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VIEW PHOTOS
VIEW PHOTOS

Host: Vivie

Shanghai, China

USD
$62-$116 per person

Enjoy the spices of Shanghai in a contemporary home

Host offerings
  • Apartment
  • Home cook
  • Pets
  • Vegetarian
  • Alcohol
  • Transportation
  • Cooking class
  • Market visit
  • Food tour

Meet Vivie

Vivie is originally from Guizhou, a province in the middle of China renowned for its spicy food and culinary diversity. It is also the birth place of China’s beloved chili sauce ‘Lao Gan Ma’ and Vivie now makes and sells chili sauce of her own! Vivie was raised as a child mostly by her grandmother who taught her to create the perfect synthesis of the different spices and flavors of her hometown. Every day after school, Vivie and her grandmother got together and cooked dinner for their family. Her family seldom ate at restaurants because Vivie and her grandmother created and served such delightful dishes at home. Vivie moved to Shanghai when she was eighteen to attend university and has been here for the past decade. Vivie lives with her husband Chris who moved to Shanghai from America along with their two cats Frank and Tim in their comfortable apartment near the famous Xin Hua road.

In addition to food and cooking, Vivie is a big fan of dancing, karaoke, playing the guitar, fitness and travel. Vivie and Chris routinely travel Greater China to trek through historical towns. They also enjoy a good game of beer pong on occasion.

What to expect

Please note menu might vary. If there are particular dishes you are interested in trying, please include your request in the booking form.

In-home meal: (1-4 guests) Meet Vivie and her husband Chris at their small but welcoming apartment located in central Changning, Shanghai. With a drink in hand, enjoy interesting banter ranging across topics from ‘China vs the world’ and ‘The greatest music videos of all time’ to ‘The most beautiful undiscovered places in the world’. As you chat you will pick up traces of delicious scents wafting from the kitchen before you all sit down to enjoy an authentic Southwestern and Northern Chinese meal together. Your meal may include dishes such as a peppery chicken soup, spring rolls, kung pau chicken, mapo tofu and homemade rice noodles. Your meal will conclude with a sweet dessert.

Cooking experience: (1-4 guests) Join Vivie in her kitchen to learn to make famous Chinese dishes which include unique variations that have been created by her forefathers and passed down through generations in her family. Your cooking lesson will include learning to make northern dishes such as dumplings and noodles to spicy southwestern dishes such as kung pau chicken and mapo tofu. Enjoy learning about the tips and techniques involved in cooking before you sit down at the table to share the meal you helped prepare with host Vivie.

Notes: Since Vivie and Chris work full-time during the week, they are available to host only on weekends.

Languages spoken: English, Mandarin

Sample menu

This is just a sample menu to give you an idea of the types of dishes the host cooks. Your menu will vary according to seasonal availability.
  • Spring roll appetizer with chinese cabbage, sliced pork and mushroom
  • Chicken soup with Chinese pepper
  • Kung pau chicken with peanuts, home-made chili paste and spring onion
  • Mapo tofu (Sichuan style tofu in chili paste and pepper with minced pork)
  • Stir-fried seasonal vegetable with soy sauce and garlic
  • Home-made rice noodles with minced pork, home-made chili oil, Chinese pickles and tomato sauce
  • Dessert of rice balls in a sweet rice wine with osmanthus sugar
PERSONALLY VETTED REVIEW
A Traveling Spoon ambassador visited this host. Here is their personal review.

It was a lot of fun meeting Vivie and Chris. I felt comfortable and right at home as soon as I arrived. I was offered a drink and we sat around in the lounge talking about China and current affairs, as well as a host of other things. We had an excellent rapport talking and there was much laughter. The experience truly felt as if I was visiting old friends. After about an hour we began to eat. As for the food, Vivie is an excellent cook. I’m a big fan of spicy food so Vivie added some extra chili and spice to the dishes. I was served very generous helpings and we spent about an hour or so at the table eating and chatting away. At the end Vivie gave me some of her homemade chili sauce which she sells to take away with me. Highly recommended host!

Julian, Traveling Spoon Ambassador

Traveler reviews

This is a new host who does not yet have any reviews. You can see reviews of our other Shanghai Traveling Spoon experiences on TripAdvisor:
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Vivie

$62-$116 USD

per person
100% VETTED
Learn more
  • 100% satisfaction guarantee or your money back
  • Credit card is not charged until the host confirms your booking
  • Private experience
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
In-Home Meal
 $78 $62 Not offered
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $116 $94 Not offered
Alcohol
 $14 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
In-Home Meal
 $78 $62 Not offered
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $116 $94 Not offered
Alcohol
 $14 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
 Lunch Dinner
In-Home Meal
 12:00pm-2:00pm 7:00pm-9:00pm
Cooking Experience+ Meal
 9:00am-1:00pm 4:00pm-8:00pm

Meet Vivie

Vivie is originally from Guizhou, a province in the middle of China renowned for its spicy food and culinary diversity. It is also the birth place of China’s beloved chili sauce ‘Lao Gan Ma’ and Vivie now makes and sells chili sauce of her own! Vivie was raised as a child mostly by her grandmother who taught her to create the perfect synthesis of the different spices and flavors of her hometown. Every day after school, Vivie and her grandmother got together and cooked dinner for their family. Her family seldom ate at restaurants because Vivie and her grandmother created and served such delightful dishes at home. Vivie moved to Shanghai when she was eighteen to attend university and has been here for the past decade. Vivie lives with her husband Chris who moved to Shanghai from America along with their two cats Frank and Tim in their comfortable apartment near the famous Xin Hua road.

In addition to food and cooking, Vivie is a big fan of dancing, karaoke, playing the guitar, fitness and travel. Vivie and Chris routinely travel Greater China to trek through historical towns. They also enjoy a good game of beer pong on occasion.

What to expect

Please note menu might vary. If there are particular dishes you are interested in trying, please include your request in the booking form.

In-home meal: (1-4 guests) Meet Vivie and her husband Chris at their small but welcoming apartment located in central Changning, Shanghai. With a drink in hand, enjoy interesting banter ranging across topics from ‘China vs the world’ and ‘The greatest music videos of all time’ to ‘The most beautiful undiscovered places in the world’. As you chat you will pick up traces of delicious scents wafting from the kitchen before you all sit down to enjoy an authentic Southwestern and Northern Chinese meal together. Your meal may include dishes such as a peppery chicken soup, spring rolls, kung pau chicken, mapo tofu and homemade rice noodles. Your meal will conclude with a sweet dessert.

Cooking experience: (1-4 guests) Join Vivie in her kitchen to learn to make famous Chinese dishes which include unique variations that have been created by her forefathers and passed down through generations in her family. Your cooking lesson will include learning to make northern dishes such as dumplings and noodles to spicy southwestern dishes such as kung pau chicken and mapo tofu. Enjoy learning about the tips and techniques involved in cooking before you sit down at the table to share the meal you helped prepare with host Vivie.

Notes: Since Vivie and Chris work full-time during the week, they are available to host only on weekends.

Languages spoken: English, Mandarin

Sample menu

This is just a sample menu to give you an idea of the types of dishes the host cooks. Your menu will vary according to seasonal availability.
  • Spring roll appetizer with chinese cabbage, sliced pork and mushroom
  • Chicken soup with Chinese pepper
  • Kung pau chicken with peanuts, home-made chili paste and spring onion
  • Mapo tofu (Sichuan style tofu in chili paste and pepper with minced pork)
  • Stir-fried seasonal vegetable with soy sauce and garlic
  • Home-made rice noodles with minced pork, home-made chili oil, Chinese pickles and tomato sauce
  • Dessert of rice balls in a sweet rice wine with osmanthus sugar
PERSONALLY VETTED REVIEW
A Traveling Spoon ambassador visited this host. Here is their personal review.

It was a lot of fun meeting Vivie and Chris. I felt comfortable and right at home as soon as I arrived. I was offered a drink and we sat around in the lounge talking about China and current affairs, as well as a host of other things. We had an excellent rapport talking and there was much laughter. The experience truly felt as if I was visiting old friends. After about an hour we began to eat. As for the food, Vivie is an excellent cook. I’m a big fan of spicy food so Vivie added some extra chili and spice to the dishes. I was served very generous helpings and we spent about an hour or so at the table eating and chatting away. At the end Vivie gave me some of her homemade chili sauce which she sells to take away with me. Highly recommended host!

Julian, Traveling Spoon Ambassador

Traveler reviews

This is a new host who does not yet have any reviews. You can see reviews of our other Shanghai Traveling Spoon experiences on TripAdvisor:
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
In-Home Meal
 $78 $62 Not offered
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $116 $94 Not offered
Alcohol
 $14 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
In-Home Meal
 $78 $62 Not offered
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $116 $94 Not offered
Alcohol
 $14 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
 Lunch Dinner
In-Home Meal
 12:00pm-2:00pm 7:00pm-9:00pm
Cooking Experience+ Meal
 9:00am-1:00pm 4:00pm-8:00pm
ABOUT TRAVELING SPOON

Traveling Spoon connects you with meaningful culinary experiences, from private cooking lessons to homecooked meals in people's homes. Enjoy an immersive cultural experience that gives you a glimpse into the local way of life.

FAQ

    You can cancel your reservation up until 48 hours before your experience for a full refund minus a 3% processing fee. Experiences within 48 hours are not refundable.

    If you have a question for your host, you can include a note in the field "Write a note to your host" during the booking process. Once your booking is confirmed, you will be emailed your host's direct contact information and you will also be able to message the host through your profile. You can always cancel your booking and receive a full refund 48 hours or more before your experience. If you have other questions you can also email us at reservations@travelingspoon.com.

    Most of our hosts are able to accommodate dietary restrictions and allergies, including vegetarian and gluten free options. For vegetarian travelers, we have an icon on each host profile to indicate whether that host can also offer a fully vegetarian menu. There is a section in the booking form to note any allergies or dietary restrictions which will be sent directly to your host.

    Some hosts offer alcohol as an optional add-on for travelers who are of legal drinking age. Pricing for alcohol is visible on the host profile page and includes one to two glasses of wine, beer or local alcohol.

    Have a flight or other tour planned and can’t make the timing provided? If the timing listed on the host’s profile doesn’t work for you, our hosts can often accommodate timing changes. Because all of our experiences are private our hosts are happy to tailor experiences to meet your travel needs. Simply note your request in the booking process.

    Your card will not be charged until your host accepts your booking. Typically hosts respond to bookings within 72 hours. In the event your host is unavailable on your selected date and your host rejects your booking your credit card will not be charged.

    Your host's detailed contact information, including their phone number, address, and direction notes, will all be provided immediately upon successful confirmation of your experience (after your hosts accepts your booking and your credit card is successfully processed). This information will be emailed to you to the email address you used to sign up, and will also be visible on your Traveling Spoon profile.

    All prices are noted per person prices unless otherwise specified. Transportation is typically charged on a per car basis. Children aged 5-11 are 50% off, and infants aged 0-4 are free. Hosts set their own prices and Traveling Spoon marks up the experiences; on average hosts receive over 70% of the price paid by the traveler.

    100% of Traveling Spoon experiences are private! Just you and your host and host’s family.

    Hosts typically respond to booking inquiries within 72 hours. If for some reason you have not heard from your host or if you have any questions you can always contact us at reservations@travelingspoon.com.

    Your safety and security are our top priority. To ensure this, Traveling Spoon personally vets 100% of all hosts, including an in-person host visit, to ensure each host and experience meets our strict quality requirements.

    Some hosts offer transportation as an optional add-on for travelers. Typically this is round trip transportation with pick up and drop off at your hotel. Pricing is quoted per car. Specific instructions for transportation will be provided in your confirmation details when your booking is confirmed.

    Many of our hosts accommodate solo travelers. You can see if a host accepts solo travelers by looking at the traveler range found next to the experience descriptions on the host profile (indicated by the numbers in parentheses next to "In-home meal", "Cooking experience" and "Market visit").

    Most of our Traveling Spoon experiences are incredibly family friendly and can accommodate infants and children. If a host is unable to accommodate children that will be noted in the “Notes” section of their profile. Our child pricing policy is children aged 5-11 are 50% off, and infants aged 0-4 are free.