JDS Shanghai Famous Food

It was our first time here, so we had no idea what we were in for. It would have been helpful if someone had explained the menu to us and then how to approach eating the huge dumplings we had no idea we ordered. I’m giving them 3 stars here because even though we felt foolish eating these HUGE dumplings, they were the most delicious dumplings we have ever eaten! I highly recommend going if you haven’t taken the adventure yet!

I love some XLB please. They make some good soup dumplings and been coming here a bit since my work is close by.
They have weekday business lunch for $ 7.95 and includes rice and one main dish. I usually get this with one order of pork XLB’s and leave a happy man.
Today we felt like ordering something more substantial. To start, always order their pork XLB and eat them right away. They lose its punch when it’s cold.
Their Kung pao chicken is not your traditional American version and was quite pleased with the dish. Everyone enjoyed eating the orange beef and the star of the meal was the fish filet in spicy broth Szechwan style. So good! I think I saw this dish at many tables here. Had to get two containers to go. Way too much food I ordered.
The service can but hit or miss. Since coming here more often, they have been more attentive and the same waitress we have had on our last number of visits remembers us, so that’s good. She refills our water and tea on occasion, instead of me flagging someone. Small steps!

I was extremely disappointed! I went with a friend, we ordered Spicy Beef Stripes 夫妻肺片, Scallion Pancakes 葱油饼, Spicy Fish Filet with soft ToFu 豆花鱼片, Yam Black Fungus White Sauce 山藥炒木耳, and their «world famous» «juicy» dumpling 小籠包.
the spicy beet stripes are not spice enough. this is a traditional dish from ChengDou 成都, SiChuan 四川, it supposed to be eextremely spicy. well, it was NOT. Scallion Pancakes looks from the stock I bought from GreatWall Chinese supermarket. not very tasty either. Spicy Fish Filet with soft ToFu was not even spicy. Yam Black Fungus White Sauce was not very good either. the worse of all is the «juicy» dumpling 小籠包. they were not even steamed properly. the meat was still uncooked inside, and the dough were still sticky. clearly not steamed enough.
after brought to the attention of the server, she offered to re-​steam, but we had enough. this was not a ideal dinner. we asked the server to cancel the «juicy» dumpling. the server offered us a non-​cooked version for us to take home but that was not a very good offer anyway. we look for good place to eat. if I wanted it at home, I could have brought them from the GreatWall and steamed myself.
well, they took off the dumpling, and the bill came to $ 45.45. the server reminded us the total did not included the tips.
I will not tell you how I really feel, you can judge yourself and asked what would you give them.
I came to sample the great dumpling and scallion pancakes, it was total disaster!
Qin J

Finally back again! This time, the restaurant was very busy and they forgot us in the corner. :(
It took some time and some prompting to get the waitress to bring us tea and take our order. We had unsweetened soy milk, spicy wonton in peanut sauce, and of course their famous jucy Xuaolongbao (XLB) both the pork and pork with okra. Soy milk was luke warm and tasted store brought. Spicy wonton were ok but we had better. We were sad that they were out of sticky rice sandwiches and spicy beef buns, our favorites. BUT We love the XLB, sooo juicy and flavorful. Four stars just because we absolutely loooove XLB!!!

I’ve been to JDS Shanghai twice now for XLB (on the menu as «juicy» dumpling). The first time was with a large 16 person group lunch and the second time was with a couple friends.
FYI: during both trips, the dining room was not packed at all but it still took ~30−40 minutes from the time you order to the time they’re at your table. If you plan on eating soup dumplings, I recommend putting in your order for XLB as soon as you know it. The rest of the menu gets to the table a lot faster. Wish we had done that instead of waiting for our whole party to arrive.
Another thing to know: some of the food dishes are huge. Fried rice plates can feed maybe 4 to 6 people and the wonton soup was enough for our table of 4 plus a second serving for me.
For XLB, this place is by far the recommended spot in MoCo by those in the know. For me, I like the increased variety and speed at Bob’s down the road. To each her own… but I’ll still recommend this place to friends.

I was wavering between a 2-​star and 2.5-star rating for this frenzied dumpling place were it not for the graciousness of Kevin who took his time with our table of first-​timers and explained how to properly consume and dip XLB.
We had stumbled on this Shanghai cuisine by way of having driven through the nearby Winter Wonderlights event at Seneca State park, which on its own was well worth the trip (i.e. Driving through the park to enjoy the festive lights installation).
However, on this particular evening, JDS was short-​staffed and service seemed rushed, hurried and annoyed. As mentioned in other reviews, you definitely need to know what to order before stepping inside. We discovered 14 minutes in (after putting in our XLB order) that our order for soup dumplings would actually take 40 minutes!
Luckily for us, Kevin took pity on our hapless table of dumpling ignorati and helped whip up a quick turnaround order of mild Kung Pao chicken (easy on kids palates) and pan fried beef scallion cake!
Can’t say with any confidence I’ll be back here anytime soon, but it did the trick for what it was at the time. I’ll come back for sure next year for the Winter Wonderlights drive! Maybe we’ll eat beforehand.

Love the steam dumpling, fish, shrimp… my favorite is the Chinese churro! Had 2 of them. The restaurant is good for couple, family, and group. Nice environment friendly staff. I bet they have delivery service. Too bad that I do not live near by here.

It’s the best Chinese churro I have in years. Make sure you get one when you dine here. You won’t regret it. The buns are authentic and tasty, stuffed with a right balance of meat crab meat and custard.
Entrée dishes are great as well, especially the whole fish. The meat is so tender, and when you dip it in the house made sauce, sooooo delicious. It is a nice place to have brunch, lunch and dinner.

You’ll have to know what specific dishes to order to have a good experience; the food ranges from disappointing to amazing.
I was happy to find a restaurant that sells pan fried pork buns, so I was super excited to try them out. However, the buns were extremely disappointing. They were big, but the dough was way too thick (and not fluffy), we only got a tiny bit of filling for each bun, and the filing wasn’t flavorful. I make better pan fried buns than this!
The beef noodle soup was interesting. Not the kind of flavor I prefer, but it’s still good. It’s spicy, sour, salty, and plenty of flavor. Has a lot of different veggies — bok choy, bean sprouts, tomato, scallion, sour cabbage, etc. But the meat was minimal… pretty sure we only found about 3 pieces of beef in the huge bowl.
The soup dumplings were VERY GOOD! Probably the best I’ve had in the whole DMV area. The skin isn’t the traditionally super thin skin, but it’s a bit doughy, which I really, really like. The filling was extremely soupy and very flavorful. It’s an A+ and I will come back for this! The dumplings were also pretty good. The meat to veggie ratio was right, and the skin was chewy but not too thick.
The wonton in spciy peanut sauce was amazing. I’ve probably tried this dish in every chinese restaurant i’ve been, and this is by far my favorite. Quite literally. The peanuts add an extra texture; the sauce was kinda spicy but not overwhelming; and it has a good saltiness to it. We actually liked it so much that we had two orders of them!

This was the first Unilocal’s Hidden gem and can I say that I’m SO happy I decided to participate in this challenge! We ran in 20 min before closing time and they were so gracious as to seat us and not make us feel rushed. I like the wide open dining space with high ceiling and spaced out tables, which was a nice change from the claustrophobic feeling you can get at some Asian restaurants. In addition to the soup dumplings that we got for checking in, we also ordered the Beef scallion pancake and the Spicy Boiled fish.
Soup Dumplings ⁵⁄₅: These are on par with the soup dumplings at Joe’s Shanghai in NYC. Huge dumplings with plenty of soup and a very flavorful broth inside. The wrappers were a little thick, but I like them that way! Preventw them from ripping and spilling out all that delicious broth.
Beef scallion ⁴⁄₅: This was not at all what I was expecting. It was pretty unique! It’s essentially a scallion pancake taco with beef inside. The beef was a little chewy, but I was a fan.
Spicy Boiled Fish ⁴⁄₅: This was HUGE. It was probably the largest portion I have seen of this dish. Def worth the $ 20 that we paid for it. The taste was pretty good with lots of vegetables My only complaint was that there were waaaay too many fried red chillies on top. They may have been fine if they weren’t just a little over fried, but once they started to mix in with everything else, it was a little overwhelming.
Overall, SO glad we are now aware of this place and we’ll definitely be back!

I tried the pork soup dumplings, mushroom pork steamed bao, and JDS scallion noodles for take out. The noodles were my favorite. Nice mild flavor and large portion at lunchtime. The soup dumplings were ok, but the pork was kind of mushy. Maybe this is how they’re supposed to be or maybe it got soggy during the trip home. Either way, I think I will pass next time. The bao were good but I wish they offered more pork-​free options.
If I’m in the area again, I will try their main dishes.

Ok, I still like their food, however I received a coupon for free pork dumplings for checking in. Anyhow, tried to use today, they said it expired last week! They tried to explain it to me, it didn’t make sense as there is no expiration date on it. My return visit will be a lot less now.
Just went from bad to worst, ordered hot and sour soup, I asked for fried noodles, the kind you get with every Chinese soup that I have ever had, they said they don’t have them, I even showed them a picture just to be sure.

Tried to look at their menu (on their website) before visiting but was prevented due to an error message on their site, so I had to wing it in deciding what I wanted. I tried to play it safe by ordering small portions, or that is what I thought in my head — guess I should have asked my server. So, I looked at the menu and ordered Pork Juicy Dumplings, JDS Custard Bao, and Beef Scallion Pancake.
I had no idea what the Beef Scallion Pancake was going to be, but when I got it, it looked like a mini rolled pancake with stems sticking out on each side (that was my visual). I did not know that the dish was already cut in pieces, so I asked for utensils (I struggle with chopsticks).
I grabbed a piece with my hand and proceeded to eat, hoping I was eating it the correct way (got the okay from my server), and I liked it. It had pieces of beef, with scallion sticks, wrapped in a pancake like dough, drizzled with sauce, and I slid it over more sauce on the plate and ate away. Nice.
I thought I was going to get the Pork Dumplings next (a review had said the custard bao’s were sweet), but no, I got the JDS Custard Bao next and thought to myself «these things are huge» and then did not know how to eat them, so I asked for help again and was shown the way. I cut it in four pieces and then picked it up to eat. It had a light, sweet and fluffy taste to it. You should try it too, but have them serve it last as it could pass for dessert.
Lastly, I had JDS’s Pork Juicy Dumplings (it arrived in a covered basket with steam rising from it… forgot to note the custard bao came out that way too), and I thought I did not want to burn my tongue from this steam, since it looked hot. I tried using Google to learn how to properly eat these, but it was taking me forever in trying to read the steps, so I asked my server, for fear of my steam disappearing too quickly. I had something similar to these back in Dec 2014, but my mind does not remember that far back.
So my server showed me how, as best she could, but when it came down to me doing the steps, I think I got lost in the translation. I grabbed a dumpling with my soup spoon; used a plastic spoon to pour a little of what tasted like strong soy sauce, over the dumpling (note to self: that sauce is strong). Breaking the dumpling open was a chore and a half for me as my fork or plastic spoon was not doing me any justice (chopsticks was not an option for me either). I then tried to bite off a bit of the dumpling to release some of the steam and then drink the soup inside, but then as I attempted to eat the dumpling in one swoop, it was more like a failed swoop for me. In the end, I just ended up using my knife and fork to cut these dumplings and eat them due to my failed attempts of using the soup spoon. What made things even more difficult was that there was a gnat that kept flying by to see my failed process and at times it bothered me… go away.
I did like all 3 choices and will venture out a bit more next time (on their menu), sans the gnat who flew off with one star of their review.

I bought a Groupon $ 12 for $ 25 worth of food (with a discount code from Groupon) and took BP for date night dinner. I was eager to try the beef noodle soup again, so I ordered that ($ 9.95), along with the vegetarian soy chicken cold appetizer (free with Unilocal check-​in ~$ 4.99 value). BP had the sesame chicken ($ 12.95). We also got an order of the custard bao.
The beef noodle was good, I loved the chewy noodles. The beef was a bit gamey (tendons) and the broth was not at all spicy, but that’s okay, because of the portion size: Large!
BP really liked his sesame chicken with the white rice in the side. The chicken was cooked well and not over battered. The sesame seeds were sprinkled on top. It would have been nicer if they were toasted.
We adored the custard bao. There were four for $ 4.99 and they were huge! I loved the texture of the creamy custard against the hot steamed bun.
We are eager to come again for the Dan Dan noodles, beef scallion pancake, and the hot and sour fish. Until next time!

I came here with my family during lunch hours. The place was pretty spacious compare to most Asians’ restaurants I’ve been to.
We ordered the crab xlb (xiao long bao), I was so excited knowing that I don’t have to go far for xlb anymore. I was kinda disappointed because the taste was just alright. Yes, I must say that it was better than most around the area because the xlb were filled with soup inside. Still, the soup didn’t taste well and the meat had shells in them, eh.
We also ordered other things like their cold appetizers and Sichuan style cold noodle (suppose to be cold but not), it was awful. Not enough taste and greasy.
The only food that I actually enjoyed was the fried shrimp in Hong Kong style (bifengtang?)
Anyways, the waitresses were somewhat attentive and friendly until they were having their lunch. We asked for our check, they were slow (I totally understand if they were busy but only our table and one other). We had leftovers, they didn’t ask which food to pack. It didn’t really matters but we did say what we want to bring home. We got home, some food were missing.

I would have given JDS 4 stars, as the food is actually pretty decent, but it’s a little out of the way, a little pricey for Rockville/​Gaithersburg, and our table wasn’t cleaned that well (crumbs all over the seats, dirty/​greasy floor)
1 order (8 pieces) of pork XLB (xiao long bao) aka soup dumplings ($ 8)
1 order (2 pieces) of SJB (sheng jian bao) aka pan fried pork and beef bun ($ 4)
1 order of Pork Ribs in Clay Pot
I definitely played it safe when it came to ordering. At the same time, I didn’t have any expectations. Either way, I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food. Everything was quite tasty and well presented. However, there was an uneasy feeling each time I took a bite bc my shoes kept running over the leftover floor grease that wasn’t properly cleaned. It made me want to take the tea pot and pour it all over the floor. I have to deduct a star for that reason alone, as it significantly impacted my overall dining experience. Although the food was pretty decent, I probably won’t be coming back, as there are better alternatives that are closer, cleaner, cheaper and tastier.

小籠包 (xiao long baos aka XLBs) are a Shanghai dish made popular by the Taiwanese restaurant Din Tai Fung. So you’re at a Shanghainese restaurant like JDS, you know the xiao long baos are LEGIT.
— Pan Fried Spicy Beef & Pork Steamed Bao [4 pieces] ($ 4.49): perfect skin and steaming hot insides.
— Steamed Pork juicy Dumpling [8 pieces] ($ 7.49): skin is a little thicker than I’d like, but still juicy and delicious nonetheless.
— Steamed Crab & Pork Juicy Dumpling [8 pieces] ($ 8.99): Whoa, Nelly! Who knew you could put crab in XLBs? This girl sure didn’t. This is a must try if you’re looking for something other than the original.
Their other dishes are pretty standard Chinese food. The restaurant itself is very clean for a Chinese restaurant. Service is somewhat attentive, but all that matters is that the food comes out fast!

I’d say this restaurant is 3.5−4 stars. JDS Shanghai Famous Foods is Chinese restaurant located in a shopping center with a Jerry’s Subs, Jimmy John’s, and Starbucks. I like how the restaurant is spacious and the floors are clean. There are modern lights above each table. The restaurant is decorated with lucky bamboo plant. There’s a window leading into the kitchen where you can watch the cooks make their famous soup dumplings. This restaurant offers seating in booth or brown vinyl cushioned chairs and tables.
Tonight, we ordered the following:
(1) Steamed Pork Juicy Dumplings — larger than usual, each dumpling had lots of soup
(2) Steamed Crab and Pork Juicy Dumplings — not as good or soupy as the original soup dumplings
(3) Scallion Pancake — tasty, very oily, thin, not doughy, light
(4) Eggplant in Garlic Sauce — purple skinned eggplant sautéed with green scallion in red pepper-​garlic sauce, sweet and mildly spicy
(5) Sweet and Sour Fish Filet — fish filets tossed in flour, stir fried with peas and carrots, and covered in sweet and sour sauce — delicious, liked how it’s not deep fried, wished there were pineapples
(6) Custard Bao — steamed thick buns filled with custard, sweet, great for dessert
(7) Shanghai Stir Fry Noodles — udon like noodles stir fried with chicken, beef, shrimp, carrots, and cabbage — savory, great source of protein
We finished our meal with a plate of oranges! I wished they offered other traditional dessert options!

I’ve had soup dumplings before. I’ve liked them all, but I realize now that I’ve never had real soup dumplings until I came here.
Previously, my XLB were like any other dumplings, but they had broth in them. No complaints, the taste has been great. But at JDS when you pick up your dumpling from the top you find yourself holding a round little purse of meat and soup like a stork delivering a baby. It’s fantastic.
Maybe I was eating it wrong in the past or maybe the dumpling was too thick and it’d keep their square bottom shape, but these were great and I’ll be back again for certain.
We tried several other items on the menu and everything was good and different than I’d had before. I’d recommend getting out of your comfort zone here and ordering things you’ve never seen before.
One of the things we ordered was called something like, «fish in broth with dried chili peppers.» I butchered the description but you’ll see it on the menu. It was a flavorful broth with tender mild meat and other vegetables. It is a house specialty. Other than the broth being on the oily side and me not realizing you are not supposed to eat the peppers (dry and very hot) it was a treat that you serve over rice.
Give JDS a try! I’ll be back.

3.5 stars. After months of turmoil and a string of negative reviews on Unilocal,JDS shanghai has gotten their act together and improved their service. It was amazing to see that the server came by several times to ask how things were. While this may seem normal, for those who have experienced the prior service, this is a miraculous phenomenon akin to the Red Sea splitting into two.
While the service has improved the crab and pork dumplings have undergone a downgrade. The dumpling skin has gotten thicker and the crab meat no longer tastes as juicy as before. While I believe that jds sells the best soup dumplings in the area, it is no longer what it was before. Hopefully the owners will take notice as they have done with the service and improve their dumplings in the near future.