Private kitchens, public restaurants

Stir-fried fish/chicken with sweet pepper in musk-melon.[Photos by Feng Yongbin / China Daily]

As in most private kitchens, Dong provides a set menu, which is updated once a month to incorporate seasonal ingredients and new improvisations.

"My culinary skills are limited because I haven't received any professional training. But I enjoy the study of gastronomy and creating innovative menus," he says. Each of the well-designed monthly menus is themed by certain cultural elements.

One of his signature dishes is sauteed toufu and vegetable mince patties with a dressing of braised pork broth. Dong says the dish is entirely new and was inspired by the book Qing Cheng Zhi Lian (Love in a Fallen City) by Eileen Chang (1920-95), a popular Chinese writer. "In the book, she says frying toufu mince with the broth of braised pork makes a tasty dish. I reinvented it based on her ideas", Dong says.

Dong opened a public account - UNIQUEDONG5491 - on the social networking site WeChat to publish his monthly menus, and also as a platform for reservations. He also shares his culinary experiences with the followers of the account.

Dong says the most important aspect of running a private kitchen is maintaining the owner's individual style. "I bring to my guests what I like most," he said. "In return, they have to follow my rules. I'm into tea and coffee, and will serve the ones I like most. But I don't smoke or drink alcohol. So no smoking or alcohol are allowed in my house."

When Dong graduated from Harbin Engineering University in 2005, he landed a job in Beijing. He started to cook for himself after work simply because "eating out is expensive and unsafe," he says. "But eventually, I fell in love with cooking because it is such a trivial thing, but gives me a real sense of achievement."

Dong believes that it's crucial to allow guests to play at being the owner of the private kitchen. "When I have customers, I have to give away my sitting room, restroom and dining area, and I try to make myself 'invisible'. That's out of respect for my guests."

"If you choose to have dinner at a stranger's home, you probably want an intimate environment where you won't be disturbed."