BROILER'S ENTREE LIST SHORT, SWEET AND KOREAN.

Byline: Larry Lipson Restaurant Critic

If beef and/or chicken, served with rice don't often make it to the top of your food mood list, then the Healthy Broiler, billed as Korean, should not be of great interest.

Just east of Laurel Canyon on Ventura Boulevard in Studio City, it's one of those mini-mall, counter-order, fast-food purveyors.

But if you were expecting a lengthy list of Korean culinary exotica, forget it.

The Healthy Broiler features a simplified menu of boneless beef or chicken prepared a mere handful of ways, served separately or together with steamed rice.

And everything is priced under $6.

It's really more of a takeout than a dine-in cafe.

The accent being Korean, it's no surprise that the most expensive item happens to be kal-bi ($5.95) the traditional sweet, soy-glazed, barbecued shortribs paired with steamed rice, vegetables and Korea's kimchi.

The Healthy Broiler's kimchi is described on the menu as ``a chilled Korean spicy salad.''

Actually, I think peppery pickled cabbage might fit better.

The menu tells us that its kimchi contains Chinese cabbage, salted baby shrimp, anchovy, red pepper, green onion, ginger, garlic and salt.

But Koreans often refer to kimchi more generically than just the cabbage.

Other pickled and salted condiments can evidently be called kimchi.

Here, the Healthy Broiler juliennes carrot and daikon radish for one little condiment accompaniment. Daikon strips soaked in a sesame oil marinade provide another. Cold, cooked spinach makes an appearance. There is also a beansprout salad. But these are all considered vegetables, not kimchi here.

As for the meaty end of things, I like the bool-goki (sometimes called bulgogi, $5.55) which is thin-sliced marinated beef, best.

In many Korean restaurants, the bool-goki comes to the table raw, allowing the customers to cook it on an inset hibachi.

Here, it's done for us and joined with steamed rice, vegetables and kimchi.

Beef, also marinated, but broiled as smallish cut-up, curly pieces, is served with a rice mixture with vegetables, kimchi and a daub of spicy chili paste as ``bibim bahp'' ($5.25).

This, I find preferable to the barbecued beef, slightly stringier in what are termed ``combo plates'' ($4.79 to $5.29), although the barbecued chicken version in combo orders is moist and quite tasty.

The same beef and/or chicken seems more amenable in bowl form ($3.59 to $3.99 each) mostly served over steamed rice.

And the chicken easily tops the beef in three skewered options ($4.99 to $5.29).

A healthy portion of Caesar salad - enough for two and no worse than most sit-down, full-service restaurant offerings - is a steal at $2.99 as a meal accompaniment or starter.

There are a couple of kiddie-size bowls available at moderate price and sides, and extras here run from $1 to $1.75.

So why call it healthy?

The healthy aspect could be that nothing is fried.

Also, the menu tells us that no MSG, lard, microwaves or oil can be found here.

Perhaps the owners intend this to be a Korean version of Baja Fresh Mexican Grill.

And there's no doubt about it, this is definitely light eating.

Don't expect fish, tofu or noodles, though.

It's beef, chicken and rice.

THE FACTS

The restaurant: The Healthy Broiler.

Where: 11935 Ventura Blvd., Studio City.

When: Open for lunch, dinner and snacks from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday.

Recommended items: Bool-goki (thin-sliced roast marinated beef), bibim bahp (rice with vegetables and beef), barbecued chicken (plate, bowl or skewered), Caesar salad.

Children's menu: Kid's beef or chicken bowl ($2.89) with vegetables, steamed rice and small beverage.

How much: Everything under $6.

Our rating: Three Stars for food; Three Stars for value.

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Photo

PHOTO Bool-goki (thin-sliced marinated beef) served with steamed rice, vegetables and kimchi costs $5.55 at the Healthy Broiler.

Phil McCarten/Daily News