"I want to share an unfortunate experience I had at this restaurant recently, where I was refused service, seemingly due to my Asian background. I was waiting at the front desk for a table when a man ahead of me asked for a seat. The host initially told him there were no available seats and that he would need to wait a moment, but when the man suggested sitting at the bar, the host immediately checked and allowed him to sit at the bar area. Afterward, the host spoke to a group next to me, and one of the women in the group pointed out that I had arrived first. The host acknowledged this but continued talking with the group about their wait for a table. Finally, the host turned to me. I explained that I was also dining alone and asked if I could sit at the bar like the previous man. However, the host told me that the bar wasn’t serving yet and I would need to wait over an hour for a table. I thanked him and decided to look for another restaurant. As I stood at the entrance, I noticed several people who arrived after me were seated at the bar, but I was the only one turned away. To make matters worse, I was the only Asian person there. I left feeling hurt, as it seemed like I was being treated differently because of my ethnicity. It was a disheartening moment in Seattle, where people are usually friendly, and many Asians live here. I later went to another restaurant where the staff welcomed me warmly and even chatted with me. The contrast was stark, making me feel that my initial experience might have been an instance of racial discrimination. It’s something I never expected to encounter in such a diverse and friendly city."
