If you have a friend visiting from Asia, who is feeling a bit homesick, you might want to treat them to a lovely restaurant meal. Here are two points to bear in mind if you're going to do this.

Take them to an Asian restaurant which makes authentic versions of their favourite Asian dishes

Whilst your friend probably enjoys many different cuisines, in this situation you might want to invite them to an Asian restaurant. Before you pick a particular restaurant, you should make sure it serves at least a few authentic versions of your friend's favourite Asian dishes.

The reason for this is as follows; many people associate specific foods with their cultural background and find great comfort in the flavour, aroma and sight of these foods, as they evoke memories of the meals they shared with their families growing up and the dishes they enjoyed on celebratory occasions. For example, if your friend hails from Osaka in Japan, they might appreciate you taking them to a restaurant that makes authentic Negiyaki pancakes, as these are one of this city's specialities.

In short, if you take the time to find the perfect Asian restaurant, which can prepare some of the dishes your friend loves to have when they're in their home country, you should be able to ease their homesickness a little bit. Furthermore, the very fact that you went to this much effort to help them should also brighten their mood.

Encourage them to open up about their homesickness over this meal

When you decide to treat your friend to this meal, you may hope that it will cheer them up. However, it might actually be better to encourage them to discuss their homesickness whilst the two of you enjoy your meals. The reason for this is as follows; many people who experience homesickness whilst they're travelling feel guilty discussing it, as they believe they should just be grateful for the chance to go on a fun trip. Because of this, they may end up stifling their emotions and not talking about it with anyone. This is not healthy and can leave them feeling very down.

Given this, it's worth asking your friend some questions that will open up a dialogue about their homesickness, rather than trying to force them to cheer up. This informal restaurant setting, along with the presence of lots of their favourite delicious Asian dishes, should help to them to feel more relaxed, which should, in turn, enable them to open up about the more difficult aspects of being far away from home.

Contact an Asian restaurant in your area to learn more about the dishes they offer.