Verna Gao

@vernahungrybanana | 900K+ Followers | Cookbook Author "Have You Eaten?"

Verna Gao is the Shanghai-born, London-based food creator who's taken TikTok and Instagram by storm. Her authentic Asian-inspired recipes have captured 900K+ followers - now you can get her dishes delivered to your door through HomeCooks.

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Verna's Story

Verna was born in Shanghai and moved to London in 2003 at age 12. Arriving with very little English, she used cooking as a way to stay connected to her Chinese heritage - recreating the dishes she grew up eating with her mother and grandmother.

"Have you eaten? To me and many others, food always makes life better. It's an expression of love, a way of working out if a bowl of something comforting can help improve a mood."

What started as a lockdown food blog quickly became a phenomenon. Verna hit 100K followers on both Instagram and TikTok by 2022, and was featured in TikTok's "22 Creators to Watch." Today, she has over 900K followers across platforms and has published her debut cookbook "Have You Eaten?" with Penguin Random House.

Her recipes blend childhood memories of the kitchen with discoveries from backpacking across East Asia's street food hotspots - authentic, accessible, and always delicious.

What Verna Does Best

Shanghai heritage meets London creativity - authentic Asian comfort food

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Dumplings

Handmade dumplings perfected at Dumpling Shack - her first food industry job

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Asian Comfort Food

Soul-warming dishes inspired by childhood and East Asian travels

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Chinese Heritage

Authentic recipes from Shanghai, passed down through generations

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Published Author

"Have You Eaten?" - 70+ recipes with Penguin Random House

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900K Followers

TikTok's "22 Creators to Watch in 2022" - and still growing

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Ready in Minutes

Verna's viral recipes, delivered to you - just heat and eat

Why Order Through HomeCooks?

Love Verna's recipes but don't have time to cook? Her authentic Asian comfort food is now available through HomeCooks - chef-prepared, perfectly seasoned, and delivered to your door. No shopping, no prep, no cleanup.

Plus, you get access to dishes from over 20 other independent chefs. From Chinese to Caribbean, Italian to Indian - more variety than any takeaway.

✓ Authentic recipes - Real Asian comfort food from Shanghai to your door

✓ High protein - 30-60g per meal for your fitness goals

✓ Ultimate convenience - No prep, no cooking, no washing up

✓ Flexible subscription - Skip or cancel anytime, no lock-in

✓ 200+ dishes - Verna's Asian recipes plus 20+ other cuisines

✓ Street food quality - Flavours inspired by East Asian travel

Start Your Order - Get £10 Off