Home cooking participation
Join Danial and Helen in their open kitchen and learn how selected seasonal Hangzhou dishes are made.
¥150 per group
Danial & Helen
Cuisine: Hangzhou Home Cooking
Location: Xihu District, Hangzhou
Price: ¥300 per person
Group size: 1–8 guests
Meet Danial & Helen
Forty years ago Helen and I both worked at the Hangzhou Art Company. Later we ran a small antique shop of our own, and even a decade in West Africa in the timber trade did not change where home was. We came back.
Most people who visit Hangzhou see West Lake, Lingyin Temple, perhaps a tea village, and leave thinking they have seen the city. They have seen the postcard. What they miss is what Hangzhou people actually eat at home, which is quieter and more seasonal than the restaurants show you.
That is what we cook. Pian Er Chuan, the noodle dish every Hangzhou household knows and almost no visitor orders. Hang San Xian. Tofu-skin rolls we still call rolled chicken though there is no chicken in them. Braised bamboo shoots when the spring shoots come in, because there is no point making them any other time of year.
Our kitchen is open. If you want to stand at the stove and learn how a dish is actually made, you are welcome from start to finish, not just the last five minutes.
And after we eat, if you are curious, I will bring out a few pieces from the antique shop years. Chinese painting, calligraphy, carving. Not a museum tour, just things we love and the stories behind them.
Optional add-on activities
¥150 per activity, per group — not per person. Your first selected activity is complimentary when you book today; each additional activity is ¥150 per group.
Chinese calligraphy
Try Chinese calligraphy with Danial and Helen and learn a few foundational brush strokes.
¥150 per group
Chinese antiques and art appreciation
Explore a small selection of Chinese painting, calligraphy, carving, and antiques through the stories behind the pieces.
¥150 per group
Sample menu
Hangzhou home cooking, seasonal and market-dependent.
Meat dishes
- Red braised pork (红烧肉)
- Sweet and sour pork ribs (糖醋排骨)
Seafood dishes
- Hangzhou Three Delicacies, with fish balls, chicken, egg and vegetables (杭三鲜)
- Rice noodle seafood claypot (粉丝海鲜煲)
- Steamed sea bass (清蒸鲈鱼)
- Stir-fried seafood
Noodles and wontons
- Pian Er Chuan noodles, the famous Hangzhou specialty (片儿川)
- Hand-wrapped wontons (现包馄饨)
Vegetarian and seasonal dishes
- Hangzhou tofu-skin rolls, vegetarian (杭州卷鸡)
- Eight-treasure diced, with peanut, dried tofu and vegetables (八宝酱丁)
- Braised bamboo shoots (油焖笋)
- Stir-fried seasonal vegetables
Tell us in advance and we will cook for vegetarians, or source the specific ingredients you need. Note that 杭州卷鸡 translates as "rolled chicken" but is entirely vegetarian, made from tofu skin.
Vegetarian options are available upon enquiry. Chinese dishes are as tasty in a meat free form!
Getting There
Xihu District, Hangzhou
- ≈ 25 min from West Lake
- ≈ 35 min from Hefang Street
- ≈ 40 min from Hangzhou East Station
Nearest metro: Fengtan Road (Line 2) or Gudang Xincun (Line 3), both about 800m from the door