Table for one: how intentional solo dining has become a new kind of luxury
For too long, dining alone was coded as an afterthought: a hurried lunch between meetings, a lone seat squeezed into a crowded restaurant or the inevitable “table for one.” Who can forget Bette Midler’s resigned “Si!” when asked if she was eating solo in The First Wives Club? Across Asia, however, that narrative is being gently dismantled. Solo dining is no longer a fallback. It is becoming a deliberate indulgence, a moment of mindfulness and, increasingly, a subtle marker of privilege and luxury.
In case you missed it: The shared table: Asia’s communal dining traditions and why they endure
In Japan, ohitorisama has become a lifestyle
At ramen shops in Tokyo, partitioned booths transform solo dining into a meditative ritual. (Photo: Diana Nguyen/Pexels)
Japan has long been the bellwether of solo culture, with ohitorisama (literally, “party of one”) becoming an everyday practice rather than a stigma. The shift is organic: over one-third of Japan’s approximately 53 million households are single-person, with projections nearing 40 per cent by 2040.
Even karaoke—once the epitome of group revelry—has shifted. Chains like 1Kara report that up to 40 per cent of patrons now sing alone, leading to the design of phone-booth-sized private studios. Dining follows the same ethos. At Ichiran, the famed ramen chain, diners order via vending machine and eat in partitioned booths designed to eliminate distraction. The experience becomes a form of culinary meditation, where taste, not table chatter, takes centre stage.
Kaiseki for one in Kyoto
Kyoto’s high-end kaiseki restaurants now welcome solo diners with counter seating and private rooms (Photo: Gu Ko / Pexels)
Some regions in Japan take eating in solitude even more seriously. In Kyoto, solo dining is evolving beyond casual eateries into the rarified world of haute cuisine. Restaurants like Hitori (which translates to “one person”) have become symbols of this quiet revolution. Even traditional kaiseki establishments, once thought too ceremonial for singles, are adapting with counter seating and discreet private rooms designed for solo patrons. What was once coded as awkward is now reframed as refined, a bold act of culinary self-possession.
See more: Dining etiquette: why eating loudly isn’t just ‘allowed’ in Asia. It’s essential
Solitary teahouses in Taipei
New teahouses in Taipei offer private alcoves for solitary gongfu tea rituals steeped in calm and intention. (Photo: Jasmine Huang/Unsplash)
Tea, by its nature, has always carried an air of contemplation in Taiwan. Yet a new wave of teahouses is deepening that connection, offering private alcoves where solo guests can linger over gongfu rituals. Here, the emphasis is on intention. Think slowing down, brewing with precision and letting the fragrance of oolong or pu’er envelop the senses. It is dining as a ceremony, where solitude sharpens the experience.
Dining in darkness in Bangkok
Bangkok adds another dimension to the experience of eating alone. At restaurants like Dine in the Dark (DID) and Noir, guests are plunged into pitch-black dining rooms and guided by blind or visually impaired servers. A concept that began in Paris in the 1990s, dark dining has found fertile ground in Asia, where curiosity, wellness and sensory play overlap. While often experienced with friends, the format lends itself to solo diners who want to test their palate’s limits without the distraction of small talk.
This concept has also found its way through various Asian countries, although it is in Thailand where it is truly appreciated.
Seoul and its hanjok culture
Seoul’s cafés and restaurants are adapting to South Korea’s honjok trend with solo-friendly menus and seating. (Photo: Khanh Nguyen/Pexels)
Elsewhere, the solo dining renaissance is tied to wellness. In Seoul, minimalist cafés tucked into hanok courtyards encourage silence, with some even designating “no conversation” zones for dessert lovers seeking calm.
The word honjok—a portmanteau of honja (alone) and jok (tribe)—captures a sweeping cultural shift in South Korea, where nearly 35.5 per cent of households were single-person homes in 2023. The practice of eating alone, called honbap, has become normalised. According to reports, about 70 to 80 per cent of Koreans have tried it, and over half expressed a preference for solo dining. Key drivers include hyper-urban lifestyles, a culture of fierce academic and professional competition that leaves no time to dine leisurely, and the pursuit of "me-time" over obligatory gatherings.
Restaurants are adapting quickly, providing single-person booths and vending-machine ordering. Chains like Lotteria and Pizza Hut have redesigned menus and seating, including installing more bar counters and single-serving options, to better accommodate solo visitors.
In Singapore, hawkers mean solo dining
At Singapore’s hawker centres, solo diners enjoy affordable meals alone at communal tables without social pressure. (Photo: Namzy / Pexels)
While there aren’t formal terms like honbap, solo dining in Singapore is fully embraced. Solo dining has evolved from a subtle sideline to a quietly celebrated urban practice. Today’s bustling lifestyles complete with dense urban living, compact homes and fast-paced work cultures mean many meals are squeezed between errands or on solo commutes. While precise statistics on solo dining frequency are scarce, the momentum is clear. Hawker centres like Maxwell Food Centre and Tekka Centre provide communal tables where individuals often dine alone without the pressure of conversing with strangers.
Forward-thinking industry voices also recognise this trend: TableCheck’s Solo-Dining Trend Guide underscores that welcoming the “solo diner” has become both strategic and profitable, given their efficiency, reduced food waste and repeat business potential.
NOW READ
Small portions, big flavour: 9 cookbooks that celebrate making food for one