ZEN CHI CAFE IN NEED OF WORK.

Byline: Larry Lipson Restaurant Critic

It seemed like Zen Chi, the promised replacement for the Studio Bar-B-Q in Studio City, would never open.

But it finally did.

Situated off the Valley's main culinary thoroughfare, Ventura Boulevard, on Moorpark Street, Zen Chi is a full-service restaurant that serves familiar, modern dishes, most with an Asian accent.

Its understated decor presents rooms filled with gleaming, bare tabletops. A large Buddha welcomes diners in the entryway, setting the tone for a short menu of eight starters (no soups), five salads, eight entrees, four sandwiches and four desserts with several Thai-inspired touches plus one or two Chinese and Japanese hints.

Prices are medium to medium-high with beginning plates running from $4 to $12, entrees in the high teens and mid-20s, and desserts priced at $8 and $10.

Medium-high tariffs

Consequently, with wine it isn't difficult to average $40 to $45 a person for dinner even when using restraint.

As for the results, some dishes work, others don't.

Best efforts from two recent visits were sesame-flavored beef satay sticks ($9) with a mango-peanut sauce, Chilean sea bass in a slightly spicy wasabi-soy vinaigrette ($24) and lime-marinated, seared ahi tuna ($22).

Tuna tartare ($10) though, had a mushy quality, crispy vegetable dumplings ($7) were overcooked, Thai pork spareribs ($8) lacked moistness, and a Szechwan peppercorn, bone-in ribeye steak ($34) seemed overly fatty and chewy.

The latter was also served strangely, the steak perched atop a bed of fries in a white bowl, making it difficult to cut while quickly turning the ``crispy'' fries into soft ones. Best thing about this dish was the caramelized onions.

Lamb chops ($25), listed as Thai-glazed, actually had pretty good flavor, especially if you like rosemary, but the glaze left the chops with a peculiar grayish tone.

The lone poultry entree, butterflied Cornish game hen ($17) with honey-Dijon mustard, was merely passable. It came with a heap of faintly curried sweet potato fries.

A slant-cut spring roll stuffed with a shrimp mixture and tiny crab cakes made up a ``little bites'' platter ($8) one evening, the pieces of roll definitely overshadowing the nibble-size crab cakes.

Asian fusion fare

Zen Chi, which describes its fare as Asian fusion, would seem to be a rather good idea for its location. But it really needs a warmer look. (How about table settings and glassware?) And with current chilly nights, it could use a comforting soup or two to start.

The menu would probably improve by featuring a well-thought-out, distinctive signature dish, although the Chilean sea bass might have already been picked for this role.

And some refinement in cooking and presentation of its current items wouldn't hurt.

Perhaps, because it took so long to open, expectations were too high.

Meanwhile, we'll wait and see what occurs.

Larry Lipson, [phone]

[e-mail]

ZEN CHI CAFE

Food: One and one half stars - Service: Three and one half stars - Wine: Two stars

Where: 11334 Moorpark St., Studio City.

Phone: [phone].

Meals/hours: Open for lunch and dinner from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Closed Monday.

Food type: Asian fusion.

Cost: Starters from $4 to $12, panini-style sandwiches from $10 to $14, entrees from $16 to $25, desserts $8 and $10.

Credit cards: AE, MC, V.

Patio dining: Yes.

Parking/valet: Valet parks cars in gated lot.

Full bar: No, beer and wine licensed.

Wine/corkage: Small list of 25 labels with no vintage dates has 14 wines (includes one sake) by the glass ($8 to $10) and 21 bottle options ($26 to $65). No bargains. Mostly familiar brands. Corkage: $15.

Music/entertainment: No.

Takeout/delivery: Yes on takeout, no on delivery.

Reservations: Helpful.

CAPTION(S):

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Photo:

Manuel Castro, chef at Zen Chi Cafe, shows off the Chilean sea bass.

John McCoy/Staff Photographer