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Offered languages
- English
Skip the restaurant and eat at a local family's dining table, in their own home. +1 Chopsticks (加双筷子, "add a pair of chopsticks", what Chinese families say when a friend turns up for dinner) matches you with one of 10 vetted Shanghai host families, based on where you're staying and what you eat.
How it goes:
1. Your host meets you at the door of an ordinary apartment or lane house.
2. Tea first, while the last dishes finish.
3. Six or seven dishes plus rice and soup come out of the wok one at a time, shared family-style. Your host explains each one.
4. Stay and talk. Most meals run past two hours.
5. Leave with your host's own tips: the noodle shop they go to, the market worth a morning.
Every host cooks their own family's food. The sample menu below is a taste from different tables.
Example Menu
Starter
Marinated cherry tomatoes (梅渍小番茄)
From William & Jasmine's table
Starter
Drunken shrimp and snails (醉虾醉螺)
From Norika & Steven's table
Main
Spring pork and bamboo shoot soup (腌笃鲜)
From Jiading Ayi's table
Main
Braised beef brisket with daikon (萝卜炖牛腩)
From Grace's table
Main
Yellow croaker with rice cakes (家常黄鱼年糕)
From Eating (Yiting)'s table
Main
Guangxi sour-spicy tomato noodles with Thai basil
From Chuan's table
Main
Tomato, enoki and shrimp soup (番茄金针菇虾汤)
From Emma & Leo's table
Main
Coconut chicken slow-simmered in fresh coconut water
From Bella's table
Dessert
Seasonal fruit and Chinese tea
To finish, at most tables
What's Included
Meeting and pickup
Your host is matched to where you're staying and your dietary needs. Once booked, we send the host's address, directions by metro or Didi, and their phone number and WeChat.
What to expect
There's no fixed menu. Hosts shop at their local market the morning of your visit and cook what's in season, so no two meals are the same. Jiading Ayi, from the old town known as the home of xiaolongbao, has welcomed international guests since 2016 and grows vegetables in her backyard. Grace lived in the US for over a decade. Chuan cooks Guangxi and Cantonese dishes you won't find in Shanghai restaurants.
Some hosts will have you folding dumplings first; just ask when you book. Vegetarian, vegan, halal and allergy-friendly meals are routine with 48 hours' notice. Before your visit you get a dietary check-in, directions, and our Home Dining Cheat Sheets on Chinese table manners.
Additional info
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Specialized infant seats are available
Additional info
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Tags
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Cancellation Policy
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Rating
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
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