MATSUHISA--A RESTAURANT TO PURR OVER

Matsuhisa, 129 N. La Cienega Blvd., Beverly Hills. (213) 659-9639. Beer and wine. Valet parking. American Express, MasterCard and Visa accepted. Open for lunch Monday-Friday, for dinner daily. Dinner for two (food only) , $40-65.

Have you ever seen a cat eat a piece of sashimi? He pounces on it, swoops it into his mouth, throws his head back, and issues a low, throaty cry. It’s quite beautiful, really.

My wife, Keiko, grew up in Japan, but I’d almost swear that she was a cat in a former life. When she eats good sushi she purrs, and when it’s really good, she says “nyah, nyah,” which means meow in Japanese.

Naturally, Keiko was excited when I told her about Matsuhisa, a new Japanese restaurant in Beverly Hills, and she insisted that we go immediately. But in the excitement, I forgot to make a reservation, and when we got there, all 14 spots at the sushi bar were occupied. That’s because Matsuhisa already has a loyal following.

Matsuhisa is also the name of the chef, formerly of O-Sho Sushi on Third Street, and many of his regulars have followed him to the new restaurant. Before working at O-Sho he had a sushi bar in Lima, Peru, for seven years, and before that, he served a rigorous apprenticeship in Tokyo’s Shinjuku section. The menu at his new restaurant is the result of 20 years as a sushi man.

Many of the dishes in the restaurant show a South American influence (which means plenty of garlic) as well as the mark of a healthy imagination. When we finally got seated at the bar we were greeted with kelp-wrapped raw salmon stuffed with cucumber and garlic; these tiny, pungent little packages were remarkable. Almost as soon as we had finished them Matsuhisa himself dished up smelts with ponzu and spring onion. I heard vague sounds coming from Keiko’s throat.

Then it became time for me to purr. The next dish was a sashimi of pompano, something I had never before eaten. Nothing could possibly have been more delicious.

Despite all the simple dishes, Matsuhisa is a chef who loves to experiment. Many of his creations are unique. One of the best is hot sea urchin with shiitake wrapped in a spinach leaf and served in a pretty little dish with a light lemon sauce. There is a hint of garlic in the sea urchin, and the flavors marry easily. Another interesting combination is raw bay scallops with flying fish roe and mayonnaise, served in a hollowed-out orange.

Japanese names aren’t given, and for once there is a first-class English menu in a first-class sushi bar. No struggling necessary. Matsuhisa not only speaks Japanese and English, he speaks Spanish as well, and he handles his three languages as deftly as he handles his carving knife.

Half the fun of eating here is watching him in action. While he’s paring a cucumber thinner than you thought possible he’ll be taking an order in Spanish over the counter, and keeping an eye on his assistants at the other end of the bar. Then, in a quick motion, he passes two pieces of yellowtail to an outstretched hand, shouts an order in Japanese to the back kitchen, and moves down the counter to another beaming customer. Toscanini couldn’t conduct himself with more consummate skill.

If you are not sure about what to order you can just ask Matsuhisa for omakase , literally “chefs choice.” On one occasion Keiko and I did just that, and we got some very unusual dishes.

One was shiromi usu zukuri , razor-thin slices of sole in a light sauce that had a sweet aftertaste. Another was three-color somen , pink, green and white noodles served in a miniature basket. The pink was lightly flavored with plum and the green noodle was flavored with tea. All the noodles were dipped in a dashi made from mushroom and shaved bonito. Keiko awarded this dish four “nyahs,” her highest accolade.

We also loved ankimo , a rose-colored pate made from the liver of the monkfish and served with momoji oroshi , a grated mixture of red chili and radish. Ankimo is one of the richest dishes in the Japanese kitchen, and it should be accompanied by a warm cup of sake. The sake will get you ready for more of the house specialties, like asparagus with hollandaise and salmon eggs, or halibut in pepper sauce with abundant garlic.

The chef has taken care to provide interesting desserts as well. If you’re lucky, he might have Prince melon from New Zealand with a sauce of fresh raspberries, or some local fruit that he buys on a whim.

Matsuhisa must have a whimsical streak or he would never have included things like coffee and Haagen-Dazs ice cream on his menu. That inclusion is too much for a conservative Japanese like my wife. Cats may love cream, but the very thought of ice cream in a sushi bar was too much for Keiko.