By Michelle Tan
ひとり時間 has a different feeling at a yakitori counter.
I used to think dining alone would make me feel self-conscious. Walking into a restaurant without company often felt like I was missing part of the experience. Then I found myself sitting at a yakitori counter one evening, tucked between a pair of office workers finishing their beers and a regular chatting quietly with the chef.
Within minutes, I forgot I was alone.
The counter seemed designed for exactly this kind of evening. The grill provided a focal point. Smoke drifted upwards in soft waves. Skewers moved steadily across glowing binchotan charcoal. There was always something happening, yet nothing felt rushed.
What I enjoy most about solo yakitori is the freedom to follow my own pace. Some nights, that means ordering only a few skewers and lingering over a drink. Other times, it means working through a longer selection while watching the rhythm of service unfold in front of me.
The experience feels especially natural in Orchard, where many yakitori spots are built around intimate counter seating. In fact, our guide to solo dining yakitori in Orchard explores several places where sitting alone feels completely normal, even encouraged.
There is also something surprisingly comforting about being surrounded by strangers who are doing exactly the same thing. Some are reading messages between bites. Others are watching the grill as attentively as I am. Nobody seems concerned about who arrived alone and who didn’t.
Perhaps that is why solo yakitori never feels lonely.
The food gives you something to enjoy. The counter gives you something to observe. And for a couple of hours, the outside world becomes just a little quieter.
