Xiaolongbao Cooking Class with Instructor

OMG this was AMAZING!!! 🌸🥟 Mr. Zhang is the BEST teacher ever — so patient and funny! The tea house is gorgeous and the xiaolongbao we made were actually restaurant-quality?? Still can't believe I can now make soup dumplings from scratch! Spring in Shanghai + dumpling class = PERFECT combo! Would give 6 stars if I could!! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Nice break from the usual sightseeing. The class is well-paced, the tea is good, and you leave with a skill you can actually show off back home.

Did this on a mild Shanghai morning and it was honestly the highlight of our China trip. The lane house setting is stunning — all dark wood, calligraphy on the walls, and the smell of tea and steam. David was exceptional: spoke perfect English, was patient with everyone (the class ranged from a 12-year-old to a 70-year-old), and shared genuinely interesting stories about Shanghai's food culture. We learned that xiaolongbao was invented in 1875 and that the broth inside comes from aspic (meat jelly) that melts during steaming. The pleating technique is the hardest part — 18 folds is the standard and David could do it in about 10 seconds. We took considerably longer. After the class, we sat around eating our creations and David joined us for tea and answered all our questions about Shanghai. Got some amazing local restaurant recommendations. Tips: book the morning session, bring your camera, and come hungry.

This was my second time doing this class (first was in summer) and the winter experience was completely different and equally wonderful. The tea house feels extra cozy in winter — steam from the baskets, warm lighting, hot tea constantly refilled. Master Wang remembered me from before and welcomed me back like an old friend. The class content was the same high quality but the winter atmosphere made it feel more intimate. The group was smaller (winter is off-peak) so we got even more individual attention. Master Wang shared some winter-specific tips, like how the dough behaves differently in cold weather and how to adjust. We made traditional pork xiaolongbao and they were perfect — hot, soupy, and incredibly satisfying on a cold day. After the class, Master Wang recommended a nearby noodle shop for lunch and walked us there. Above and beyond service. Can't recommend this enough, in any season.

January in Shanghai means cold drizzle outside, but inside this tea house it was warm and wonderful. Anna had the heaters going and a pot of aged pu'er waiting for us. The class started with a deep dive into xiaolongbao history — learned that the dish was created by a man named Huang Mingxian who wanted to sell dumplings that stayed hot longer in winter. How fitting! The hands-on part was cozy — the warm dough, the hot filling, the steaming baskets. Anna was incredibly patient, especially when I kept tearing my wrappers. The trick is to keep the dough covered with a damp cloth so it doesn't dry out. We made pork xiaolongbao with the classic aspic filling, and watching the steam rise from the bamboo baskets on a cold day was pure comfort. The group was small (6 people) which meant lots of individual attention. After eating, we lingered over tea for another 30 minutes just chatting. A perfect winter morning in Shanghai.