Dining 'Under the Arches' of the Japan Rail in Tokyo

Another great place, Andy's Shinhinomoto, is located literally under the arches of the train tracks at Japan Rail's (the ubiquitous "JR") Yurakucho station, near the glittering Ginza shopping district.

Andy, who runs the place with his Japanese in-laws, is an Englishman who shops daily for fresh fish and produce at Tokyo's Tsukiji market, the largest wholesale fish market on the planet. Andy's has an English-language menu, but the best way to order is just to ask Andy, a tall, bald chap who is usually on the premises, what's good that day.

Andy's draws a lively, sometimes rollicking, combination of local office workers drinking their dinner and foreign visitors drawn by good, ample, reasonably priced food and the ease of using English. The place exists on two levels; the most atmospheric one is upstairs, on the second level, with its long tables, hanging lanterns and a vaulted ceiling formed by the railroad arches.

Andy's Shinhinomoto, located directly under the rail line arches at Tokyo's Yurakucho station.

You name the dish, and it will probably be good. In the company of an expat pal who told me about Andy's, I sampled perhaps a dozen East-meets-West dishes, sipped on chilled sake and took a swig or two of beer. The table groaned with plates of spinach, scallops, tempura, asparagus and much more. The bill came to $30 per person, including drinks and taxes. Look for the Guinness banner along the street near the Bic Camera store. (Book in advance; the phone number is 03-3214-8021. Be advised, Andy's doesn't take credit cards.)

More expensive, but also one of those irresistible Tokyo secrets, is Ikra restaurant, located a three-minute walk up a gentle hill from the Ebisu rail station. I say "secret," because Ikra has no street sign; it is located in an apartment building at 1-9-4 Shibuya-ku , Tsutomu Hasegawa. To get in, you push 201 on the intercom. (www.ikra.jp or phone [phone]).

Once inside, you take the elevator to Ikra, a gourmet restaurant with a high ceiling and big windows overlooking the vibrant city streets below. At the center of the room is a tree with decorations that change with the seasons. I was there in winter, when the tree had an elegant, bare-branches look.

The food is Western-based, with artful Japanese touches. Set menus provide a diverse sample of the cuisine. The 10,500 yen ($115) menu features the likes of sea urchin and salmon roe pasta and matsuzaka beef fillet steak served on lava rock. Ikra is open till 2 a.m. weeknights and 4 a.m. Saturday nights.

Ikra is a place for when you've closed that big deal. Until then, you can eat like a mogul -- without the high tab -- in many of Tokyo's 160,000 restaurants. Just look for the JR sign.