grey marble

December 29, 2004


One dollar dumplings

I had read about plates of dumplings for a dollar in Chinatown, but I had never experienced them. I've never sought them out. Today, I went in search of a DVD of Pen-ek Ratanaruang's The Last Life in the Universe when I saw a sign for fried dumplings. The tiny storefront was sandwiched between a Thai grocery store and the church on Mosco street. One woman fried dumplings in bunches. Three others made them behind her. A plate of 5 pan-fried dumplings is a dollar. A plate of four pan-fried pork buns is a dollar.

"How much," the woman asked in Chinese. One dollar I replied. She took my bill and slid five dumplings onto a plastic plate. Behind me, the small counter was full of people eating their dumplings. I took my plate out onto the street and ate in front of the store. When they were done I went back in for some pork buns. I found space at the counter and sat down. Three kids next to me were doing the math, wondering how the place could stay in business. A steady stream of people purchased dumplings to go or walked to the back to buy bags of frozen dumplings.

After I left I walked up Mulberry and found another, nicer storefront selling dollar dumpling plates. I was tempted to try them, but another time. And then on Baxter and Canal I was surprised to find a new Chinatown info booth on the triangle of land upon which produce sellers used to squeeze themselves and their wares. I never found the dvd, though.
Posted by eku at December 29, 2004 3:22 PM
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