ETHNIC CUISINE WITH A LIGHT TOUCH : CALIFORNIA GRITS WITH A TOUCH OF THE ETHNIC

Health clubs may be the singles’ bars of the ‘80s. But there’s another, more pervasive trend these days: Call them Luncheon Counters of the New Kind. I recently tried two of these neon-lit cafes, both a short jog from the Sports Connection in Ocean Park.

Here’s the formula: Take a favorite ethnic cuisine (in this case Italian and Chinese) and, leaving out the grease and the MSG, lighten it up. Make the ambiance attractive to Those Who Think Young with lots of glass, a streamlined look, a swash of neon and an open kitchen with counter for those on the run. Hire spirited young waiters, turn the radio up high and keep the prices low. Open in a mall-like setting (but use cloth napkins) and compared with the neighboring taco, sub and pizza shops, your fast food will seem slow.

The lunch crowds have already discovered Il Forno, which has been open for only a couple of weeks. Two of the owners were chefs at Caffe Roma in Beverly Hills; they’re still doing great pizzas and homemade bread but have cleverly extended the menu to include “spa cuisine.” Yes, there is blond wood, and gray tile and pink neon light. There is also a large wine list, a handful of really tasty dishes and a large antipasto salad bar. One can either graze or dine.

Here are some of the things I liked: cold octopus and squid, pink and tender, as marvelous (and unrubbery) as they can be; sweet-fleshed custardy stuffed eggplant deliciously hot (another time it had been standing out too long); fluffy polenta served with a good choice of cured meats; an absolutely non-oily bollito misto (packed with squid, scampi, and the freshest white fish) in a sturdy tomato broth; and the Spa Pizza, perfectly humming with garlic, zucchini, golden peppers and low-fat cheese, crisp and exactly to the point. (Don’t bother with most of the desserts--practically all are made elsewhere. If you must, have an intensely rich creme caramel-- or better still, another piece of the fresh-from-the-oven bread.)

The salad bar looked intriguing but it turned out to be mostly hit or miss. Quiche was salty, chicken salad came mayo-thick, and rice salad with canned black olives was nondescript. Penne was creamy, poached salmon was clean and roasted peppers and marinated mushrooms lived up to their names. A plate of homemade ravioli with a fine glint of nutmeg was ruined by a canned-quality sauce. Veal with grapefruit juice shimmered gracefully while scampi Al Forno was just plain tough.

Jog another quarter-mile for “California Chinese Cuisine.” (That’s what the blue neon sign says.) Yum Cha is cleverly designed, with the cut-out “moon viewing” windows, hip black metal chairs, a small market and lots of red accessories. Tuck yourself into a high corner banquette or sit at the spiffy black counter and watch the amber chickens grill.

No MSG and no artificial colors are used. There are lots of fresh vegetables and a convenient red carrying case filled with six sauces. Moist pot stickers are giddy with fresh ginger, Shu Mai dumplings burst with shitake mushrooms and fresh chives. Toasted sesame shrimp were all texture and no taste. Overly crisp chicken won tons came without the expected spicy peanut sauce.

Both won ton and hot and sour soup, served in clear glass bowls, were laden with interesting crunchy things but my friend was right when he put down his glossy red chopsticks and sighed “these broths have no soul .” On the whole, this is clean cuisine with little mystery.

Yet the Hunan chicken, roasted on the spit with cilantro, garlic and ginger, was juicy and wonderful. Vegetables were properly cut, absolutely fresh and not once overcooked. And hurray for so many dishes with so little fat. Even the pork-fried rice came without that tell-tale glistening.

Don’t bother with bland mu-shu chicken and skip the boring duck. The spareribs are better: They taste honey-sweetened, and full-bodied. The giant coconut macaroons are superb and the almond cookies are better than most. Fortune cookies dipped in chocolate are surely meant for the yuppie crowd. Mine read “You will receive some high prize or award.” Move over “Nighthawks”: Edward Hopper’s gone Melrose Avenue.

Il Forno Caffe Pizzeria, 2901 Ocean Park Blvd., Santa Monica, (213) 450-1241. Monday-Friday 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m., Saturday 5:30 p.m.-11:30 p.m. Closed Sundays. Take out available. Parking lot. Beer and wine. All major credit cards. Dinner for two: (food only) $20-$50.

Yum Cha Dim Sum Cafe and Market, 3435 Ocean Park Blvd., Santa Monica, (213) 450-7000. Open seven days, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Take out and delivery available. Parking lot. Beer and wine. MasterCard and Visa. Dinner for two: (food only) $10-$35.