For those of you old enough to remember the show Cheers, it was a place where “everybody knows your name, and they’re always glad you came.” Although we haven’t quite found our Cheers here in Shanghai, we’ve come very close. It’s a restaurant right in our Shanghai neighborhood and despite the fact we don’t know each others’ names, and we can hardly communicate with language, the staff certainly makes us feel incredibly welcome every time we visit, recognizing us each and every time we walk in the door. It has, in fact, become one of our favorite places to eat.

Located right across the street from our hotel, it’s a small, unassuming place, with good food for a good price. Full meals cost as little as 9 RMB, or approximately $1.25 U.S. A menu full of Chinese items, we’ve found the picture menu incredibly helpful. And every time we come, they find a way to accommodate a group of eight. Tonight, as our group made its way into the neighborhood eatery, our upbeat mood quickly declined. All the tables were full, but when our host saw us start to leave, he quickly communicated that he would find us a place to sit. After ordering we were led to a private room upstairs where we once again enjoyed a wonderful meal.

After dinner, our group headed to another eatery that is quickly becoming a neighborhood favorite, a pastry shop. And although it is like many pastry shops full of chocolate and creamy puffs of goodness, for some reason, this shop has quite the obsession with hot dogs. In the U.S. you would be hard pressed to find a pastry shop that mixed cream fillings with hot dogs, but not here in China. And although it doesn’t sound like a great combination, in fact, there are a few that aren’t too bad. The “Japanese Barbeque” mixed hot dogs with cheese and some type of barbeque sauce. The “Long Beach” has hot dogs along with sliced almonds and other tasty treats (code for we aren’t sure what it is). What I find most appealing in the shop is the coffee, and a chance to end our fine meal with a good cup of coffee is one that I cannot turn down.

Surprisingly, or maybe not so surprisingly, depending on how you look at it, is our other favorite neighborhood hang out. Believe it or not, Dairy Queen is quite popular here in Shanghai. While the Blizzard flavors are not exactly the same, they are very “American,” and the taste of good ole soft serve ice cream is another favorite that we’ve come to enjoy here in our home away from home.

It really shows that no matter how far away from home you might be, or how unusual or different the area is, you can find a place where you feel comfortable and welcome! That is Shanghai, a city that has welcomed us with open arms!