In lieu of Prosperity Dumplings?

Question

With the (temporary?) shut-down of Prosperity by the health department, is there any place in Chinatown that has emerged as a favorite for cheap soup and dumplings? I'd been all set for duck-noodle soup, but found out that Prosperity is still closed.

Answer

Also Vanessa's on Eldridge & North Dumpling on Essex. Prosperity is pretty easy to replace.

Answer

I never understood why people liked prosperity so much. I mean sure, the dumplings were cheap, but in terms of taste it easily ranks in the bottom end of the pile. All the other joints mentioned by other posters are above it, but personally I prefer Lam Zhou Handmade Noodle at 114 e broadway. But yeah, most of the FJ hand pulled noodles that carry dumplings should have better dumplings than Prosperity.

Answer

I thought I'd come back with an update.

Thanks, SmallH, for reminding me of Vanessa. As it happens, I hate Vanessa. I used to go in their previous incarnation - they were called something straightforward like Fried Dumplings, and I had the wonderful fluky luck to discover a brilliant sesame-pancake-with-beef there. But when they renovated, enlarged, and renamed themselves, it became such a rude, unpleasant zoo that I stopped going. But I was willing to give it another shot. So I went for soup. They're just as rude and unpleasant as ever. And their soup was bland and awfully stingy with the contents So I still hate them. Although I suppose I should check out their dumplings, too.

And with the reminders of Lam Zhou, I was willing to try there again, although the first time I'd been there I wasn't impressed. One strike against it, for me, is that it's much more of a trek east. I didn't even bother with the dumplings, because they only have large orders - 10 dumplings, I think. Couldn't believe they wouldn't do half-orders, so I asked, but no. I saw a couple sitting there with dumplings, which looked overly burnt, and I asked them how they liked them; the guy said they were good, but he wasn't particularly enthusiastic. So I tried the soup. They were more expensive than Vanessa, but not much better. And because these guys insist on putting the noodles in first, they tend to suck up all the soup, so that by the time you get it home, it's all mushy. But apart from the mushiness, it was no more generous (considering the higher price) and not particularly tasty.

So I'm still looking. But I really appreciate the suggestions, and it's a compliment to you all that I went to check them out.

Answer

Tasty Dumpling on Mulberry Street. Try to get freshly fried ones, though.

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In lieu of Prosperity Dumplings?

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