Description: Shilla is a classy downtown joint specializing in Korean and Japanese cuisine, located in the striking postmodern building on Denny Way that you've driven by at least 4,000 times.

What's inside: Tabletop grills, an extremely windowless back bar.

Namesake: It refers to an early Korean dynasty. According to certain legends, Shilla's original king and queen were humans hatched by the eggs of varying creatures. His was a horse; hers was a cockatrice (a chicken/lizard hybrid whose mere glance could kill).

What else: The mythic figures of Japan are just as compelling. From Wikipedia, there's akateko ("a red hand dangling out of a tree"), konaki-jiji ("an infant spirit that cries until it is picked up, then increases its weight and crushes its victim"), and kudan ("a human-faced calf that predicts a calamity and then dies").

Happy hours: Mon–Sun 4:30–6 pm, Thurs–Sat 10 pm–midnight.

Happy-hour drink specials: $2.50 well drinks, $2.50 glass/$10 bottle house wine, $2.50 small/$5 large hot sake, $2 drafts (Sapporo, Georgetown 9 Lb. Porter), $2.50 small/$5 large Korean beer (Hite, Cass).

Happy-hour food specials: Half-priced appetizers ($4.50 pan-fried geoduck, $7.50 seafood pancake), $1–$5 sushi ($1 maguro, $3 spicy tuna).