Guess who's coming to dinner?

An online platform for diners connects home cooks with different groups of strangers, eager to taste new dishes and make friends, Deng Zhangyu reports.

Yan Chengying rose at 4 am on a Saturday in July and kept herself busy through the day preparing a 14-dish dinner - not for her family or friends, but for eight strangers who had already paid for the food.

When all the diners - also previously unknown to each other - arrived at 6 pm, the meal started with a brief self-introduction by each attendee. Then they enjoyed the food, while discussing topics ranging from how to cook dishes served by Yan to where the best diving spots are. Yan, 61, joined the conversation with her daughter after finishing up in the kitchen.