A spare stool is enough for dinner at Hirome Market

What looks like one big table of people can be several separate dinners. At Hirome Market in Kochi City, that matters when you only need one stool. The wooden tables sit between the stalls, so a plate of seared bonito at one end and gyoza at the other can come from different kitchens. Seats inside individual shops have their own rules about bringing food over from other stalls. The awkward bit comes after you spot the stool. Friends can take turns getting up to order. On your own, you have to leave the seat you just found to go buy food, and a second dish means getting up all over again. Once the tray is down, it can be easier to eat alone than it looked from the aisle. You can sit in the middle of all that noise and get on with your fish.