Exotic decoration, friendly Egyptian chef, unique Middle Eastern cuisine… All these bring customers into a distant and mysterious land.

This “Omar’s Restaurant” is located on Nan’erjing Street in Shenhe District, Shenyang. Small but cozy, the restaurant impresses people with unique and exotic Egyptian decorations on the wall once entering inside.

Omar, the chef, is from Egypt. He has been living in China for 23 years and in Shenyang for 9 years. Fang Shuai, Omar’s wife, is a native of Shenyang. She helps her husband with the restaurant while taking care of their three school-aged children.

Omar and Fang Shuai met in Beijing more than a decade ago. They lived in Egypt for a period of time after getting married, but finally decided to settle down in Shenyang, Fang Shuai’s hometown. Their eldest son, Nour, is 14 years old and could help at the restaurant. Their daughters, Layla, 11 and Laya, 7, have inherited their dad’s artistic talent and love singing, dancing, and painting.

“Omar really loves Shenyang. He thinks the people here share a lot in common with his friends and relatives back in Egypt. They are genuine, warm and hospitable. That’s why he feels at home in Shenyang.” Fang Shuai said.

“I had hoped to visit China when I worked in a Chinese company back in Egypt. I found that there was no traditional Arabic restaurants despite of colorful delicious Shenyang cuisine. So I decided to open my own.” Omar said that his connection with China not only brought his wonderful wife and a happy family, but also inspired him to launch his own business.

“Many foreigners visiting and doing business in Shenyang came to my restaurant. However, most of our customers are locals. My cooking has some unique flavors because I bring in spices from Egypt. It makes me super happy when customers say they love my dishes.” Omar said.

In Omar’s eyes, Shenyang is a modern city full of humanism. In recent years, it has accomplished remarkable progress in areas such as industry transformation, technological innovation, and cultural tourism. Countless new ideas and industries have emerged. “I feel that every day in the past 9 years is changing. Liaoning offers abundant opportunities for development, ensuring a brighter future for those who choose to be here.” Omar said, “In the near future, I hope to establish more branches in different cities across Liaoning, allowing more people to experience authentic Arabic cuisine.”