Kochi has been on my list for a while now. I’ve been to several of the Chef’s other restaurants, and they’re all delightful. This is his first solo project, after working in kitchens like Le Bernardin, Per Se, and Morimoto. What’s also great about this restaurant is that it’s very easy to get a reservation if you just book a few days out. We were able to get one at 5:30 PM on a Friday without any issues.

Many Thai restaurants are located around the Midtown area. This one is a modern Thai restaurant inspired by the flavors of Bangkok street food. Unlike other Thai restaurants, the menu here has some interesting options that lured us in. The name comes from the airport code for Bangkok in Thailand. Since we were around the area, I made a reservation for 2 just a few hours before very easily.

The Dynamo Room is a relatively new steakhouse located in the Penn District, right next to Madison Square Garden and in the heart of the area. The whole area feels like Times Square, considering how there are a lot of police presence with a lot of crowds. The restaurant seats 200 people, and I was easily able to make a reservation at 5:30 PM for 4 people without any issues.

Sirrah is a fairly new restaurant near the Meatpacking District. One of its appeals to me was that it offers a relatively decently priced prix fixe menu. I felt like it was similar to some of these French restaurants, e.g. Le Relais de Venise L’Entrecote, that offered steak frites. Reservations are pretty easy to get, even a day before so we got a 5:30 PM reservation for a Friday. Because the weather was nice outside, they also opened the side doors to let fresh air in.

Sushi Kashiba is located adjacent to the Pike Place Market. When I was doing research on restaurants to try out, I learned that Chef Shiro Kashiba trained under Jiro Ono (Jiro Dreams of Sushi). I also learned that Daisuke Nakazawa (chef of Sushi Nakazawa) also worked under Chef Kashiba. Online, everyone raved about how delicious the place was, so we decided to try this out. I made a reservation for 5:30 PM for a Friday evening, and they actually seated us earlier.

Altura is an Italian fine-dining restaurant in the Capitol Hill area of Seattle. It comes from Chef Nathan Lockwood who has worked in San Francisco’s Acquerello, which eventually earned a Michelin Star. He ended up coming to Seattle to lead and head this restaurant. Having done a lot of research on Seattle fine dining scene, I ended up on this restaurant to give it a try. Reviews mentioned that it was consistently good and nearly up there with some of the better U.

Papa San was on my list for a while, especially from the folks that did Llama Inn. It’s an izakaya (think of Japanese tapas), made with a Peruano-Japanese influence. It’s an interesting blend of cuisines, and it’s not uncommon. In Peru, they do have a lot of Asian influences, such as lomo saltado, where they use soy sauce in the dish. We made a reservation for 2 for 5:00 PM on a Sunday evening very easily.

Restaurant Week is notorious for it’s multi-course offerings that feature items that aren’t on their respective restaurant’s menus. Here’s a fun tip. Steak places are typically a really good bang for the buck as they typically offer you things on their menu. As a way to chill out and celebrate solo, I went to Benjamin Prime. I walked in on a Friday around 4:30 PM without any issues alone. They asked if I wanted a table for 1 or sit at a bar, and I asked for a table which they accommodated.

Kisa is a Korean restaurant that is serving Baek Ban, which is a traditional Korean meal comprising of rice, soup, and banchan. If you’re into set menus similarly to Japanese bento boxes, this will satisfy that itch. I love Korean food in this manner because it’s all usually really tasty and very solo friendly. I was able to walk in at around 5:30 PM on a Wednesday evening without issues.

Le Chêne (Le Chene) is the first solo project for husband/wife team, Alexia Duchêne and Roman Duchêne Le May. The menu features refined French recipes with an extensive wine list. When I looked at the menu, it was appealing because it seemed to resonate French with a slight rustic feel to it. I was able to book a reservation for 2 a few weeks out without issues. You can’t miss this restaurant with its yellow door.