiced noodles, and topped with sliced cucumbers for a little crunch. This dish is unmatched.
Steamed Mushroom and Vegetable Dumpling
This is a really great example of crimp work at its finest. Look at those details! This is a great vegetarian option and does not skimp on the flavor whatsoever. It’s also stuffed to the edge with filling making it a savory, satisfying bite.
Steamed Shrimp Dumpling
Shrimp dumplings have never been my go to but I was truly taken aback by how bouncy and fresh the shrimp was inside of this dumpling. Typically when I’ve gotten seafood dumplings, they are served as a paste but these were whole chunks and it was insanely delicious and indulgent.
Steamed Pork Xiao Long Bao (Soup Dumplings)
Soup dumplings are a labor of love and when they are done in such a way that you poke through that beautiful thin, slightly chewy dumpling skin and steaming hot soup pours out, you know you’ve come to the right place. The pork filling is perfectly seasoned and the broth is light and aromatic. The dumplings are small and cute but they pack a ton of flavor and as previously stated, I will always be ordering a second batch.
The entire regular menu is available until 9:45pm which includes some classics like fried rice, stir fried noodle dishes and more, but on brand with the city that never sleeps, a limited late night menu is available until 1am, and features all of the items I happily consumed.
If you’re in NYC, stop by 23rd street and 7th avenue and leave with a full belly and an even fuller heart.
Looking for more spots while you’re in the city? Check out Chef Alex’s blog on great restaurants in Flushing, Queens or Chef Max’s catalog of worthwhile spots in a variety of boroughs.
If you want to learn how to make a variety of Asian food at home, join us for these upcoming hands-on classes:
