OUTSIDE THE BOX NORTHRIDGE'S HIYAKUMI SUSHI DOES BEAUTIFUL BENTOS - AND SO MUCH MORE.

Byline: Larry Lipson Restaurant Critic

MY MOTHER always used to tell me that my eyes were bigger than my stomach.

Perhaps they still are, because I ordered a lot of food during the first visit to the snazzy new Hiyakumi Sushi eatery in Northridge.

I put all the blame on those who devised Hiyakumi's alluring full-color photographic menu depicting 46 special and regular sushi rolls, 14 appetizers, six salads, four combination sushi and sashimi specials, an udon noodle soup bowl, three lunch bento boxes, a quartet of combination special dinner platters and a boat dinner.

But I would like to point out that sushi chefs who work in a place like Hiyakumi should refer to these pictures when serving up orders.

That's because they don't always look as attractive in front of you as they do in their shiny photographic splendor.

In fact, one dish, of five dumplings of crispy, deep-fried, pork-stuffed gyoza ($3.50) is pictured in the menu with the dumplings neatly lined up with military precision on a rectangular platter while the plate actually delivered was circular.

I'm not complaining about the taste. The dumplings - though, as a rule I prefer them steamed or even lightly pan fried - were quite good. But this wasn't exactly the dish I ordered.

During that expensive initial visit, my widened eyes also fell prey to the photogenic looks of such roll concoctions as one titled ``monkey brain'' ($6.90) made with mushrooms, crab and spicy tuna, and another called ``sashimi tempura'' ($6.90).

I should have known better than to order something called sashimi that was deep fried. Sashimi usually refers to fish sliced in its fresh, raw state. Consequently, this batter-coated and deep-fried stuff tasted like cooked fish, nothing like sashimi.

Similarly, the individual tuna, crab and mushroom flavors are lost altogether in their mixed-up, deep-fried state.

As for real sashimi - Hiyakumi offers six options on platters - it fares much better. I chose the yellowtail ($12), and it was not only handsomely presented, but superb in both taste and texture.

Not only that, but it had a bonus mini-portion of seasoned, thin-cut octopus with it.

Yet the big thing here appears to be spicy tuna.

Yep, at least 13 of the pictured rolls on the menu contained it.

Consequently, we fell in the spicy tuna trap one night. In fact, we even had it two ways, as a cut roll ($4.50) and as a hand roll ($3.90), and also ended up paying an extra $1 per order by requesting soybean paper wraps over seaweed (nori).

Incidentally, Hiyakumi's version of spicy tuna isn't particularly fiery. But it does have a bit of a kick.

As for its regular nigiri sushi, the scallop rendition ($3.90) receives our unquestionable No. 1 vote for both its delicious taste and generous portioning.

Yet there are plenty of other good ones, too. You won't go wrong ordering striped sea bass ($3.50), fresh water eel ($3.90) regular tuna and yellowtail ($3.90 each) or albacore ($3.50).

The toro (tuna belly) and giant clam, both at changing market prices, have been available here, the former tried and enjoyed immensely as sushi one time.

Tastily prepared tempura and teriyaki beef or chicken can be had here as lunch or dinner boxes or platters with rice and accompaniments for as low as $6.90 at lunch time and $8.90 for dinner.

Hiyakumi, by the way, has pulled out all the stops with its decor.

It has a lengthy, beautifully designed, 19-seat sushi bar with at least two chefs working busily behind it, elevated to increase visibility. And its row of tables against the opposite wall each possess a lucite shadow- box arrangement holding swaying mini-figures. Very appealing.

But remember, this is no sushi bar for purists. Too much deep-fried stuff.

However, if you're a spicy tuna fan, you'll love it.

HIYAKUMI SUSHI

Food: Three stars. Service: Two and one half stars.

Where: 19500 Plummer St., Northridge.

Hours: Open for lunch from 11:30 to 3 p.m. daily and for dinner 4:30 to 9:30 p.m. nightly, to 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Recommended items: Regular nigiri sushi and sashimi, non-deep-fried sushi rolls, bento boxes and dinner platters.

How much: Appetizers from $2.50 to $7.50. Salads $2.50 (mixed green salad) to $8.50 (seafood salad). Individual sushi-roll items $3.90 to $10.50. Bento lunch boxes $6.90 to $8.50. Teriyaki/tempura dinner specials $8.50 to $13.90. Lunch and dinner sushi and sashimi specials $8.50 to $14.50; combination boat dinner $29.90. Beer and wine. All major credit cards except Discover.

Wine list: Limited to menu listing of house wines by the glass: chardonnay and white zinfandel ($4.90 each), merlot ($5.50) and plum wine ($4.50). Also cold sake ($5.90), hot sake ($3.90 and $5.90) and several imported and domestic beers.

Reservations: Taken weekdays, not weekends. Call [phone].

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Photo:

(1 -- 2) Hiyakumi Sushi chef Danny Cho, right, assembles an assortment of items, including the Hawaiian, Judy's Special and Kenji rolls, above. Hiyakumi's menu overflows with interesting options.

Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer