Lunch becomes an impulse buy at the Frying Fish, a fun little Japanese restaurant in Little Tokyo's Japanese Village Plaza.

This is one of those sushi bars that employs the gimmick of a conveyor belt at its horseshoe-shaped counter. The sushi chefs place fresh creations on little plates, the kitchen staff sets out hot items, and everything passes slowly by, sorely tempting patrons.

To cut down on confusion -- and reduce the number of questions fired at the busy chefs -- plates are color-coded according to price, and a legend on the wall lets you know, for example, that California roll on the white plate is $2.85, the yellowtail on the silver-blue plate is $3, and the spicy tuna roll on the wood-grain plate is $3.50.

We enjoyed each of those, as well as ahi, halibut, big Philadelphia rolls, pork dumplings and miso soup, all washed down with cold bottles of Asahi beer.

The Frying Fish's conveyor-belt parade seemed particularly popular with the young Japanese American kids sitting next to us, because they got to make the decisions on what would comprise their lunch.

The dishes have plastic covers for sanitary purposes, and sometimes it's difficult to ascertain what exactly a particular plate holds. But a fun strategy is simply to pull off something that looks good, try it, then flag down one of the chefs to ask what exactly it is.

With its proximity to the office buildings of downtown L.A., Little Tokyo has a wealth of these enjoyable

lunch spots. They also provide diverse options for folks summoned to jury duty at the nearby county courthouse complex.

Another hit with us was the bustling T.O.T. (which stands for Teishokuya of Tokyo). Its lunch bowls brim with savory concoctions -- spicy chicken and slippery udon noodles ($10.50), for example, or tuna and avocado with rice ($8.50).

The setting is pleasant, too, with wood floors, wood screens, bamboo lanterns and bamboo screens covering light fixtures.

For fine dining in the evening, perhaps the best Japanese restaurant in the downtown region is R23, which occupies former warehouse space in the fast-recovering Artists' District just east of Little Tokyo.

The raw-bar items are of extraordinary quality, but the entrees are their equal -- clearly crafted with sashimi-grade fish and shellfish.

We opted for all-raw starter courses: a delectable four-piece portion of yellowtail sashimi ($10) -- amazing flavor and texture -- with two-piece servings of halibut and albacore sushi ($5 each).

Then it was on to lightly fried and succulent jumbo shrimp tempura with vegetables ($22) and sauteed scallops with shitake mushrooms and asparagus ($27). The scallops were sliced into medallions for more even cooking and served with a light cream sauce.

Getting here is an adventure. R23 is down an alley from which train tracks still protrude. You ascend the loading dock to enter (in this neighborhood, valet parking is probably a good idea), and step into a world you'd never imagine from the exterior. Candles are everywhere, art on the walls brings to mind Gaugin's work in the South Pacific, and there are cardboard chairs (yes, that's right) designed by Frank Gehry. The walls are bare brick, and there is a pleasing view of the L.A. skyline out the west-facing windows.

The only drawbacks we encountered were service that was a bit rushed and the entire entree menu -- 21 Chef's Specials -- printed without a single price, so you feel like a Philistine inquiring about each one.

-- Frying Fish, 120 Japanese Village Plaza, (213) 680-0567; R23, 923 E. Second St., (213) 687-7178, www.r23.com; T.O.T., 345 E. Second St., (213) 680-0344, www.littletokyorestaurant.com.

-- Eric Noland