Solitary diners used to be shunned in China's restaurants, but now eating alone is definitely on the menu.

Last month during a business trip to Shanghai, I was surprised and delighted to discover that the city's restaurants allowed me to book a table as a solo diner, and that some even operate special bar areas for unaccompanied customers that provide half-portion dishes and single-person menus.

Eating alone is not encouraged in China. It's common to see long lines of couples, families and groups of friends waiting outside restaurants at mealtimes. Finding a solo diner is as difficult as discovering a dinosaur.

Clockwise from top: Solo diners can enjoy the special one-person afternoon tea at January Cafe & Restaurant with a novel; The Chinese name of Ichininmae Sushibar is "a sushibar for solo diners". One can order a single sushiball; Bar area, Yuangu Ramen allows individual customers to order half portion size of ramen. Deng Zhangyu / China Daily

In a country that stresses group activity, people are used to doing things in the company of others. They go shopping with friends, travel with their families, visit cinemas on working days in the company of their colleagues, and even invite others to accompany them and use the washrooms together.

When I asked my friends if they would consider visiting a restaurant alone, they all responded with a quick "no" and their expressions asked: "Are you insane?" If they absolutely have to eat alone, they take food home, rather than sit in a restaurant and endure the other diners looking at them as though they are oddballs.

I have often noticed my friends using their WeChat or Weibo accounts to find dining partners, and after my own experiences of eating alone, I can understand why.

When waiting in line, I kill time by looking at my cellphone, which gives the impression I'm waiting for some tardy friends or, more embarrassingly, that I've been stood up. Then I have to ask the waiter apologetically for a "table for one" and see the disappointment on their face.

I never expect a good seat by the window, because I often end up sharing a table with strangers or tucking myself into a corner seat close to a washroom or the kitchen. The pitiful, curious looks I attract from waiters and other diners make me wonder if the expression on my face reads: "I'm a poor leftover woman."

That's why I was surprised and pleased to discover that some restaurants in Shanghai positively welcome solo diners, and even provide books, magazines and comics to help unaccompanied people avoid boredom during the wait for their meal to arrive at the table.

"People are increasingly willing to eat alone in Shanghai. They enjoy their own company, and I'm glad I can offer them a good place," says Huang Xiaopei, who owns a fancy restaurant in a Western-style mansion with a rooftop dining space. Huang's January Cafe & Restaurant, which offers single-person afternoon teas and menus, is rapidly gaining a name among customers.

The large number of unmarried middle-class people in Shanghai and the city's size mean there's great potential for non-reservation restaurants that embrace solo diners, says Huang, who believes the service her establishment offers would be impossible in smaller cities where it's more convenient and faster for people to head home and eat with their families

In Shanghai's restaurants, I can order a half-bowl of noodles, a single sushi instead of the usual plate of four, and half-portions of meat and vegetables for an individual hotpot. That's really a boon for those striking out alone and eager to try a variety of dishes, but are concerned that no one else is there to share the plates that traditionally provide enough food for two to four people.

It's pleasing to eat alone in the comfort of the bar area without having to ask the waiters to hold the shallots because my companion doesn't like them. Also, I can enjoy delicious dishes in peace with no small talk between mouthfuls. However, it seems that I'm in the minority.

At Yuangu Ramen, the cashier told me the bar area is only full when the restaurant is busy, and most solitary diners appear to feel pressured eating in there, so they prefer to sit at a table for parties of two or four.

It will take time to dispel the stigma attached to dining alone, to fight against the bias that solo diners are anti-social people in a society that emphasizes a collectivist culture. At least some of China's bigger cities, such as Shanghai where the Japanese TV series Lonely Foodies is hugely popular, are finally taking a step forward.

Contact the author at: dengzhangyu@chinadaily.com.cn

Where to eat

Shanghai eateries that welcome solo diners

Ichininmae Sushibar

Address: 245 Madang Road, Huangpu district

Suggested dishes: Goose liver sushi ball, avocado sushi roll, rainbow sushi ball, salmon sashimi

Solo bill: 90 yuan ($14.58)

Yuangu Ramen

Address: Jiadun Square, 2088 Yan'anxi Road, Changning district

Suggested dishes: Tonkotsu ramen, special ramen, fried chicken

Solo bill: 40 yuan

January Cafe & Restaurant

Address: 101 Gaoan Road, Xuhui district

Suggested dishes: Afternoon set tea for one, January burgers, club sandwich, asparagus and shrimp soup

Solo bill: 120 yuan

Yang's Fried Dumplings

Address: 618 Xujiahui Road, Luwan district

Suggested dish: Fried dumplings

Solo bill: 12 yuan

(China Daily 08/02/2014 page18)