AT INDOCHINE, EVERYONE'S A STAR.

Byline: Larry Lipson Daily News Restaurant Critic

One of the latest of the new, hip, Vietnamese Westside restaurants, Indochine, a clone of a New York hit, may be the best, from an overall standpoint, of those visited to date.

Replacing the arrogant Monkey Bar on Beverly Boulevard, Indochine works hard to be especially nice to everybody, regardless of their show-biz or other cloutish connections.

The phone is answered with civility, and there's a genuine expression of helpfulness on the line. Reservations here, though not impossible, are often easier to get earlier in the evening - up to 7:30 - than later.

And once inside, there's warmth in the greeting, not disdain because you don't have a famous face.

The monkeys have been replaced by a banana leaf theme, and there are funny-looking, small-winged ceiling fans that evidently came from a transcontinental train that was retired a half century ago.

Muted greens and browns, lighting that is neither too bright nor too low, comfortable booths and chairs, and acoustics that allow diners to converse without shouting, add to Indochine's apparent allure.

Staffers, in all-black attire, overlap, sometimes as many as four different ones seem to take care of the various service phases. At one visit we only saw the waitress who took our order at that time, never again. Yet surprisingly, the system works pretty well.

And the food can be outstanding.

Start with the noum prochok namya ($7), a lilting fish soup just spicy enough to tingle the palate, smoothed out somewhat with coconut milk and loaded with thin rice noodles, bean sprouts, shrimp, baby scallops and pieces of sole.

Or go for the cool, tart flavor harmony of salmon sashimi salad ($9.25) in a cucumber, mustard and mint vinaigrette.

Yet the top dog of the appetizers is undoubtedly the banh cuon ($8.50), a quartet of delicate steamed dough envelopes called Vietnamese ravioli, stuffed generously with chicken, shrimp, bean sprouts and shiitake mushrooms and served dramatically in a round wooden steam basket with a sweet and sour dipping sauce.

The most ordinary of the starters has been bo bia ($7.25) a rice-dough wrapped summer roll filled with crisp, fresh julienned vegetables, very much like the Vietnamese rolls offered at half the price at suburban Vietnamese cafes.

Another similarity to your neighborhood Vietnamese cafe, and an expected one, is the use of fresh cilantro and mint leaves.

Most dishes at Indochine either contain or are garnished with one or both.

And one has to admit that these two distinctive flavors add unparalleled suggestions of freshness in the mouth.

From the dozen or so entrees on the current menu, seven are fish or shellfish. And when you add in the five shrimp items from the starter list, if you can't eat shrimp, you're in a very narrow zone of opportunity.

Indochine's kitchen appears extremely adept at handling fish. Ca Nuong ($14.75), is a small, whole, marinated brook trout, complete with head and tail, superbly filleted, flavored with fresh Asian basil and grilled to a slightly charred exterior crispness. Each bite of its flesh is heavenly.

And then there is the almost-as-good tender steamed filet of gingery striped bass ($18.75) dubbed trei chom huy khnay.

It's hard to find fault with either the spicy shrimp dish (bankann chha, $15.75) or the sliced beef and vegetables with sate sauce plate (sath kho sate, $17.50), the former accompanied by string beans, scallions, diced tomato, basil and cucumber slices, the latter offering the rarity of fresh baby corn.

And though there are no complaints about the gingered roast duck ($14.25), Le Colonial's version is superior.

But here, it's the least expensive entree, the spicy sliced breast of chicken creation called moine chha knay ($13.75), that's the most memorable. Each moist piece of white chicken meat carrying the flavorful accents of lemongrass and Asian basil along with a touch of peppery heat seduces the palate.

Dinner here is most enjoyable when plates are shared in the Asian manner. Side orders of traditional sticky rice ($3.50), small square thin rice noodle cakes ($3.50), sauteed spinach with garlic and ginger ($5) or vegetables steamed in a banana leaf ($11.50), the latter both striking and fulfilling, should be considered when ordering.

And the best finale ($6 each) is undisputedly the sweet rice-coated roasted banana in a coconut milk sauce, though there are strong votes for Indochine's coconut creme brulee and chocolate truffle cake.

Noticeably, the staffer at the door actually thanks you and wishes you a good evening when you depart. So different from the rudeness of the former occupants.

THE FACTS

The restaurant: Indochine.

Where: 8225 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles.

When: Open for dinner only from 6 to midnight nightly.

Recommended items: Fish soup, salmon sashimi, steamed Vietnamese ravioli, grilled brook trout, steamed striped bass, spicy sliced chicken, spicy sauteed shrimp, gingered roast duck, sliced beef, steamed vegetables in banana leaf, sticky rice, rice noodle cakes, sauteed spinach, roasted banana in sweet rice, chocolate truffle cake, coconut creme brulee.

How much: Starters from $5.50 to $10.75, entrees from $13.75 to $18.75, desserts $6 each. Full bar. Major credit cards.

Wine list: Small, well-balanced list of 28 labels has good range in types of wine and in price. Thoughtful picks from Spain and France allow a total of eight wines ticketed at $25 or less, four of them under $20. Hue Vietnamese beer ($6) goes well with the food.

Reservations: Needed. Call [phone].

Our rating: Three and One Half Stars for food; Three Stars for service; Three Stars for wine.

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Photo

Photo: Pineapple shrimp salad, left, steamed vegetables and summer rolls are among the items available at Indochine on Beverly Boulevard in Los Angeles.

Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News