A restaurant doesn't have to be expensive to be incredible. Ethnic cuisine doesn't have to be unfamiliar and intimidating to give you a real taste of the nation it represents. And a cute and cozy dining room is often more inviting than some opulent space designed by a trendy architect. These were all truisms that helped me learn about food while flat broke and living in New York 20 years ago. I had no problem finding dirt-cheap, intriguing little ethnic restaurants offering new adventures in dining.

Japanese BENIHANA VILLAGE Las Vegas Hilton, 732-5111. Japanese tabletop cooking at its finest. The chefs deliver great steaming-hot food, as well as an entertaining show.