RESTAURANTS : Japanese, French and Californian Mixture Works Together Very Well

It is possible to know a great deal about a restaurant just by looking at the name. A case in point: La Mer Genkai.

The la mer part tells us instantly that there is some connection with France. And, since it speaks of the sea, that it is probably near the beach. You have probably deduced that the genkai part indicates some connection with Japan. Loosely translated, genkai refers to a public eating place. It is also the name of a successful chain of Japanese restaurants in Orange County, with branches in Corona del Mar and Fountain Valley.

Put the words together and what you wind up with is a Japanese restaurant with a Frenchified menu and a beach location (Laguna Beach, in this case). La Mer Genkai is as eclectic as its name. Chefs here apprenticed in Paris. The design is a hybrid: Tables are black marble (that is Japanese) and the dining room is filled with lush green plants, like a solarium in a public park (that sounds vaguely French). Frescoes of Japanese characters grace the walls, but so do modern Expressionists. That could go either way.

There is a beautifully appointed sushi bar complete with Japanese sushi men, but wait, they are wearing bow ties and pink Oxford shirts. Bow ties on sushi chefs? That doesn’t add up. Neither does the pink neon backlighting which permeates the room. But then you remember that you are in California, and that is part of the equation too.

Especially on Saturday nights, which are a wild scene at this restaurant. Expect to elbow your way past a curious collection of coastal dwellers, artists, surfers and weekenders to get to your table; most of them will be busy drinking Bloody Marys and Mai Tais at the giant cedar bar. I wouldn’t mind spending an evening at this bar myself: the wood is so new it smells like a forest, and the bartender is a real character. I would have to be in a rowdy mood, though. The noise level is apt to be only slightly less than any major runway at 4 on a Friday afternoon.

Service is snappy and energetic; it has to be. You can order sushi at your table from a specially designed order slip. It is probably easier that way. The night I was there people were standing three-deep at the sushi bar. Getting near it would have been a tough ticket. There is nothing unusual about the selection of the sushi, but quality is high and you can find minor eccentricities if you look. Dynamite, a seaweed-wrapped cone of rice, baby yellowtail, kaiware (radish sprouts), and Japanese chili, is a nice way to begin, as is California roll, here served with fresh shrimp instead of the perfunctory crab. Others, like sea urchin and smelt roe, just melt in the mouth.

Appetizers from the kitchen are listed as both California and Japanese, and I would give a slight edge to the ones from Japan. Gyoza , sauteed dumplings stuffed with meat in a sauce of ginger, garlic, soy and rice vinegar, is the best. These come six to an order, and are similar to Chinese pot stickers. Sesame chicken is another one of my favorites: bite-size pieces of pan-fried chicken with a light sesame batter. This item is available in any supermarket in Japan, and I have never quite understood why it hasn’t caught on here.

The California appetizers aren’t bad either. There is deep-fried soft-shell crab (which are common in Japanese restaurants, actually) and blackened Cajun chicken (which aren’t). The only really French appetizer is sauteed escargot, here appealingly plated with mushrooms, parsley and a garlic butter sauce.

Main courses listed under the California heading actually seemed French to me. Sauteed duck is served in a sweet raspberry sauce with a hint of ginger and a julienne of vegetables, like you would get at an uppity French restaurant. I found it a bit on the tough side, and a bit too sweet. Broiled tenderloin, a superb piece of beef in a lively green peppercorn sauce with brandy, could hardly have been more French. Stuffed broiled baby salmon is simply salmon trout; while the fish isn’t fabulous, the stuffing-- shimeji mushrooms, shallots, garlic and lemon--is magnificent. It was the single best thing I had in the restaurant.

Japanese dishes are served with miso soup or a salad with Japanese dressing. Here, there are absolutely no surprises. Tempura (a Portuguese invention, by the way) is an assortment of deep-fried shrimp, fish and vegetables in a light batter. When the oil is fresh and properly hot, as it is here, the dish is a pleasure. Teriyaki, the sweet glaze so commonly associated with chicken, is served as beef and salmon dishes, as well. Try the salmon.

They were out of all but two desserts on Saturday night, and it soon became clear why those were still available: A peach mousse cake tasted more like sushi, and a pear cheesecake wasn’t much better. There is always that horrendous looking green tea ice cream to fall back on. But I’d stroll down the Coast Highway and have a frozen yogurt instead.

Dinners start at $9.50. The highest-priced selection, a sushi and sashimi dinner, is $19.50. Appetizers are from $3.95 to $7.50 for oysters on the shell.

LA MER GENKAI

540 S. Coast Highway, Laguna Beach.

(714) 497-6799.

Full bar. Validated parking. Entertainment on weekends. All major cards.

Open every day from 5:30 p.m.; lunch served only on Saturday and Sunday.