Solitude is not in Hong Kong’s vocabulary. The frenetic Asian capital of freewheeling commerce is one of the world’s busiest cities and that fact is baked into the local dining scene.

Yards away from the skyscrapers of Hong Kong Island’s Central district — home to some of the priciest rents on the planet — plastic chairs and tables spill out into the street as noisy diners chew on chicken feet and char siu (barbecue pork) and chat boisterously about the city’s combustible politics.

Mealtimes in Hong Kong used to be an elbow-to-elbow affair, where privacy was occasionally a luxury. For the solo diner, it could also be intimidating — but in these straitened social times, there are plenty of places where you can tuck into a quiet meal and relish the joy of eating alone.