219 Broadway E (Capitol Hill), 328-1187. Mon-Sat 11 am-10 pm, Sun 4-10 pm. $$

Hana can't be beat for trustworthy, bountiful, and inexpensive Japanese food. Although sashimi, udon noodle dishes, and various teriyaki choices are offered, the bento medleys provide a huge assortment of fresh, nutritious, colorful dishes. Hana Bento ($12.25) is built around a centerpiece of sushi (chilled and mellow tuna and salmon, plus the perennially irrelevant California roll). The sushi is accompanied by an artful piece of salmon teriyaki, along with predictable yet pleasing tempura-battered shrimp, pork, and oysters. A dainty pile of cucumbers offers a taste from the wonderful world of plants, which sometimes takes too much of a back seat in this genre. Miso soup and a huge bowl of steamed rice bookend this grand menu selection, typical in its largesse. Despite Hana's fairly hectic pace, the efficient service and elegant touches (like the artistic flower arrangements) make it a nice oasis. JIM ANDERSON

The Buffalo Deli
2123 First Ave (Belltown), 728-8759. Mon-Fri

10 am-5 pm. $$

Kathleen Haggerty, proprietress and head chef of the Buffalo Deli, throws herself into her work with a passion and verve worthy of a nobler cause. Cold cuts, hard rolls, and chicken matzo ball soup--all traditionally the fare of fast, unmemorable, on-the-go lunches--are all composed with the pedantic precision of an artiste. In the time since Haggerty opened her doors, she has gathered a loyal herd of followers from the business folk and residents surrounding the deli, and the same faithful faces can be seen every day. The menu seems dauntingly expensive at first glance, and a simple soup-and-sandwich combo for two can run close to $20. But the portion size (enormous) and the quality (exceptional) fully justify the expense. The roast beef on Kimmelweck ($6.50) and the New York Penicillin (chicken matzo ball) soup ($2.95 cup/$4.50 bowl) are quickly becoming Belltown legends. ADRIAN RYAN

Bimbo's Bitchin' Burrito Kitchen

506 Pine St (Capitol Hill), 329-9978. Mon-Thurs 12-11pm, Fri-Sat 12-2 pm, Sun 2-10 pm. $

Velvet paintings, giant papier-mché puppets, enormous plastic fruit, and other garage-sale miracles deck out this tiny burrito shack that shares a door with the Cha-Cha Lounge. Bimbo's burritos do their job and fill the belly. The peppered shredded beef and garlic rosemary potatoes ($4.99) stand up and shout. Food arrives quickly and runs cheap, albeit uneven in quality. The folks who run this place are hip, honest, and sassy: highly specialized, like the décor. Do not, like one potential customer I observed, ask the underpaid cooks to play your new Gipsy Kings CD or to turn down the hiphop. They will tell you, in their very truthful way, exactly where the Gipsy Kings can stick it. Bimbo's is a great place to hang out on the cheap and hide from the rain, nursing a Tecate and a taco. (Be sure to check out the black-lit bathroom.) The couple featured in a velvet painting by the restroom makes it worth the visit. RACHEL KESSLER

Buu Dien

923 S Jackson (International District), 233-9001. Daily 8 am-6 pm. $

Buu Dien serves up sandwiches and coffee amid misting fountains, Buddhas lurking in mountain scenes, and old men smoking. The Vietnamese sandwich marries the brilliance of Vietnamese cuisine's flavors with the perfection of the French baguette. An exhaustive selection of Vietnamese-spiced sandwich meats, ranging from sardines to pté, shredded pork, and chicken are nestled into a crusty baguette. Buu Dien's sandwiches spark with jalapeño, cucumber, and cilantro wedded with a marinade of pickled vegetables such as carrots, daikon radish, and onion. Mayonnaise is used in the distinctive sauce, binding flavors and textures together. Sandwiches do not appear instantly here, because a convection oven is used, rather than the detestable microwave--rubberizer of bread. The dry and smoky pork is barbecued, dominating the sandwich with its sweet and peppery flavor. The vegetarian selection also relies on a generous spread of mayonnaise, sweet and quite spicy, but not biting with vinegar. Genius. A light yet satisfying snack, ranging in price from $1 to $1.50.

RACHEL KESSLER

McCormick's Fish House and Bar

722 Fourth Ave (downtown), 682-3900. Mon-Thurs 11:30 am-11 pm, Fri 11:30 am-midnight, Sat 5 pm-midnight, Sun 5-10 pm; bar open later. $$.

I used to put "fresh oysters on the half shell" in the same category with other overrated Northwest tastes: burnt coffee, gamy salmon, bland microbrew. But then I released my inner oyster lover from hibernation.

A typical menu at McCormick's Fish House might include upward of 50 to 60 seafood items from the daily "Fresh List." For landlubbers, there is a small selection of non-aquatic critters, including a superb eight-ounce Filet Mignon ($23.95). But for the true Fish House experience, buckle down and sample those oysters! Six oysters on the half shell will typically set you back between $9-$13, which may seem like a lot for a fleeting moment of gustatory adventure, but it's well worth it. If you express your trepidation, McCormick's always-attentive staff will hold your hand while they wisely suggest the milder varieties and proffer all sorts of condiments to ease your journey through the oysters. In the end, you'll think of those wet little globs as delicate pearls of pleasure. MELODY MOSS

Price Scale (per entrée)

$ = $10 and under; $$ = $10-$20; $$$ = $20 and up.