You have to spend only a day in Tokyo to understand why the gastronomic bible Michelin guide chose this city for its maiden Asian venture last year.

It awarded a record-breaking 191 of its coveted stars to 150 restaurants in the Japanese capital. In comparison, the previous record-holder, the French guide's native city of Paris, earned a paltry 65 stars.

But you do not have to be a gastronomy snob to appreciate the range and quality of culinary options on offer in Tokyo. All you have to do is keep an open mind and the city's teeming collection of restaurants will satisfy your appetites.

One surefire way to eat well is to go where the locals go.

Most of the restaurants listed here are patronised mainly by the Japanese. I discovered them through a combination of fortuitous meandering through the streets of Tokyo or through personal recommendations by friends living in Japan.

The latter is the best way to find gems not listed in guidebooks. One of the best dining experiences I ever had, for example, was courtesy of an Indian friend, married to a Japanese woman, who took a friend and me to a tiny hole-in-the-wall restaurant in Ginza for dinner.

He parked near a small building isolated by slip roads opposite the famed Kabuki-za theatre. And we trudged for about two minutes in a heavy drizzle up the slip road parallel to the main road of Harumi-dori.

Behind an innocuous sliding door, its curtain emblazoned with the Chinese character tian, which means sky, lay a dimly-lit modern interior with sleek banquette seating abuzz with young executive types unwinding after a hard day at work.

The menu, all in Japanese of course, comprised set dining, a sort of mini-kaiseki which offered samplers of the most amazing Japanese fusion cooking I have ever eaten.

Thin slivers of cucumber topped with mentaiko (spicy cod roe) served as a refreshing appetiser. Lightly broiled fresh scallops seasoned with a dash of sake and light soy sauce served with a wedge of lemon and crisp nori (seaweed).

But the dreamiest dish was a pairing of pan-fried foie gras atop simmered daikon slices, the richness of the former tempered by the clean freshness of the latter.

It can be intimidating to try the obviously local places if you do not speak the language. But most mid-price and low-end restaurants will welcome visitors.

The Japanese are polite to a fault and will patiently entertain requests, even if it is acted out in bizarre sign language by a foreigner.

Most of the time, however, even the smallest establishments bring out an English menu with lots of pictures and basic captions which will enable you to just point to what you want.

Here is just a small sampling of the food places worth checking out.

Toho-Kenbun-Roku
3-36-12 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tel: 8103-3225-4877

I stumbled upon this place by sheer accident. Shinjuku is crammed full of food outlets and this particular gem was buried in the basement. Walk down a narrow flight of drab stairs and through an unprepossessing door, and you are greeted with an astonishing maze of warren-like booths housing noisy young people drinking and eating up a storm.

This chain of restaurants is a contemporary update of the traditional izakaya (Japanese pub) which serves an array of small savoury dishes. I found out later that this chain is wildly popular with college students on a budget.

Try the lovely handmade tofu (480 yen, US$4.60) - grainy and substantial chunks in plain and sesame versions - the sinfully good grilled chicken skin with leek (390 yen) and the fragrant croquette of minced meat with soft-boiled egg (480 yen).

Izuei Honten
2-12-22 Ueno, Taito-ku, Tel: 8503-3831-0954

This establishment is a stone's throw away from Ueno Park's south entrance: Head down the main road Chuo-dori and turn right at the second intersection.

It has been around since the mid-Edo period, which makes it over 150 years old. Its speciality is unagi, or grilled eel, and it attracts a steady stream of faithful Tokyoites who wait patiently in the cramped lobby for up to an hour for a table.

My advice: Ask for a table, then head back down to Chuo-dori for the Abab mall which has a Uniqlo outlet as well as several floors of funky boutiques for some quick shopping.

Eel lovers can take their pick of eel fillets served by weight in a simple bento box, or a choice of kaiseki sets which come with assorted side dishes such as sashimi and natto (fermented beans).

I tried the Yummy Eel set (2,835 yen), which lived up to its billing with a generous chunk of tender, grilled-to-perfection eel.

Tonkatsu Yamaichi
1-8-4, Kanda-Sudacho, Chiyoda-ku, Tel: 8103-3253-3335

This unpretentious hole-in-the-wall family-run restaurant, which seats only 14, was recommended by Japanese friends for the excellent tonkatsu - thick chunks of breaded pork chops fried to crunchy crispness outside and juicy tenderness within.

Take the Marunouchi line to the Awajicho station and find the A1 exit. Look for the AM/PM convenience store and turn right. The restaurant is about 20m away, tucked into the ground floor of a drab office building.

The cook does not speak much English but all you need to know is how to order. For the health conscious, hire katsu (1,600 yen) is the lean fillet. For those who want to indulge, order the rosu katsu (1,500 yen), which comes with a layer of fat that melts in the mouth.

Each set comes with rice, a generous heap of shredded cabbage and a dab of nuclear-hot mustard. Don't forget to explore the amazing array of condiments on the table, which includes little pots of ume (hair-curling sour plum pickles), yuzu (a fragrant citrus fruit) powder and homemade katsu sauce.

Isetan Food Hall
14-1, Shinjuku 3-chome, Shinjuku-ku, Tel: 8103-3352-1111

You have not lived until you have seen Isetan's jaw-droppingly beautiful food hall that is a glutton's delight.

Check out Tastets, which serves savoury delights such as quiches (189 to 210 yen), pastas (about 1,000 yen per box) and salads (about 1,000 yen per box) in dainty bite-sized portions.

L'Olioli 365 by Anniversary has a selection of the most outrageously kawaii (Japanese for cute) cream cakes (about 500 yen each).

For dessert addicts, there are two reasons to make a beeline for this basement: Chocolatier Jean-Paul Hevin and confectioner Pierre Herme have outlets here next to each other.

Hevin's selection of dark chocolate bars (280 yen each) is to die for and there is also a tiny cafe where you can try out his desserts and hot chocolate.

Next door, Herme, who was in town for the recent World Gourmet Summit, sells a pastel-coloured array of macarons (220 yen each). Flavours to try include Cafe (coffee), Plenitude (dark chocolate, fleur de sel and caramel) and Citron (lemon).

Cheap and sweet

Meal Muji
Muji Yurakucho, 3-8-3 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tel: 8103-5208-8241

Who says eating in Tokyo has to be expensive? This Muji store, the biggest in Tokyo, sprawls over three floors of a warehouse-like space. On the second level is a roomy cafe, always packed with Tokyoites ranging from dawdling young students to office ladies on a quick lunch break.

The set meals, offering a combination of three items from a wide selection, are very cheap starting from 780 yen. There is also a bakery if you prefer light snacks.

Ginza Akebono
5-7-19, Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tel: 8103-3571-0483

If you prefer traditional Japanese sweets, then this shop on the main drag in the posh Ginza district is a must-try.

There is always a queue for its fresh mochi (glutinous rice cake).

In spring, its speciality is ichigo mochi (273 yen each), a juicy ripe whole strawberry encased in sweet azuki bean paste and wrapped in a delicate thin layer of mochi. (By ONG SOR FERN/ The Straits Times/ ANN)