4 ON 6: ODDS FAVOR SUSHI, JAZZ LOVERS.

Byline: Larry Lipson Restaurant Critic

The atmosphere of dining in a sushi restaurant varies greatly.

Teru Sushi in Studio City paved the way for the hyper-style sushi chef catering to the young show-biz crowd with a lot of yelling and noisy conversation. Tokyo Delve in North Hollywood introduced the frenetic rock 'n' roll sushi bar.

There was, for a while, a sushi bar with tap-dancing chefs. And no doubt there are plenty of sushi bars with soothing Japanese music backgrounds.

But now, at the little 4 on 6 restaurant in Encino, it's cool jazz and sushi.

Why 4 on 6?

``Four on Six'' refers to an original tune by the late jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery on his 1960 album ``Incredible Jazz Guitar,'' which featured four of Montgomery's own compositions out of the six album selections played by his quartet.

And in this sleek, hidden-in-the-rear-of-the-center space, the chef-owner, a stoic, serious fellow named Kiminobu Saito, usually tends to diners who prefer the omakase (chef's choice) sushi meal that runs between $50 and $70 per person. This means that you more or less eat and pay for the sushi items that Saito, previously at Nobu in Malibu and Shibuya in Calabasas, picks.

It can be an interesting evening here whether Saito or his always-smiling colleague chef Shoei Urasaki is crafting the sushi.

At an initial visit to 4 on 6, there were such opportunities as scorpion fish sushi ($5) and live scallop sashimi ($7). These prices, by the way, may vary according to market cost.

For those who are sushi novices, if you've never had live scallop sashimi, you've never tasted the silkiest of sweet slivers of raw fish imaginable. Importantly, they are really just heavenly on the palate without any seasoning or adornment whatsoever.

Of course a tiny amount of soy sauce and wasabi paste is permissible. And to some, a touch of tart ponzu sauce is preferred.

Also here at 4 on 6, the chef will often use the fresh wasabi root with his creations, which is extra spicy-hot compared to the commercially produced paste, and naturally, extra expensive.

Another of the chef's rarities here, according to host Jun Maruyama, is cherrystone clam sushi at $4 per piece.

As for more mainstream items, albacore is seared and coated in a black pepper and brandy mixture for sushi diners. It is usually ticketed at $4.50.

And slightly seared salmon ($4.25) provides another delectable sushi treat.

While the cool jazz sounds fill your ears, 4 on 6 fills your mouth with numerous goodies like a delicious spicy calamari salad ($8.80) for those who dote on calamari fritti in Italian restaurants, or a seafood salad ($12) that features five different sashimi-style fish tossed with a fine mesclun-style salad of baby lettuces.

Another favorite here is the spicy tuna or spicy albacore biscotti ($5.25), where the sushi chef chops up and spices up your choice of tuna or albacore and daubs a generous heaping of it onto crispy rice cakes.

And both fresh lobster and king crab sit in all their shiny red-orange shell glory, ready for sushi bar patrons to partake of their spiced-up flesh at $9.80 a serving.

There are also some 15 offerings of tempura, ranging from fluffy batter- coated vegetables and fruits like avocado ($1.80), shishito green peppers ($1.50), enoki mushrooms ($2.80), and pumpkin ($1.50) to seafood tidbits like scallop ($5.80), shrimp ($6) and whitefish ($5.25). Each order consists of two pieces.

You won't be bored with the sushi bar or table fare at 4 on 6. And if you're a jazz fan to boot, you'll dig the whole scene here the most.

4 ON 6

Where: 16573 Ventura Blvd., Encino.

When: Open for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, for dinner from 5:30 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, from 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Sunday.

Behind the scenes: Kiminobu Saito is chef-owner, Jun Maruyama is host and part owner.

Recommended items: Sushi and sushi rolls, live scallop sashimi, spicy lobster roll, seared salmon sushi, spicy calamari salad, seafood salad, avocado and shishito tempura, spicy albacore biscotti.

How much: Sushi runs from $4 to $9.80, tempura from $1.50 to $6, salads from $7.50 to $12, special dishes from $4.50 to $8. Beer, wine and sake. AE, MC, V.

Reservations: Taken for table service and omakase at sushi bar. Call [phone].

Our rating: three stars for food; three stars for service.

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Photo:

At 4 on 6 in Encino, chef and owner Kiminobu Saito sits down to tempura shrimp, front, spicy calamari salad and a sushi tray.

Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer