Meet Jiading Ayi — Your Host

Auntie Shen is a true daughter of Jiading Old Town, the historic cradle of Shanghai's famous soup dumplings. She has been welcoming international guests into her home since 2016 — first as an Airbnb Superhost, now through +1 Chopsticks — and has hosted hundreds of travelers over nearly a decade.

What sets Auntie Shen's home apart is her courtyard garden, where she grows the vegetables that end up on your table. In a city of 25 million people, sitting down to a meal made from ingredients picked that morning from the host's own backyard is something most travelers never get to experience anywhere in China, let alone Shanghai.

Though Auntie Shen's English is limited, her hospitality is not. She'll be joined at the table by her daughter (in management at a foreign-owned company) or her daughter's childhood friend (multinational corporate background) — ensuring the conversation flows as easily as the food.

The Experience

This is a home dinner, not a cooking class. You come, you sit, you eat, and you leave with a full stomach and a genuine connection to local life in Shanghai.

Auntie Shen's home can host up to 6 guests, making it one of the few experiences in Shanghai that works just as well for a family with children as it does for a group of friends or colleagues.

Before your visit, we'll confirm your dietary preferences and send step-by-step directions to the home including phone number and WeChat so you won't get lost. Two days before, you'll receive our Home Dining Cheat Sheets — a beautifully designed cultural primer on Chinese dining that answers the questions most foreign guests have before their first home dinner in China.

Sample Menu

Note: the menu changes with the seasons. Ayi cooks with whatever is freshest — including vegetables from her own garden.

Dietary restrictions? Let us know when booking. We've accommodated vegetarian, halal, non-mammalian, and more.

Jiading Shen Ayi's Private Kitchen - 2026 Special

前菜 Appetizer

1. Garden Greens with Diced Tofu（马兰头香干）
   (Finely chopped malantou greens with seasoned diced tofu)

2. Braised Spring Bamboo Shoots（油焖春笋）
   (Tender seasonal bamboo shoots glazed in a savory-sweet soy sauce)

3. Traditional Shanghainese Smoked Fish（本帮熏鱼）
   (Deep-fried fish marinated and lightly smoked with Chinese five-spice)

主菜 Main Course

1. Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs（糖醋小排）
   (Succulent pork ribs in a rich, velvety caramelized glaze)

2. White-Cut Local Chicken（白斩鸡）
   (Classic poached chicken with a delicate skin, served with garlic-ginger dip)

3. Handmade Fish Ball Soup（手工鱼丸汤）
   (Delicate, hand-minced fish balls in a clear, nourishing broth)

主食与甜点 Staple & Dessert

1. Auntie's Handmade Wontons（馄饨）
   (Ayi's special pork and vegetable wontons in a savory soup)

2. Red Bean Glutinous Rice Balls Dessert（豆沙糯米汤圆）
   (Sweet red bean paste filling in warm, chewy rice balls, served in a light syrup)

Real connection is the next luxury! Come join us at the dinner table.