One fact about me. I have not eaten alone in a restaurant. Nothing against it for sure. I admired people who can just go inside a restaurant and ask for a table for one. Yeah. Never done that. I always felt like all eyeballs will be on me. Intellectually, I knew that this was not the case. Of course, this was just my social anxiety talking.

But being the loner that I am, I thought what is the harm on eating alone anyway. So during my last trip to San Francisco, I decided to take the plunge and try it. I was staying at Union Square at that time and there were restaurants all over the place. From popular ones to smaller businesses.

I chose a little Japanese restaurant along Geary St in Union Square, Katana Ya. I decided for an early dinner just so I could still get the experience of eating alone without the dinner crowd. It was little quaint restaurant, with dim lighting, music playing softly in the background. The restaurant was not loud, always good in my books. I opted to sit at the bar. This way my back was to the crowd, which thinking about it now might not have been the smartest move on my part. But seeing as this was my first time venturing out on my own in a restaurant, I wanted to blind myself of the crowd.

I ordered the Tonkatsu Don because why not? I skipped on putting my headphones on. Since I was already vulnerable with my back to the crowd, I wanted to at least be alert enough to hear what was going on. I decided to read. And I did just that throughout dinner. I read while I slowly ate my dinner, once in a while getting distracted by the crowd chattering behind me.

The next stop, I decided, should be a busier chain. Cheesecake Factory. Lo and behold – it was crowded for an early dinner time. It was LOUD. The only thing that I really appreciated with this specific location was the fact that it was on the top floor of the Macy’s Building – so it was bright. Considering that there was already a line when I went, I only waited about 15 minutes before being directed to a table. I laughed silently as I realized where I was being lead to – the “table for one” section.

I started with a mojito, they did offer more variations of this with different flavors like pineapple, but I opted for the classic. It was definitely refreshing. Ordered Tex Mex for appetizer, and the Hibachi Steak as the main course. And yes, I realized that it as a lot food but I didn’t care. My excuse? I was starving. Ri-ight. Just like the previous restaurant, I opted to read instead of listening to anything through headphones.

For a tiny Asian woman, I finished the food. I was proud of myself for this one. I was so lost in my own world, well more like the world of the book I was reading, that I didn’t realize that I finished all the food I ordered. I even ordered a second glass of mojito for good measure.

So my verdict? I liked it. To be honest, the experience was quite nice. I was able to enjoy the food more. I always ate fast but with me being alone, I was just savoring it more. Most likely because I wasn’t lost in the chatter. I knew it took longer for me to finish the dishes that I ordered compared to when I eat with someone. I was able to just enjoy my own company, or should I say the company of my book at that time. I loved the combo – me, book and food.