Shanghai Home-Cooked Meal with a Local English-Speaking Family

5.0 (3 reviews) Shanghai, China
Duration2h 30m
Free cancellationFull refund up to 24 hours before
Instant confirmationYour booking is confirmed right away
TicketMobile or paper ticket accepted
LanguagesChinese, Cantonese, English
Private tourOnly your group will participate

Overview

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.

Options

Dumplings & Dinner

Dumpling-making session

Shanghai Home-Cooked Meal with a Local English-Speaking Family
Vegan Family Table

Fully vegan home-cooked meal

What's included

  • Full home-cooked meal — appetizers, mains, staples, and dessert
  • Home Dining Cheat Sheets — cultural primer on Chinese dining, sent 2 days before your visit
  • Tea and water throughout the meal
  • Dumpling-making session at some hosts, on request (tell us when you book)
  • Directions, phone number and WeChat — step-by-step instructions so you arrive without stress
  • Pre-visit dietary check-in — vegetarian, halal, non-mammalian and more accommodated
  • Transportation to and from the host's home
  • Alcohol (available on request at some hosts for an additional cost)

What to expect

Most Shanghai food experiences are built around a chef, a studio or a script. This one is built around a family. +1 Chopsticks is China's first curated home dining platform, and every host is vetted in three steps: an in-depth interview, a test dinner our team eats in their home, and an English introduction video.

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.

Meeting and pickup

Meeting point

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.

End point

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.

Additional information

  • 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

Cancellation policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Reviews

5.0 (3)
From
$68.00 per person
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  • Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts
  • Instant confirmation
  • You'll choose your date and travelers and pay on viator.com. Prices vary by date, group size and option.
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