Category At the Counter

The diner’s perspective: personal experiences, memorable meals, what you notice from your seat

At the Counter

The Quiet Wasn’t Awkward

A close-up shot of a chef’s hands skillfully slicing a fresh sea bass on a wooden cutting board. The chef uses a long, slender Japanese-style knife to make a precise cut through the translucent, pearly-white flesh. Several neatly portioned pieces of sea bass, some showing the delicate skin, are arranged in the soft-focus foreground.

The sliding wooden door clicked shut behind me and the street noise vanished. I took my seat at the corner of the cypress counter. For the first ten minutes I felt a familiar urge to speak. I wanted to whisper…

Tracy Ann Lim
March 9, 2026

At the Counter

I Forgot to Take a Photo of the Best Piece

Minimalist hinoki wood sushi counter. In the foreground, an empty ceramic plate with a small soy sauce smudge sits between a pair of wooden chopsticks and a face-down smartphone. The background shows the blurred, motion-filled hands of a sushi chef, capturing a quiet, authentic moment of an omakase experience.

It happened during the transition from the cooked dishes to the nigiri. The chef had just wiped down his board, a ritualistic clearing of the stage that signals the main act is about to begin. I had my phone ready,…

Tracy Ann Lim
March 2, 2026

At the Counter

I Stopped Checking My Phone Without Realizing

A sleek white smartphone with a triple-lens camera system lying face down on a light-colored wooden table.

It usually starts as a habit. The phone goes on the table, face down but close enough to reach without thinking. I check it while waiting for water, during a pause in conversation, or just because my hand moves before…

Tracy Ann Lim
February 16, 2026