TASTES OF TURKEY SAKO'S MOONLIGHT BRINGS DISHES FROM ISTANBUL TO YOU.

Byline: Larry Lipson Restaurant Critic

'WHAT IS CHIKOFTE?'' I ask, during the initial visit to Sako's Moonlight restaurant in Reseda, when I notice on the menu that it's offered only on weekends.

Sako's, owned by Sako Cicek and his wife, Annie, Turkish expatriates from Istanbul, describes its food as Mediterranean, though I would think that Middle Eastern/Turkish fits better.

Chikofte, according to co-owner, hostess and waitress Annie Cicek, is seasoned raw meat mixed with bulgur.

But when I order it on a packed Sunday evening, unfortunately they were out. ``No more chikofte and no more lentil soup,'' says the waiter.

But lentil isn't the only soup.

Consequently, the two soups tried here are a Turkish tripe soup called ``iskembe'' ($4.50) - ``Just like menudo'' says Annie Cicek - and a tasty yogurt and rice soup ($3.50) with citric flavoring that tastes much like a chickenless avgolemono, the lemon soup of Greece.

These arrive in deep, full bowls that are big enough to share.

Diced cucumber and tomato with chopped parsley form the refreshing house salad that comes with entrees here, also lemony, tossed liberally with a tart citric dressing.

Incidentally, this generous salad, if not finished beforehand, should be held over to accompany both meat and fish entrees as a wettish companion to main dish ingredients without any saucing.

Several kebabs and a handful of barbecued fish make up most of the main-course list, along with a couple of steaks and a lamb chop dish.

All entrees arrive generously portioned on large plates showing no empty spaces whatsoever.

The lamb kebab ($12.50) here may well be the best lamb dinner at this price (includes fries or rice and that good salad) in the Valley. Each thin wooden stick holds numerous, wonderfully juicy, tender chunks of marinated lamb loin.

And almost as good are the chicken kebab ($8.50) and the beef tenderloin kebab (12.50).

All three can be had (one skewer of each) with a sampling of ``doner,'' the restaurant's version of thin-sliced, gyros-style pressed meats, and kofte, the sausage-shaped, seasoned, ground meat, in a combination platter ($14.50).

One highly recommendable fish dish is the barbecued ``cupura'' ($17.50), a Greek fish in the bass family served whole. Of course, if you detest pulling your fish off the bone, as some do, you'll probably be better off with the catfish filet ($9.90) simply because this cupura is one bony denizen.

However, I think the effort is definitely worth it. Each forkful of mild, soft flesh results in memorable moments of palate pleasure.

And as is common with many of the cuisines from this part of the world, endings can be shockingly sweet.

Sako's sugar rush can be had from any one or an assortment of dessert treats made in-house.

One is similar to a sugar cookie, described as a ``sugar patty'' topped with spun sugar. Two more are made with bread dough soaked in syrup, one flat, the other in small spheres. And there's a baked quince creation that should probably be everyone's No. 1 dessert choice when available.

Sorry, there's no baklava, nor any of that sweet gelatinous stuff known as Turkish delight.

Sako's, hidden in back with an entrance from a rear parking lot, is probably the only sit-down, full-service restaurant (though no alcohol license) that serves Turkish-style fare in the Valley.

True, much of the food is similar to that of many Middle Eastern/Armenian restaurants, but not all of it.

For example, Sako's Turkish-style tsatsiki (made with yogurt and cucumber, $4.50) is thicker and pastier than the softer, liquid dip found in most Greek restaurants.

And the music (live on weekends) is more melancholy.

Wonder if Sako's chikofte tastes like beef tartare?

SAKO'S MOONLIGHT

Food: Three stars. Service: Two stars.

Where: 6736 Corbin Ave., Reseda.

Hours: Open for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and for dinner from 2:30 to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, for lunch and dinner from 1 to 9:30 p.m. Sunday. Closed Monday.

Recommended items: Tsatsiki, yogurt soup, house salad, kebabs (lamb, beef, chicken), ground beef, doner, barbecued cupura, baked quince.

How much: Starters from $1.20 to $7.50, entrees from $8.50 to $17.50, desserts $2.50 and $3. No alcohol license. MC, DC, CB, V.

Reservations: Helpful. Needed on weekends. Call [phone].