Jade Villa

I have never left so much food on the table (to stay there).
So, perhaps this is a regional thing, but, when I read descriptions like «fried wontons», I think pan-​fried (like every other Chinese place I have ever gone), not triple deep-​fried. We got a pu pu platter, and it was the most deep fried mess humanity has ever devised. If you are familiar with the «Moe’s Family Feedbag» episode of the Simpson’s, it was a spitting image of Moe’s commercial (where the entire serving tray, wine bottle and all, was lovingly dunked in the frialator). Even the egg roll, which I certainly expect to be deep fried, was fried so much that it looked and felt like a mini yule log. Not to sound dramatic, but I had to spit out my bite, as it wouldn’t have stayed down.
Now, I was prepared to take the loss, pay for it, and leave without complaint, when the waitress saw the one bite and said that she was going to try to comp it, because, «I shouldn’t pay for what I couldn’t eat» (her words). Nope. She came back five minutes later, apologized and charged us for it. Again, I was planning on paying anyway, but that failed effort on her part just made it feel that much worse. Not her fault.
I also ordered a brown Thai Iced Tea: anyone familiar with the beverage knows that it should be bright orange, with, perhaps, some cream. I asked why it was brown. Because it’s from a can. Not sure why that makes it brown, but it wasn’t great. It was, however, helpful in getting the taste of the egg roll bite out of my mouth. Then a piece of gum took care of the taste of brown Thai Tea.
The wonton soup was inexpensive… because it had two wontons in it, with a meat center the size of a marble. The beef and broccoli was a half-​success. The broccoli was good– cooked, but still crisp. Beef was that fatty, uniform-​consistency beef product often featured at low-​end, take-​out only Chinese places in strip malls. Not what I expected to find at a place so highly rated on Unilocal.Perhaps the high Unilocal reviews spoke solely of the dim sum?
Again, this style might be a regional thing. But I have had Chinese in other places in the south, without encountering a fried exoskeleton over most everything I ordered. And, perhaps I shouldn’t have ordered Thai Tea in a Chinese place. Some people may even like the meringue style beef; I just know that I’m not one of them. The waitstaff was so nice that I was going to give them an additional star, but as two stars is «Meh. I’ve experienced better», and this place was certainly, «Gah. I have never experienced worse», one star it is then. I really hate to leave poor reviews, but, here we are.

The best authentic Chinese food you’ll get in Hampton Roads! They have dim sum every Saturday and Sunday. It is AMAZING! Their pecking duck is great too. I haven’t had anything here that I have not enjoyed.

Worth the trip to VA! Amazing dim sum. Got there 5 minutes before it opened and line was 50 deep. Worth it worth it worth it. Highlights included shumai, potstickers, garlic spare ribs, pineapple bun. I didn’t have room for wonton soup but heard it’s incredible. Nothing was bad.

I came here on a Saturday evening because I was looking for authentic Chinese dim sums and shumai. The place was decent. Although, I was disappointed because I thought they would push the dim sum carts around and we can choose the food. I had to ask for a separate dim sum menu, which they did not mention. The initial service from my server was fair to poor. He kind of forgot about our table. But the other servers eventually took care of us.
The food was good but I’ve had much better. At least there is a dim sum place nearby if I have a craving.

It’s a 5 stars because this place is one of a kind in Hampton Roads. I can count on this place to serve legit Chinese food — there’s a separate menu to look at if you are daring enough for the real food (RED MENU, please!). For all others who enjoy the Americanized Chinese food, they cater to that too (yellow menu). The best part of this place though is standing in line on Sunday mornings for some dim sum! Expect a crowd way before they open at 11am, but the staff keep the lines moving so the wait has never been too terrible when we have gone.
Favorites on the menu:
— Any fried rice option. It’s all made fresh and not too oily to consume.
— Walnut Shrimp! Always something we order when it’s not off the dim sum menu. Shrimp is fried to perfection and mixed with walnuts and broccoli. Pro tip: it is usually served with a coating of mayo, but you should ask for it on the side so that shrimp stays crunchy!
— Shumai is plump for you to stuff your face with!
— Sweet Tofu is my favorite dessert. Only served on the weekends, but so good and served table side to you so it is fresh.
Some might complain about the décor being outdated. The parking can be a pain with the weekend rush. But this is one of the places where you get over it because the food is that good and the next best place is miles away. Plus, it’s one of the few places in the area that stays open late for all you who get the late night munchies.

Came here recently for my nephews going away luncheon for bootcamp. We were all hungry! We ordered dimsum: 2 orders Shumai to start.
I had ordered the chicken with mixed veggies, it was ok, tasted bland, but I was a lil disappointed, but my boyfriend ordered the veggie Lomein and added beef to it, OMGGGG that was Freakin’ delicious (Def order this!)! And then my sister ordered this crispy salt and spicy pork, now that was Amazzzzing (i bet you this will be your regular order from now on!)I tried some of my cousins sharkfin dimsum, it was very meaty. We also had ordered the pineapple buns on the dimsum menu, i was already full from the other food, they looked pretty big, but when I tasted it, I was WOWED! It was like our dessert, it wasn’t sweet and it had just enough filling ratio. I couldn’t stop eating it.
They have great food options besides the typical general chicken, in order to explore new tastes, you gotta be adventurous and open minded. Let your tastebuds do the work!

Ahem… wow. So, the other night a group of my friends invited me out to this supposedly epic, authentic Chinese restaurant… at midnight. Hesitation rushed over me in typical fashion — just like every other time someone says, «hey, I found an authentic restaurant you should try.» I’ve been around and I’ve eaten in places that are about as authentic as it gets — from raw sheep with nomads to blindly feeling my way through completely foreign menus with only a wing and a prayer. Naturally, when someone tries to take me to a «cultural» experience in the US, I cringe a bit. Guess what? This place is just about as real as it gets — like in the 99^th percentile of genuine Asian fare in America. It sits quietly tucked away in an unassuming strip-​mall near Town Center. You walk in and what do ya know — still unassuming — the best places normally are fyi. Here’s where things get interesting. There are two menus — a white one and a red one. My Philippine friend suggested I open the red, authentic menu and go from there. Inside was a veritable what’s-what of unique Chinese cuisine. I was in heaven. There were so many great choices from hot-​pots to whole ducks (and duck tongues if you don’t want the whole thing) to jelly fish and squid! Several of us ordered different items to share and a few excellent plates of dumplings. Everything was fresh, quickly delivered to the table, and given adequate attention to detail — even though we began eating just before 1:00am. I had a plate of their fried spicy squid, a few pieces of pork chop, and a bit of a spring-​roll that my friend couldn’t finish. The squid was great — with a perfect balance of both crunch and rubbery resistance. The pungency of the pork chop’s sauce was offset by the tender, perfectly cooked meat — definitely try this! Even the run-​of-​the-​mill spring roll was obviously hand-​made and stuffed with fresh veggies. All-​in-​all, this very quickly has become my standby restaurant for when I need my authentic Chinese fix — which will likely be quite often from now on!
PS, if you’re a bit uncertain as to your ability to handle actual Chinese cuisine, no worries — just open the white menu and you’ll find all the Americanized-​Asian food you could ever want!

First of all, this is my favorite Chinese restaurant here in the Hampton roads, and the only chinese restaurant that I go to.
I love coming here especially on Sunday’s for dim sum. Expect for it to get crowded and wait a while to be seated because everybody is out for the dim sum. Authentic Hong Kong style food.
I recommend the salt and spicy tofu, salt and spicy calamari or the pork. The Hong Kong style pan fried noodles are my favorite and the shrimp and walnut shrimp. I also like to get chicken corn soup to start off. It’s better than getting your traditional egg drop soup.

Jade Freakin Villa is the real deal Holyfield. This is as close to NYC style Chinese cuisine you will find in this area. Keep in mind it is mostly Cantonese style, and best of all, they serve dim sum. Cart service is only on Sat & Sun starting at 11 am. What does that mean? It means getting your ass here at about 10:30 am to reserve your spot in line before they open their doors at 11. Especially on Sundays. I kid you not! I cannot stress it enough. Otherwise you are just pretty much SOL and will have to wait at least 45 mins to an hour for the next avail table.
The décor inside JV is definitely outdated and bland but trust me when I say NOBODY CARES!!! The same baseball cap has been sitting on the «lost and found slash coat rack» for the past 10 years probably. We don’t care. We care about the food and how delicious it all tastes. I feel like I can’t even write a proper and coherent review about JV because I just wanna say you have to go and see for yourself. Always choose the RED menu. They have a white one and a yellow one (that I’ve never even got to look in… yet!). Sorry, picture readers… No pictures of the food except when you ask for a dim sum menu and there you will find a few popular ones scattered on the edges of the paper. By the way, when you order off the dim sum menu after the cart service or during the week, only the items listed in BLACK can be ordered — skip the red ones. And if you do come for the cart service, keep an eye on your tab! You never realize just how much you can rack up on xiomai and fun gor! Lol!!!
Anything you order, you will not be disappointed. Look past the décor and just truly enjoy your JV experience! Try everything! They’re pretty good about explaining what’s in it. The stuff listed on the white board are specials and are always different. My mom and son love ordering off the white board, esp the razor clams.

I used to go to Jade Villa for dim sum all the time when I lived in the 757. Thinking about it gets me super nostalgic!
…And hungry.
I’ve tried dim sum at so many different places including Chinatown and Hawaii but my favorite hands down is still Jade Villa. Some dishes that I had to get every time I ate here include the salt and pepper squid, shumai, pork buns, short ribs (the fried and not fried variety), shrimp flat noodle, sesame balls, egg tarts, and sweet tofu. They also have Chinese broccoli — which is easy enough for me to make at home but I would always order it anyway because it’s one of my favorites.
Not only is their dim sum amazing, but their menu items are great as well. Highly recommend the beef with sour cabbage. That *might* sound strange, but trust me, it’s delicious. The seafood pan fried noodle is also good.
I have such fond memories of this restaurant, from going here after church with my parents almost every weekend, watching the lion dances around New Year’s, and I’m pretty sure I celebrated my fifteenth birthday here way back when. If you’re ever in the area, be sure to stop by Jade Villa!

It’s the best place for dim sum you’ll be able to find around here. My husband is from Chinatown in NYC and has taken me to a lot of the best dim sum restaurants there. While nothing quite compares to NYC– Jade Villa does a good job of coming close. We have come here numerous times with friends for dim sum on Sunday’s. The lines are long if you don’t get in early but the food is worth it. Try the cha sew bao and sew long bao. Two of my favorites!

This is THE spot for authentic Chinese food. My family and I have been going here since I was 7 rears old… That’s 33 years of Chinese food enjoyment from Jade Villa.
I have never had a bad meal from here and always leave with leftovers. Plentiful portions, enough to share and still have some to take home.

This place is Chinese food for the soul!!! Don’t let its physical appearance veer you right back out the door, because Jade Villa truly is the poster child for the saying, «It’s the inside that counts.»
The interior décor is a little outdated, but the food they serve will keep you coming back for more. Jade Villa not only serves Dim Sum, but authentic Chinese dishes, and is open til 2AM!
I love ordering the crispy Chicken, which is basically roast chicken with a real crispy skin that tastes so homemade and pairs well with a side of house fried rice and snow pea shoots. The price honestly is a little higher, but it’s worth it.

When we arrived, the business was half full with about 10 tables seated. What is striking was 8 of the 10 were oriental families. That is the best sign you have arrived someplace authentic! The décor is older but the place is clean. They serve Cantonese style chinese and Dim Sum. There are 3 menus… Dim Sum, White which is americanized dishes and Red which is authentic. We ordered Dim Sum and 2 dishes off the Red menu. The Dim sum was fantastic! The seafood in white sauce on pan fried noodles was bland. The cuttlefish was really good and well seasoned. Service was excellent and prices are very fair. If you are wanting the quality of Judy’s without the heat, give them a try.

Came in with friends from Hawaii who wanted Chinese food that we are used to at home, not the mainland stuff! They loved it! Their daughter especially loved the Hong Kong style pan fried noodles with chicken and white sauce. The tea is my favorite because it is the same tea my Popo drank, it brought back memories of her the moment I smelled it. My husband’s favorites are the salt and spicy pork chops and shrimp fried rice. The bitter melon with beef or pork in black bean sauce is still my favorite, try it over chow fun!
The service is Chinese-​style, don’t come here expecting American service because you will be mad. It is what it is.

My low rating is for service only. It pains me to write this as I’ve been a loyal customer for several years. I don’t know what it is but, several employees have provided horrid service on numerous occasions throughout the years and it is not getting any better. I’m over it.
My other friend who frequents this spot gets VIP treatment. I’ve witnessed on several visits she gets extra teapots full of hot broth to keep her soup warm (without having to ask) and glasses of water always filled to the rim WITH a SMILE all without asking! I figured if they (the employees) see me with her they’ll be more cordial on my future visits. Nope. Nada. I get cut off when I’m talking, a stern look on the servers face, or they just don’t speak. I’ve been scolded because I don’t order a dish in the exact manner they want me to say it so they understand, they rarely check to see if I need anything, & I practically choke because my glass is always empty. I’m sick & tired of being treated like a vagabond and spoken to condescendingly. They’re the only decent local dim sum spot. They are the only full-​cart dim sum. They know it & don’t seem to care at providing good (respectful & efficient) service. It’s a shame when businesses/​people get so high on their horse they don’t realize or care how they treat the very people (customers) providing the means for their livelihood.
There are some kind and respectful employees (primarily the dim sum cart attendants) but, 2 – 3 bad servers can truly ruin ones dining experience. Waited 15 mins for a drink order today (not the only instance). Folks who sat after us had drinks way before we did. Several employees walked by our table without getting us drinks. When my friend waved someone down and asked if we can get drinks or even someone just to talk to us, this person did not say one word, arrogantly marked something off of our sheet and came back with water. Again, there are some good servers but, it’s few and far between. I have thought maybe it’s me? Maybe they’re just having a bad day? Maybe it’s just busy? Yet, I’ve seen them treat my friend like gold even on a busy day. Not sure what the deal is but, I’ve had enough. I’m Asian-​American but, I don’t care where anyone is from, respect and kindness should be a given ESPECIALLY, when in the food service industry.
While I love Jade Villa’s food, I’m going to make it a New Years resolution to stop giving them my money. They clearly don’t need or care for my business. Tired of horrible disrespectful service after being a loyal patron for many years now. I’m not asking for a red carpet entrance.

Jade Villa, at this point, is a local landmark, in my opinion, and anything I write will not be anything new to anyone who’s already eaten there. I feel I should at least say a couple things because Jade has been so good to me and my tummy.
Jade Villa knocks it out when it comes to their food. I’ve never had a bad experience when it comes to taste and consistency — they’ve done it so well for so long they’re a well-​oiled machine at this point.
As you may already know they have multiple menus, and I’ve ordered from all of them. I often opt for the dim sum menu — fast, inexpensive and delicious. When I eat there I feel like, just for a minute, I’m in NYC hittin’ up some secret Chinese spot only hipsters and foodies know about. And because I can trust their dim sum will be good every time, there is comfortability I can’t easily describe. Regardless, I feel at home when I’m there and that definitely goes a long way for me.
The service is good, and like any establishment it gets even better once they recognize you. I used to only hit up Jade on Sundays and rare late nights, but with my job keeping me at the office late I’ve been making more appearances. They have the same staff working late every time I’ve been by these last 2 months so they know me and I know them. Just another aspect which makes me feel right at home.
The décor could use an upgrade since it’s just a big room with tables, but as long as it’s clean and they keep making qualify food (and the service is good), I’m set.
Overall, Jade Villa is one of the more accommodating restaurants in the area. The different menus cater to both patrons — those who prefer the American take on Chinese food and those who want to be a bit more cultural. That gives Jade a diversity many restaurants don’t have. I can appreciate that. Regardless, their food is gooood, and chances are you’ll find me there on a random weeknight. If you see me there, take a seat and grab some dim sum with me. JV

After devoting considerable time to finding decent dim sum in Virginia Beach, we were delighted to discover Jade Villa. We arrived mid afternoon on Sunday. The restaurant was full, however the well trained (and quite friendly) hostesses managed the tables well. Our wait was acceptably short.
We were barely seated before the first cart pulled up to our table. We filled the table with all of our favorites including har gow, char sui bow, tripe, spare ribs, don tat, lo mi gai, lobac gow, congee/​joc, and cheung fun (apologies for any spelling errors). We also ordered a bbq’ed duck, chinese broccoli with oyster sauce, and lo mein for the kids.
Everything we ordered was fresh and tasted very good. The service was as good as the food. A really great experience. I anticipate that we will be back many times.

Jade Villa is my go-​to spot for late night meals or large group dinners. They’ve got plenty of seating, and the staff is always very accommodating for big groups.
My friends and I usually order a dish or two each and share. My favorite dishes include the creamy chicken corn soup, salt and spicy pork chops, and seafood pan fried noodles. (All found in the traditional menu, by the way.) I can’t go there without having at least one of them!

Jade villa has been a VB hotspot for a long time, especially for the night crowds which is the time I usually go bc they close at 2 am which is great bc not much places here are late night. I recently started coming here a few years back. Tucked in the outskirts of the Pembroke area down Independence it’s location is perfect because Jade Villa is near other facilities such as Pembroke Mall, Town Center, and such. It neighbors two other locations I like to eat at near Kanpai Sushi and The Village Inn (which is also is open late at night).
When you come in it’s outdated, décor is sparse, and overall dingy feel. They have two menus, the red one is the «authentic» Chinese menu and the white one is the Chinese-​American style cuisine.
My to-​go favorites are the Walnut Shrimp, Tender Beef in Wonderful Sauce, and Peaking Duck. I’ve also tried their soups and their wonton soup is exceptional. The broth is light and savory and simplicity in the flavor goes a long way.
Depending on how busy it is, the service can be a bit slow at times. Overall I’ve never had a problem with any of the severs, they know how do their job, orders have always come out right and on time. The food makes up for it and I highly recommend this place for anyway wanting to break out of their usual Chinese take out meals. Jade Villa is a treat! and bring at least 2 people with you, bc you’re going to want to try everything!