Well, Confession time… I’m a weirdo when it comes to eating food or drinking beverage. I love my alone time and I love exploring. There are seldom times when my comment would be “I did not like that” or “OH! That tastes bad” when it comes to edible stuff. I can be very adventurous with my dining options and I don’t scare easy trying new cuisines and my palette is super tolerant. From Firecracker standard spicy food to a sweet dish for the main course, I can do pretty much anything. It’s the repetitive and plodding way of life that daunts me more… The light bulb in my head comes on, the moment I spot the most outlandish dish on the menu, which is sure to earn a disdained look from my fellow diner. I proudly quote myself an epicure, but one-half of my friends like to stick with the better-known names and traditional food, while the other half are vegetarians… Though not a red meat eater, I eat my fair share of white meat. So when eating alone I’m the queen at my table.
Like every other experience, dining alone was scary too at first. I still remember the look on the Stewards face, when I said table for one, walking into that Schmick restaurant around my workplace. But when I placed an order of all those items, which I thought were straight out of a Michelin Star grade, I went back quietly to reading my novel. So there it was… the 2 things I love the most, food and books all on one table. Yeah, you guessed it right! There was no turning back. Now walking into any kind of restaurant, asking for a table for 1 and ordering anything on the menu is all Easy-Peasy. The art of solo eating has been mastered…
Start Simple:
How about first trying something simple? Maybe hang out at a café all by yourself. My all-time favourite was a Starbucks near my workplace. I even had my favourite corner, everybody in the café knew me - what my beverage of choice was and even gave an occasional free refill. But hungry for more? Try lunch or brunch… The more casual but busy crowd, leaving you on your own.
Food is the focus:
Yeah, you heard me… Let’s agree that you are there to eat. ‘People watching’ is fun of course sometimes, but only if you are seated on a Patio. If you are in the confined walls of a restaurant the chances are that it may make you uncomfortable and lonely. So think about what you want to order, and what you are craving for, and when the food arrives “SAVOUR IT”.
Seating is important:
Oh! I like those plush couches in restaurants too. But couches come with large tables and being seated alone at large tables, feel awkward. So being seated at the bar or chef counter, or in the patio, which a lot of times has smaller tables meant for two people would be a more astute option. It is easy to chat up even with people you don’t know as you are seated closer or maybe just chat up with the chef or the bartender. My experience? They are the most friendly people.
Find something to do:
I may have mentioned this, but I love to read. Anything, well fictional… But give me a book, and you won’t find me again. But with Netflix and Amazon Prime videos giving you download options, you can carry your little Telly on the phone or tablet anywhere. I also love to binge-watch TV series… I’ve covered a countless number of them, sitting in Starbucks. After work though...
Ignore people:
Sometimes, maybe just you have those occasional, nosy people staring at you, even though they have someone seated at their table. Probably wondering what a beautiful woman such as you are doing all by herself. Her Craft, not yours. Just ignore, stop cringing and eat. That food on your table isn’t going to stay warm forever, or cold for that matter…
Food tour:
Oh, this one is my favourite… Thailand is any foodies dream come true. I remember walking into food streets, night markets and name it, trying everything possible thing that looked edible to me, and the experience blew my mind. I realized that there is so much to eat in the world that we had no idea, even existed. I bought everything off the charts with no guilt and no one’s opinion to bother about.
At the comfort of your own home:
With the Swiggys, Zomatos, Yelps and Skip the dishes of the world, there is nothing anymore, that you need to step out for. You can order in the most sophisticated cuisine right to your doorstep. So it could be a good start too, dining on your own, on that lazy couch, watching TV or listening to your kind of music or just slurrrrrrp away staring into perpetuity.
So you don’t have to take my word for it. Go out, be adventurous, do what you want to do, and most importantly eat what you want to, because eating good food is bliss beyond imagination.