There seems to be this conception that Tokyo is quite an expensive city, but I don’t always agree. There are quite a few bargains to be found here in the city, and the resources are out there for you to find them. Of course, having some Japanese language ability will definitely make that easier.

Ramen at Ichiran: 780 Yen (US$6.50).

This was a recommendation from a friend of mine. Ichiran is actually a chain ramen shop that serves only one thing: ramen. Walk into the store and you will find a machine from which you buy tickets for what you want to eat. Don’t speak Japanese? Not a problem. There are always pictures there to help you out. Once inside the restaurant, look for empty seats indicated by a lighted number and sit down at the corresponding booth number. Your wait staff will then provide you with an ordering form (available in English) so that they may make your ramen to order. Select from the type of soup stock to the firmness of the noodles, then give your wait staff the tickets — and wait for your soup. It’s that easy.

All-you-can-eat Dessert at Dessert Kingdom: 1300 Yen (US$11).

While walking through the train station, my friends and I picked up a coupon book called “Hot Pepper” and found an endless amount of coupons for restaurants around the Shibuya area (editions also available for other areas of Tokyo). The one that caught our eye was “Dessert Ohkoku” (Dessert Kingdom) in Shibuya, which offers an all-you-can-eat menu for just 1300 Yen, and with the Hot Pepper coupon drinks are free (expires 7/31). Note that you only have 90 minutes from the time you enter the store to take advantage of the wide selections of desserts, pastas and sandwiches. Don’t forget to bring an empty stomach! This place will be crowded on weekends, so do plan ahead.

Dinner at Tsuki no Shizuku: 4000 Yen per person (US$33.33).

This is another Japanese food chain that offers a series of tofu-based dishes and more. What’s great about this place is that it’s actually not extremely expensive (drinks included). English menus are readily available for those who don’t speak Japanese, or you can simply order your food and drinks directly off of the touch-panel menu — complete with pictures and prices — in the comfort of your private room. We had quite a few dishes, ranging from homemade tofu, fatty pork, Japanese-style fried eggs to horse sashimi and fresh fish carpaccio. At the end of the meal, all of us were quite stuffed. Remember that you never have to order everything at once, so pace yourself so that you may try more things on the menu.