MANDARIN BY ANY OTHER NAME.Byline: Larry Lipson Daily News Restaurant Critic The tops of the tables still have Cafe Fume fume Occupational medicine A solid suspension resulting from condensation of the products of combustion. See Inhalant Vox populi verbTo be in the midst of a mental mini-meltdown. inscribed in·scribe tr.v. in·scribed, in·scrib·ing, in·scribes 1. a. To write, print, carve, or engrave (words or letters) on or in a surface. b. To mark or engrave (a surface) with words or letters. on them, but it's now Chinois Express. Although they're using the same tables at the new Tarzana restaurant, which are left uncovered at lunch, they're topped with pristine white tablecloths at dinner. And the upholstered French-style provincial chairs remain as well, a reminder of several incarnations back when they first were introduced. If the name Chinois Express sounds familiar, it should be, because its namesake still operates down the street at 19657-1/2 Ventura Blvd. under the same ownership, currently closed and remodeling remodeling /re·mod·el·ing/ (re-mod´el-ing) reorganization or renovation of an old structure. bone remodeling for Chinese buffet service. It is expected to reopen in a few days. The new Chinois Express is the new, upscale version. And to prove it, at a recent lunch visit, the waiter actually was attired in a natty black tuxedo. Called ``mandarin cuisine,'' the fare here - minus any suggestion of expected Gallic influence because of the French word ``Chinois'' in the restaurant's name - will have a hard time stirring the souls or palates of local food connoisseurs, However, there is some indication that a late supper menu, that had not been introduced during review visits, may have several intriguing ``Chinois'' items on it, including escargots. But the main starting menu remains a tame and familiar selection of dishes, nothing new, nothing imaginative; nothing too spicy, nothing to rave over, and nothing bad. Which means that the kitchen sends out relatively tasty food, prepared in what could be termed Tarzana-Chinese style; dishes that will not offend. You won't find any nifty Chinese vegetables such as pea sprouts, any whole fish dishes, any crab, clam, oyster or scallop scallop or pecten, marine bivalve mollusk. Like its close relative the oyster, the scallop has no siphons, the mantle being completely open, but it differs from other mollusks in that both mantle edges have a row of steely blue "eyes" and items. And there's an obvious, even understandable, safety factor in skipping such real Chinese-preferred denizens as jellyfish jellyfish, common name for the free-swimming stage (see polyp and medusa), of certain invertebrate animals of the phylum Cnidaria (the coelenterates). The body of a jellyfish is shaped like a bell or umbrella, with a clear, jellylike material filling most of the , sea cucumber sea cucumber, any of the flexible, elongated echinoderms belonging to the class Holothuroidea. Although sea cucumbers have the basic echinoderm radial symmetry, they do not have arms like starfish. and eel eel, common name for any fish of the 10 families constituting the order Anguilliformes, and characterized by a long snakelike body covered with minute scales embedded in the skin. , and concentrating on more amenable water residents such as shrimp, salmon and Chilean sea bass. In the latter, a very popular fish these days, the tender boneless Bone´less a. 1. Without bones. Adj. 1. boneless - being without a bone or bones; "jellyfish are boneless" filets with a nicely executed black bean black bean see castanospermum australe, erythrophleumchlorostachys. sauce provide a very respectable ocean-fare platter ($10). Kung pao shrimp ($9) must be made purposely with conservative spiciness, which means that unless you bite into a red pepper, you'll hardly notice the peppery pep·per·y adj. 1. Of, containing, or resembling pepper; sharp or pungent in flavor. 2. Vigorously sharp-tempered: a peppery sales clerk. 3. quality associated with kung pao, but you'll definitely notice the peanuts. Ditto for the hot and sour soup Hot and sour soup can refer to soups from several Asian culinary traditions. In all cases the soup contains ingredients to make it both spicy and sour. North America United States In American Chinese cuisine hot and sour soup is almost vegetarian. ($2), unusually pale yellowish in color, offering decidedly more flavor strength from its vinegar than its supposedly spicy peppers. Incidentally, both soups here - the wonton being a fair rendition and the same price - come in small individual servings, not the expected tureen-style. And Chinese tea is not complimentary here. Diners pay $1 per person for it. But there are a few freebies. Crispy noodles noo·dle 1 n. A narrow, ribbonlike strip of dried dough, usually made of flour, eggs, and water. [German Nudel. and both hot mustard and plum dipping sauce are presented prior to ordering at dinner time. And at lunch and dinner, each diner receives a fortune cookie. The kitchen, probably staffed with cooks familiar with much of the Chinois Express menu from the sister restaurant, seems to know what it's doing. Call it practiced and occasionally perfect. Chicken arrives moist and is a welcome addition in the chicken lo mein ($5) noodles dish. Yet, wok-tossed vegetables ($5.50), mostly cabbage and onions with a few carrots, some broccoli and a restrained sprinkling of mushrooms, look a little tired. However, steamed chicken dumplings (six for $3.50) match competitors' portioning and quality. But the best appetizer may well be the barbecued pork back ribs (five for $5), red-tinged from a char-siu-type glaze and heavy with meat. If you're a beef fancier, you won't go wrong here with the Cantonese pepper steak ($8). Medium-thin slices of tender braised braise tr.v. braised, brais·ing, brais·es To cook (meat or vegetables) by browning in fat, then simmering in a small quantity of liquid in a covered container. beef in a brown, subtly peppered sauce on a bed of celery and cabbage present one of the more satisfying options at the new Chinois Express. And it's perhaps the closest recipe (au poivre?) to anything remotely French, though Canton does seem like an awfully long, long way from Paris. But wait a minute. French filtered coffee is served here. And there really may be escargots in the kitchen. Perhaps they're reasons enough to name it Chinois. THE FACTS The restaurant: Chinois Express. Where: 15958 Ventura Blvd., Tarzana. When: Open for lunch, dinner and snacks from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, from 4 to 9 p.m. Sunday, lunch specials offered daily until 6 p.m. Late supper menu from 9 p.m. to midnight nightly starts tonight. Recommended items: Wonton soup, steamed chicken dumplings, barbecued pork back ribs appetizer, Cantonese pepper steak, Chilean sea bass filets with black bean sauce, chicken lo mein. How much: No alcohol. MC, V, Discover. Wine list: Beer and wine license pending. Reservations: Helpful. Call (818) 881-9856. Our rating: Three Stars for food; Three Stars for service. CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: Chinois Express owner Mario Akai Miao does Chilean sea bass filets with black bean sauce his way. Joe Binoya/Special to the Daily News |
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