Every Saturday afternoon, 28-year-old Rockid Hu and his girlfriend Cherry Chen (two in the middle) invite strangers to come over and have dinner with them at their SweetSalt family dining room. Photos provided to Shanghai Star

Eat beat

A feast of stones

Let's eat in and chat. Dining at home with strangers is the way 28-year-old Rockid Hu and his girlfriend Cherry Chen make friends.

It all started last year when Hu became concerned about how much food he was wasting when he just cooked for himself.

"It was a problem preparing meals for myself as I cooked a variety of dishes but I couldn't finish them all. So I thought, why not find someone to have dinner with me," says Hu, a graphic designer.

In the beginning, he tried inviting people living nearby to eat with him, but he failed to find a neighbor willing to accept his invitation. He decided to post the invitation online, and was surprised to find how quickly he attracted a lot of attention.

"It was beyond all expectations. I received replies from over 40 people who wanted to come over and eat home-style food within the first week," Hu says.