SHANGHAI WORTH A LOCAL LOOK.

Byline: Larry Lipson Restaurant Critic

With its cute name, nifty appointments and helpful staff, the new CityWalk, Universal City, Asian restaurant titled Shanghai and Mein already appears to be drawing well from the throngs of tourists and locals who visit this intriguing dining and shopping attraction.

It would be easy to say that the food here is average or lower and not worth a special visit by local residents. But that is not quite true. Although there are certainly plenty of neighboring alternatives (like the no-frills little Dragon X or Studio Wok eateries in Studio City), Shanghai and Mein possesses certain qualities that set it apart from the rest.

First of all, it's got a great deal of character in its looks. There has evidently been some design creativity involved here.

Dubbed a dim sum and noodles house, it offers black and red tones in a striking contemporary manner with ware, menus, napkins, chopsticks, et al., showing off the colorful motif.

And speaking of colorful, the restaurant's whimsical interior mural featuring Asian babies provides a bright-toned and blithe background for customers, most of them dressed casually, in keeping with the general CityWalk crowd.

At an initial visit, the restaurant didn't impress foodwise as much as at later experiences.

The crispy scallion pancake ($4.50), when cut into wedges and eaten by hand, left too much of an oily residue on the fingers. Yes, it was crispy. No, it was not nearly as flavorful as Mandarin Deli's version.

Mu shu duck ($7.50), on the other hand, had wonderful flavors and textures in its duck meat and vegetable mixture. However, the pancakes (or crepes) served uncovered on the side as wrappers quickly lost their heat and their pliancy, becoming almost disclike as they dried out.

Corn-and-chicken chowder ($2 a cup, $4.95 a bowl) prepared Chinese-style came up hot and comforting, at the least a passable version, while chicken chow mein made with thin egg noodles ($7.95) was actually better than expected.

Pork fried rice with char-sui flavoring ($6.75) was rated as respectable, but a sizzling steak offering ($12.95) with about 75 percent of the pieces nicely tender was immersed in a black bean sauce (with onions and bell peppers) that probably had been simmering for a while, reaching, in its reduced state, a higher degree of saltiness than it started with.

But at other times, two noodle choices - the house chicken and noodles in a fragrant chicken broth ($7.95) and wheat flour noodles in garlic soy sauce with a few curled shrimp ($8.95) - were very satisfying.

Outstanding dishes from Shanghai and Mein's busy kitchen included a whole catfish ($15.95) doused in a thick, deep, red sweet-and-sour sauce; and sliced, batter-coated, moist chicken in a lovely tart lemon sauce ($11.95) garnished with sliced rounds of fresh lemon.

The kitchen also brought forth a delightful rendition of spicy green beans ($5.75), a delicious and sprightly accompaniment to the lemon chicken dish.

And though they're hardly a comparison to the extensive and excellent selection of dim sum in Chinatown and Monterey Park Chinese restaurants, the dumplings and bao buns easily match or exceed those available at suburban spots.

In summary, it would appear that Shanghai and Mein, with its interesting hot and iced tea mixtures, its exotic cocktail concoctions, its thoughtfully chosen sampling of Asian dishes and its colorful surroundings is worth an occasional visit from locals, perhaps before or after a movie at the cinemas a few steps away, or if only for a change from the everyday to something a little more adventurous.

The facts

--The restaurant: Shanghai and Mein.

--Where: 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal CityWalk, Universal City.

--When: Open for lunch, dinner, drinks and snacks from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

--Recommended items: Shanghai and Mein soup noodles, Shanghai noodles and prawns, Taiwanese crispy whole catfish in sweet-and-sour sauce, lemon chicken, sauteed Szechwan string beans, dim sum brunch, iced milk teas.

--How much: Starters from $2 to $7, noodle and entree plates from $8 to $16, desserts from $4.25 to $5.50. Full bar. Major credit cards accepted.

--Wine list: Minimal, with B.V. or Monterey Vineyard labeled wines by the glass or bottle.

--Reservations: Only taken for large parties. Call [phone].

--Our rating: Three stars for food; Three stars for service; One star for wine.

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Photo:

Chung Kuo Feng, executive chef of Shanghai and Mein, left, with manager John Shay and chef Scott Li. Feng holds a plate of Taiwanese crispy catfish.

David Crane/Staff Photographer