Shilla

Happy hour is so subdued at this Korean mainstay, it should be called “contentment hour.” Special prices on sushi, beer, and sake are advertised from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. weekdays, but the place is well-nigh deserted at half past four, and the sushi chef (your effusively apologetic server will tell you) doesn’t actually come on duty till 5. The lightly discounted sushi ($2.50 nigiri, $3.95–$4.95 for various rolls) is worth the wait: a clean, light supper nicely completed by ice-cold Asahi beer in a chilled glass ($2 small bottle, $4 large). Cocktails and the restaurant’s accomplished range of Korean specialties are regularly priced. Don’t go looking for a convivial scene, but if you’re sushi-jonesing before a game at Seattle Center or a concert at South Lake Union Park, Shilla is as good a spot as any to get your fix. 2300 Eighth Ave., 206-623-9996. SOUTH LAKE UNION