SMALL BITES PANDA TURNING 30.

Byline: Larry Lipson

The five flagship Panda Inns of the Panda Restaurant Group (Panda Express and Hibachi-San) are celebrating a 30th anniversary.

The Pasadena Panda Inn, 3488 E. Foothill Blvd., was launched by the Cherng family in 1973 and became the forerunner for the huge Panda restaurant chain. It now has hundreds of Panda Express outlets across the country.

The Glendale Panda Inn, 111 E. Wilson Ave., joins the Pasadena location and the remaining three in La Palma, Ontario and San Diego in producing smoked duck and taro torte ($14), spicy beef with macadamia nuts ($12) and steamed Chilean sea bass wrapped in a banana leaf ($16) as the main-course segment of a special anniversary menu.

The restaurants are also serving a special mandarin orange martini ($6) and a prawn and fruit salad ($9.50) that contains julienned mangoes, honeydew melon, jicama and carrots tossed in cranberry, mango and coconut juices with red ginger and sesame oil.

Information and reservations at the Glendale Panda Inn: [phone].

ALL ABOUT DINNER: Don't plan on lunching anytime soon at Bastide, the hot new French restaurant at 8475 Melrose Place.

Using the excuse that it's a European tradition, Bastide, which already serves dinners only on weeknights, not on Saturdays or Sundays, has discontinued luncheon service as a ``summer respite.''

For details and dinner reservations, call [phone].

ITALIAN IN REDONDO: Rodolfo Costella, managing partner of Ca' Del Sole, 4100 Cahuenga Blvd., North Hollywood, and Costella's partner Franco Simplicio in Malibu's Moonshadows, have opened Frascati at 1800 S. Pacific Coast Highway in Redondo Beach.

The debut of Frascati means a return to Italian fare by restaurateur Simplicio, who is also a partner in Allegria in Malibu, and Costella. Their Moonshadows venture was their first American fare restaurant.

Ca' Del Sole's chef Soerke Peters is overseeing the kitchen at Frascati.

Frascati information and reservations: [phone].

NAPKIN NOTES: New chef Travis Lett at Tengu, 10853 Lindbrook Drive, Westwood, has added several new dishes to the Asian fusion menu. Information and reservations: [phone]. ... Pineapple is THE flavor at Jamba Juice locations nationwide. Besides the drinks, pineapple-themed T-shirts, mugs, visors, a cookbook and even a pineapple lip balm are available to Jamba juicers through Oct. 1. ... El Torito restaurants are featuring the food of the Guerrero region of Mexico with chilates of beef, chicken or shrimp; tacos empapelados, also with beef, chicken or shrimp; and special fresh fish tacos. There's an El Torito in Northridge at 8855 Tampa Ave. Information: [phone].