Wontons at Deluxe Food Market

Dumpling houses are a dime a dozen in Chinatown, but these days Deluxe Food Market (79 Elizabeth St.) is my go to place for dumplings. I like Deluxe's dumplings because they use thin wonton wrappers, just like my mom does. Don't they look like flappy brains in the picture? They are filled with pork, green onion, and I suspect a bit of sugar in the mix. Though pork does indeed have its own natural sweetness, so maybe I'm wrong. Of course, I prefer my mom's mandoo because she uses a mix of meats and/or tofu, those tiny noodle threads, bean sprouts, green onions and sometimes carrot. And they're free for me, but in a pinch, Deluxe does the job. At five for five quarters, it's not literally a dime a dozen, but it's close.
Deluxe is a unique one stop shop that's all about choice and convenience. They should rename it Deluxe Food Center though. Sure, it's a grocery store where you can buy the wonton wrappers to make your own. But you can also buy dumplings freshly made in the store but not cooked; they also have them then frozen, either made by the staff, or a commercial brand. If you need to eat dumplings right there, you can just eat them hot off the dimsum counter. The dimsum counter isn't alone, it's part of a food court that includes sushi which is ridiculously cheap, and fresh because the grocery sells fish with high turn over. In the summer, I often buy fish here since it's in a building, the place is air conditioned. Deluxe also sells freshly roasted Peking ducks, soy sauce chicken and all your favorite Chinatown meats displayed in the window. There's so much great food here, I often run through the store because it's a shortcut from the middle of the block of Mott St. to mid block of Bowery between Grand and Hester, but then I'll get a pork bun for 70 cents if I'm in a hurry and the dumplings if I can stop. Eel roll if I need a bigger snack. I'll tell you about another snack from Deluxe Food Market the next time I post.