RESTAURANTS : PERSIAN DUO SERVES UP VARIATIONS ON A THEME

“Why,” I asked a waiter at one of Los Angeles’ many Iranian restaurants, “do all Iranian restaurants have exactly the same menu?”

Don’t misunderstand me: I like that menu just fine. It is filled with all sorts of delicious kebabs served with mountains of saffron-tinted rice, pita bread with sliced onions, and plenty of atmosphere. And it is always an excellent value: Entrees are normally well under $10.

The waiter just gave me a shrug and said, “These are all the dishes we have in Iran.” Ask a silly question and you get a silly answer.

But although the restaurants may offer the same dishes, each cooks them in a slightly different manner. A recent visit to two restaurants highly touted by members of the Farsi community--Tanouri in “Little Tehran,” the stretch of Westwood Boulevard just south of Wilshire, and Persepolis, a world away in West Hollywood--proved that each was quite distinct. Despite the cultural isolation, I was most impressed by Persepolis.

Persepolis is named for an ancient Persian city, and the interior looks as if it belongs in one. The dining room is dark and Byzantine, with low ceilings, mirrored columns, pink walls and chandeliers that seem straight from a New Orleans bordello. If you go on a weekend you are likely to have the transcendental experience of Farsi music, complete with a mournful male singer. We went early on a Thursday night, and the place was as empty as a Beirut nightclub. It’s a pity, too, because the food is magnificent.

Start with the light, creamy (but substantial) barley soup or an appetizer like borani bademjan , a hot eggplant dish made from yogurt, coriander and considerable garlic. But be sure not to eat too much--you’re going to have one of those giant kebabs.

The Persepolis kabob is really two kabobs, barg and kouhlbideh , one of marinated ground beef, the other of lean cubed sirloin. End to end they must be two feet long, and in keeping with Middle Eastern traditions, they are served medium well, unless you specify otherwise.

Rice is a good barometer in an Iranian restaurant--when it’s good, everything else usually is too. Persepolis cooks wonderful rice, basmati, which comes out fluffy and fragrant.

Persepolis has a wine list, which makes it unusual for a restaurant serving Middle Eastern cuisine. Another plus on Thursdays-Sundays is a singer offering authentic music.

Tanouri, a tiny, brick-walled room with earth-toned tables, patio chairs and a green-tiled ceramic bread oven visible from the dining room, is very different. The food is good here, especially kashk bademjan , a denser version of the eggplant appetizer. Kashk is a condensed yogurt and a powerful additive to any dish. It adds a richness that almost makes you swear you’re eating meat, even when you know you’re not.

The rice is also tasty here, as are the various kebabs (Tanouri even does a delightful one called djoujeh kabob made from cornish game hen), but in general the dishes lack subtlety and the flavors tend to be quite exaggerated. When you order rice with dill, for example, almost an ounce of the herb is used in a single plateful.

Tanouri is also the place you may want to sample some real Persian exotica. Try Fesenjon , a stewed chicken in a bowl of rich sauce made mostly from pomegranate, or albaloo polo , a sour cherry rice mixed with meat balls. For many people, these are an acquired taste.

There is one final wonderful touch at Tanouri: At the end of the meal you are given a piping hot souvenir pita bread to take with you. It is big enough for a child to play hopscotch on, and as you drive home it makes your car smell as sweet as a French bakery in the early morning.

Persepolis, 920 N. La Cienega Blvd., (213) 652-5312. Open Sunday s -Thursday s , noon-10 p.m., Friday s and Saturday s , noon-11:30 p.m. Beer and wine. Some lot parking. Visa and MasterCard accepted. Dinner for two, food only, $20-30.

Tanouri, 1442 Westwood Blvd., (213) 470-7003. Open daily, 11 a.m.-midnight. No alcohol served. Street parking. Visa and MasterCard accepted. Dinner for two, food only, $20-30.