This tiny (15-seat) hideaway restaurant is a true gourmet destination, serving high-level cuisine at down-to-earth prices. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Those with a fondness for cartoon-character dolls and action figures will find a kindred spirit in Yoshitomo Nara, whose paintings and sculptures of devilish children are as disconcerting as they are cute. [See FULL REVIEW.]

The pace of life here is relaxed, with most cooking done over a simple charcoal hibachi at your table. [See FULL REVIEW.]

A funky/comfy cafe with mismatched furniture, Okinawan food and a Hawaiian/Tahitian tropical theme. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Excellent Scandinavian cooking from the former chef of Gamlastan in Kichijoji. Lunch starts at Y1500; dinner averages around Y4000 with drinks. [See FULL REVIEW.]

AC's atmosphere and decor are very European in feel, and the large food menu includes surprisingly authentic Belgian specialties like "stoemp" - a hearty platter of mashed potatoes and root vegetables. [See FULL REVIEW.]

One of Tokyo's first Australian-only wine bars, with one of the largest selections of rare and expensive wines from that country. [See FULL REVIEW.]

"Slow Dining Asli" pride themselves on their top-quality organic vegetables and free-range chicken from Fukushima. [See FULL REVIEW.]

A popular spot for local Yotsuya diners, Aubergine offers a good assortment of European-style Japanese curries, including two-ingredient combination platters. [See FULL REVIEW.]

These days Tokyo has plenty of Southeast Asian restaurants, but few are as charming and satisfying as Ayung Teras in Shibuya. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Prime-grade tuna and affordable Australian and New Zealand wines in a gorgeous modern dining room. [See FULL REVIEW.]

It's easy to appreciate the beauty of Bar Guapos, where Y1500 is enough for a glass of tinto or blanco and one or two tasty tapas. [See FULL REVIEW.]

A quiet Japanese bar serving an incredible selection of Belgian beers for serious beer connoisseurs, including many brands you won't find elsewhere in Japan. [See FULL REVIEW.]

The curry sauce here is scrumptious, with a natural fruit sweetness, well-balanced spices and complex flavors. [See FULL REVIEW.]

The Buri group run a couple of popular standup sake bars (Buchi in Shibuya, Buri in Ebisu), and now they've opened a standup French bistrot, with similarly inexpensive food and 100 different wines. [See FULL REVIEW.]

The decor here captures the feeling of the French countryside, with mirrors everywhere, wood panels, and ducks and a deer head mounted on the walls. [See FULL REVIEW.]

At first glance this elegant space looks like a typical cafe - artful ikebana arrangements on the eight small white tables, a small counter, and Bossa Nova music playing softly in the background. [See FULL REVIEW.]

This comfortable, luxuriously spacious restaurant is designed around a "Napa Valley" theme and offers a big list of Napa wines. [See FULL REVIEW.]

The talented chef at Cabana utilizes a wide range of Asian and Western ingredients, mixed with a healthy dose of creativity and eccentricity. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Make yourself comfortable at Koenji's Cafe Apartment, where you are given a pair of slippers at the door. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Smart, cutting-edge California-influenced cuisine, with an emphasis on grilled items and sashimi. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Very good Peking duck and other Chinese fare at amazingly low prices. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Mediterranean-inspired foods and drink from Spain, Italy, Greece and Morocco, from TY Harbor chef David Chiddo. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Tucked into a leafy lane along the Meguro River, Combine feels rather like a hidden gem. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Fancy French food with a skyscraper view; prix-fixe dinners from Y8000, with lots of good wines in the Y10,000-15,000 range. [See FULL REVIEW.]

This venture from the well-known Italian company De'Longhi offers reliable, traditional Italian cuisine in a spacious and gorgeously decorated dining room. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Spectacular Taipei-style, hot-broth-squirting xiao long bao (shoronpo dumplings) and other dimsum fare. [See FULL REVIEW.]

One of Japan's more famous yoshoku establishments, the decor here is 1960s-modern, with wood paneling and a big dessert cart. [See FULL REVIEW.]

If you're in the mood for fantastic fresh fish and seafood, Ebisu Kaigan is the next best thing to an early-morning trip to Tsukiji Fish Market. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Tapas bars and restaurants are over Tokyo, but El Pulpo may be the only place that bills itself as a "marisqueria" - a Spanish restaurant specializing in seafood. [See FULL REVIEW.]

The tasteful Kyoto-modern decor here is definitely the most impressive in the entire Marunouchi Oazo complex. [See FULL REVIEW.]

They've pulled out all the stops to recreate the feel of an open-air Italian caffe-bar here - barrel tables, chalkboard menus, old advertising posters, grafitti on the walls, hams hanging from the ceiling, with Italian radio providing the soundtrack. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Innovative cuisine, friendly service, and the feel of a comfortable neighborhood bistro. [See FULL REVIEW.]

A very spacious, relaxing place to while away some time. Wine and other drinks are relatively inexpensive, and there are plenty of light dishes to nibble on. [See FULL REVIEW.]

The grilled chicken here is just about perfect - the wings and the "kashiwa" (chunks of chicken thigh) are especially recommended, and most of the side dishes and non-chicken grilled items are excellent as well. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Simple, unpretentious fusion cuisine may sound like a contradiction in terms, but Furutoshi's chef somehow manages to produce down-home cooking even while using ingredients from halfway around the world. [See FULL REVIEW.]

This branch of Galali offers a big selection of shochu, mostly the kokuto (sugarcane) variety, and excellent food to go with it. [See FULL REVIEW.]

This large traditional coffeeshop plays classical music and specializes in European curries and espresso. [See FULL REVIEW.]

This multi-purpose art space/cafe-bar is way off the beaten track but it draws a crowd of loyal regulars, including personalities from the Tokyo art scene and local hipsters. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Gomaya, a venture of the Shimo-kitazawa-based Jackpot group, serves up its own very original take on "neo-Japonesque" cuisine. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Inside Glien Passage, the theme-park-extravaganza restaurant complex in Aquacity, Gompachi offers a straight-ahead robatayaki menu - yakitori, grilled fish, assorted side dishes and a handful of soba variations to round things out. [See FULL REVIEW.]

The specialty of the house is a dish called samgetang - a richly flavored Korean stew made from tender chicken meat, ginseng, garlic, Korean dates and rice. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Oysters, fresh seafood cocktails, and a few Cajun specialties like gumbo at a stylish counter bar. [See FULL REVIEW.]

A welcome addition to the roster of fine restaurants near NHK. The food-buyer is a key member of the team here, and every dish respects the freshness and unique flavors of its ingredients. [See FULL REVIEW.]

A "hawker-style SE Asian canteen" in a pretty cafe setting; they specialize in very authentic Singapore-style Hainanese Chicken Rice (steamed chicken served with jasmine rice and various sauces). [See FULL REVIEW.]

Spicy winter stews and homestyle Korean cooking from this branch of the tiny but very authentic Halleluyah in Okubo. [See FULL REVIEW.]

A lot of Korean restaurants focus on one particular dish, and here the specialty is called tahhanmari - a very tasty, delicately flavored chicken soup. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Great, authentic Tunisian cooking in a cheery and spacious basement dining room. The roast fish is especially recommended. [See FULL REVIEW.]

You can enjoy cafe-style lunches and light snacks throughout the day; in the evenings it's also a lounge bar with Scotch whiskies and cigars. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Hazelburn offers an impressive line-up of Scottish whiskies, along with English draft ales and well-prepared Scottish and English pub food. [See FULL REVIEW.]

At lunchtime this neighborhood coffee shop serves a dazzling assortment of "British-style" curries, with variations like smoked pork and egg; mushroom, clam and egg; and smoked chorizo sausage and egg. [See FULL REVIEW.]

"Modern Provence Dining" is what it says at the entrance, and indeed the cooking is modern, light and authentically Provencal, with everything from bouillabaisse to cous cous. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Another venture from the Chanto group, this new-style Korean restaurant is billed as a Korean robata, combining Korean cuisine with a rustic Japanese farmhouse-style open-hearth setup. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Ikea's in-store restaurant is a great place for an authentic, inexpensive Swedish meal. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Venetian-style specialties, with a casual Venice-style wine and tapas stand-up bar in front. [See FULL REVIEW.]

A small, casual Italian wine bar that serves around twenty wines by the glass, in all price ranges, along with light snacks. [See FULL REVIEW.]

The food dishes are small, inexpensive, and very eclectic in origin (pizza, spring rolls, gyoza dumplings, roast potatoes). [See FULL REVIEW.]

This hotel whiskey bar turns into a curry specialty shop at lunchtime (weekdays only), with exotic variations like fresh fruit curry (papayas, apples, kiwi and pineapple) and Russian crabmeat curry. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Jap Cho Ok serves up modern Korean cuisine that hasn't lost its bite, with an emphasis on herbs and spices and fresh, top-grade ingredients. [See FULL REVIEW.]

A friendly, casual little spot with some of the better Mexican fare available in town. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Jusanya is a small neighborhood yakitoriya with above-average chicken and an unusual sake selection. [See FULL REVIEW.]

The hostess at Kado greets customers with a polite, "Douzo, agate kudasai." As when visiting any Japanese home, guests are requested to leave their shoes in the genkan. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Upscale okonomiyaki and moderately priced teppanyaki steaks at a friendly neighborhood grill. [See FULL REVIEW.]

The heady aromas of exotic herbs and spices wafting out of the kitchen summon up images of far-off lands, and the atmospheric Tibetan music on the stereo completes the picture. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Very high-quality "Imperial" Thai cuisine, popular with Thai customers. Highlights from the huge menu include an encyclopedia of soups, creative seafood dishes (like kipper stuffed with shrimp in chili sauce), and Isan barbecue items from northeast Thailand. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Fantastic charcoal-grilled, free-range chicken and choice sake in a comfortable setting. [See FULL REVIEW.]

A hip, stylish izakaya with affordable prices, and one of the few late-night outposts in this area. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Although it's best known in its convenience-store and yatai manifestations, oden can be a cuisine of great subtlety and refinement, and Konbuya in Nishi-Azabu is an excellent place to investigate the mysteries of gourmet oden preparation. [See FULL REVIEW.]

This down-to-earth izakaya is best known for their hoto - flat udon noodles served with pumpkin and other vegetables in a buttery miso-based broth. [See FULL REVIEW.]

First-rate seasonal Japanese cuisine and well-selected sake in a beautiful setting high above Shinjuku. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Name-brand "black" pork from Kagoshima is the specialty at this izakaya run by the Cardenas restaurant group. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Old-fashioned Japanese-style Western favorites like hayashi rice (braised beef in a dark demiglace sauce), curries and crab croquettes. [See FULL REVIEW.]

A good selection of local sake and fantastic fresh seafood. The decor is stylish and modern, the atmosphere relaxed. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Behold the ume El Dorado, where up to 250 kinds of umeshu await you: Bar Kutoma. A tiny realm with room for about twenty, benevolently ruled by a soccer-loving umeshu expert, this late-night Ohashi spot offers tasting flights (umeshu kikisake set) for Y1000. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Great charcoal-grilled dishes, seasonal fish and vegetable items and a nice sake selection. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Perfect for a dignified yet unpretentious lunch or dinner date, this tiny dining room serves the best traditional French cuisine in the neighborhood, a bit of Paris's Latin Quarter in Takadanobaba. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Excellent French cooking and a substantial wine list (around 180 varieties), starting in the Y3000 range but covering all the bases. [See FULL REVIEW.]

"New-style French dining" in a very stylish dining room. The food is first-rate and the ambience is casual, with all counter seating. [See FULL REVIEW.]

The two tiny dining rooms are rustic and cave-like, the stucco walls decorated with animal pelts and a boar's head. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Occupying a skinny three-story building just off Ichi-no-hashi crossing, the late-night Spanish bar La Plancha has long skinny dining spaces on the two upper floors, but the lively stand-up bar on the ground floor is where the action is. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Excellent, spicy Thai and Laotian food. Dinners Y2,500-5,000. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Lauburu is dedicated to the art of serious eating - specifically, the serious consumption of pork. [See FULL REVIEW.]

An old-fashioned steak house from America. Are you ready for the "Diamond Jim Brady" cut? [See FULL REVIEW.]

Hearty, authentic French country-style cooking. There's a small wine bar at the entrance where you can stop for a glass or two along with snacks like raw oysters and venison carpaccio. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Service is friendly, and staff are ready to help you choose from among the twenty wines by the glass, mostly from Roussillon, Langedouc and other southwestern French regions. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Bistro-style food from Petit Bedon chef Philippe Batton (including perfect duck confit and world-class roast potatoes), plus an eye-opening selection of wines from southern France, with many choices available by the glass. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Yes, this cafe would be worth knowing about for their dessert souffles alone. But they also offer a full menu of remarkably high-quality French cooking, from straightforward starters like scallop salad and foie gras to substantial meat and fish dishes. [See FULL REVIEW.]

French biologique wines and gorgeous seasonal vegetables are the highlights here, with prix-fixe dinners starting at Y3500. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Well-executed Balinese fusion cuisine, with giant fish tanks as the backdrop (and a main source of lighting). [See FULL REVIEW.]

Nestled in overstuffed chairs with pillows covered in candy-colored pastel silk, visitors can enjoy spectacular views while listening to live Bossa Nova from 2:30-midnight. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Unlike most yoshokuya, the decor here won't make you sigh with nostalgia - the dining room is done up in a tasteful pastel color scheme from the current century. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Excellent traditional French cooking in a comfortable, smoke-free dining space reminiscent of a provincial French inn. [See FULL REVIEW.]

They bill themselves as a "Latinic Diner", serving food and drink from Mexico, South America, the Caribbean and Spain. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Sumptuous is the word for the Mandarin Bar at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Nihonbashi. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Tokyo's first Portuguese restaurant, with hearty, traditional country-style fare - stews, risotto-style rice dishes, and plenty of fish and seafood. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Manuel Churrascaria, which opened on June 15, serves northern Portugal-style charcoal-grilled dishes - pork, chicken and seafood - along with other traditional Portuguese cuisine. [See FULL REVIEW.]

A liquor shop, a standing bar, and a casual sit-down grill, Bar Maru is many things to many people. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Choose from about fifteen wines by the glass or bottle, or pick a Latour or Mouton from the back and put it on your expense account. [See FULL REVIEW.]

A down-to-earth little shop that offers an impressive variety of sakes for tasting. [See FULL REVIEW.]

A very casual, home-style restaurant with many Burmese customers. You can assemble a hearty meal or a light snack from the extensive menu of small dishes - some 50 appetizers, salads, meat dishes, noodle items and desserts, most priced in the Y500-900 range. [See FULL REVIEW.]

"Belarus home cooking", with down-home dishes like chicken crepes, stuffed peppers and pork-and-potato dumplings. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Meat is Nissin's strong point, with over a dozen types of cold cuts, a cornucopia of sausages, and unusual items like pheasant, rabbit, and even kangaroo meat. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Excellent grilled meats and flamboyantly expensive New World wines in the Grand Hyatt's flagship restaurant. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Top-quality Kansai-style oden - not only does Ohdako have some of the most delicious oden in Tokyo, they have the good sense to serve with it some of the finest sakes available. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Grilled seafood and steaks from Oregon. Charcoal-grilled dry-aged steaks start at Y3800; there's also a nice selection of Oregon wines. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Perhaps the best deli counter in town, with a huge selection of cold cuts, pates and salads. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Authentic Thai dishes like raw shrimp with garlic and chili; Thai sausage; and various types of okoge. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Patrons lounge on pod-shaped seats beneath polished chrome trees, while ambient electronic music mingles with the soft glow of lavender neon from behind the black marble bar. [See FULL REVIEW.]

This cozy, inviting restaurant serves up authentic Italian fare in an atmosphere reminiscent of a Tuscan trattoria. [See FULL REVIEW.]

This bar, attached to the design-conscious Shibuya Grandbell Hotel, serves up reasonable food and drink 24 hours a day, seven days a week. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Australian wines and retro 70s decor overlooking Tokyo Bay. The food is simple deli fare - sandwiches and donburi are Y620, while more filling deli/salad/cheese platters run Y1000-1500. [See FULL REVIEW.]

This upscale fast-food shops offers unusual burgers like maguro with wasabi dressing and chicken with ume and shiso. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Good Burmese food and ambitiously multi-lingual karaoke in Burmese, Japanese, English, Chinese and Korean. [See FULL REVIEW.]

The sugidama cedar ball hanging outside the door promises good sake inside, and this modern izakaya doesn't disappoint. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Unlike many sake-connoisseur pubs, the food here stands on its own, and would make Seigetsu worth a visit even if they only served tea. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Choose from a wide assortment of sherries (well over 100), along with Spanish tapas. [See FULL REVIEW.]

A great brewpub in Kurohime, Nagano Prefecture, making some of the best craft beers in Japan; there's also a nice menu of local dishes like smoked char and homemade sausages. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Good, inexpensive tofu dishes in a flashy setting. The decor is more exciting than the food, which is on the traditional side. [See FULL REVIEW.]

The chef here is a veteran of a hotel restaurant in Kerala, in southern India, and the chef's menu (Y3500) includes three Indian curries along with European-style appetizers and three desserts. [See FULL REVIEW.]

You've probably seen it as you walk from Shinjuku station to Takashimaya Times Square - a nicely landscaped terrace, a bright yellow sign, and a metallic, retro-50s trailer home that's been converted into a grill. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Pickled herring and much more - their awe-inspiring smorgasbord is a real adventure in dining, so come with a hearty appetite. [See FULL REVIEW.]

One of the early attempts at a Tokyo brewpub, they sometimes have good seasonal special beers. [See FULL REVIEW.]

The full name is Suna La Table de Maghreb, and they serve Spanish tapas and Moroccan dishes like cous cous and tagine stews, in a small, pleasantly decorated basement space. [See FULL REVIEW.]

The specialty of the house here is bulgogi, a traditional Korean marinated and grilled meat dish, but the stylish decor and all-black color scheme might make you think you'd wandered into a trendy California-style restaurant by mistake. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Exciting, well-centered modern American cuisine - drawing on European and middle Eastern and Asian influences - from this bayside brewpub. [See FULL REVIEW.]

A joint venture between Mushu sake pub and several sake companies, Takara serves both Japanese food and Spanish tapas, plus sake, awamori, shochu, excellent Japanese microbrew beer (Baird's), and Spanish wines. [See FULL REVIEW.]

A beautifully appointed Ginza-style establishment on a back street in Ebisu. Full-course dinners range from Y5000 to Y12,000 per person, but it is perfectly acceptable to allow your guest to assume they cost much more. [See FULL REVIEW.]

The decor is minimalist industrial (all burnished steel counters and crisp metal blinds), the attitude is sophisticated without being snobbish, and the food is custom-designed izakaya fare based on the classics. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Excellent southern Kyushu specialties made from freshly flown-in ingredients. The tonkotsu-ni, chunks of pork stewed in shochu overnight, was especially outstanding, as was the chawan-mushi. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Around 30 Belgian and German beers, with credible German food (sausages, sauerkraut, etc. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Cochin - the free-range chicken that's the pride of Nagoya - is the bird of choice at this friendly yakitori shop, but there's plenty more here to attract the discerning diner. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Modern French cuisine from chef Tateru Yoshino, formerly of the Michelin-starred Stella Maris in Paris. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Creative Korean cuisine, including a lot of pork dishes, plus an impressive menu of 11 different kinds of makkoli (Korean cloudy sake). [See FULL REVIEW.]

Excellent grilled fish and meats and friendly service in this lovely converted two-story house. [See FULL REVIEW.]

This stylish Ginza dining room offers fine Hungarian cuisine and a good selection of Hungarian wines; full-course dinners from Y5000, and lunch from Y1000. [See FULL REVIEW.]

The impressive sake list includes a number of small-kura limited-edition seasonal sakes; there's also plenty of shochu. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Another tiny neighborhood French joint, from the folks who started Tokyo Paris Shokudo. [See FULL REVIEW.]

This small neighborhood yoshoku-ya serves "European stews and English curries." The flavor of the curry is rather unique and very appealing - similar to other European-style Japanese curries but with an intriguing hint of medicinal herbs. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Creative Japanese cooking - a nice balance between traditional dishes and interesting surprises. [See FULL REVIEW.]

The excellent chicken meat used here is a special type from Nara Prefecture - a bird bred from shamo game hen and two other types of chicken. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Finally a yakitoriya that's suitable for a date or a relaxing evening with friends - with swank decor, dramatic lighting and plenty of original chicken dishes. [See FULL REVIEW.]

An African-themed restaurant with Afro-French fusion dishes and a selection of exotic meats. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Drinks and good tofu, pork and chicken dishes in an imaginatively rustic setting. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Top-class tempura and seasonal dishes, and entertainingly elaborate presentation; condiments include various flavors of grated daikon and five different types of gourmet salt. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Located in the lobby of the Conrad Hotel, TwentyEight is an oasis of muted monochromes with discrete edges. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Umetsubaki is a pleasant place for novices to get to know plum wine. Serving one hundred kinds of umeshu and shochu, this chilled-out izakaya in Harajuku makes sampling a cinch, particularly for big groups. [See FULL REVIEW.]

New York's Union Square Cafe has been a serious gourmet destination since the mid-1980s, and this new sister store aims to bring the excitement to Tokyo. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Ushi-tora is a specialty beer bar that attracts Japanese connoisseurs from all over town with its collection of twenty beers on tap, most of them local microbrews. [See FULL REVIEW.]

The little tasting room in the back of this well-stocked liquor store is a good place to wind up a shopping afternoon or start off an evening in Ginza or Marunouchi. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Chanko-nabe (the stuff that sumo wrestlers eat) and surprisingly modern side dishes (like Vietnamese spring rolls). [See FULL REVIEW.]

A small dining bar serving creative modern Vietnamese cuisine in a pleasantly cozy setting. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Less tourist-driven than most Okinawan places, with modern tropical decor, good food, and a very serious selection of awamori. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Gorgeous modern stone/wood/tatami/glass dining rooms (designed by Yanagiya Manabu), floor-to-ceiling windows, and a world-class view. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Totally unpretentious dining - it feels like you're eating in the top restaurant in some small provincial town. [See FULL REVIEW.]

Unusual, fresh-made tofu delicacies, and plenty of good non-tofu dishes as well. Seven different lunch sets range from Y950-2400. [See FULL REVIEW.]

A place worth cultivating in late-night Ebisu - the staff is friendly, the hours are accommodating, the music and decor are hip, and the food can be entertaining, although it's more of a drinking spot than a full-fledged restaurant. [See FULL REVIEW.]

The smart interior here is a very Tokyo-exotic mix of baked-mud walls, heavy wooden furniture, and organic-looking extra-terrestrial lighting fixtures like something from the set of "Alien". [See FULL REVIEW.]