A Winner the Second Time Around : Bucharest Proves If at First You Don’t Succeed, Try Romanian

Any number of axioms would seem to apply to La Jolla’s new Bucharest restaurant; among them would be: “Do what you know how to do” and “If at first you don’t succeed . . . “

Proprietor Teddy Docu, who most definitely did not succeed with his first effort in this location, has tried again, and seems to have come up with a winner in Bucharest. Docu’s previous endeavor, Mon Jardin, opened last summer to something significantly less than applause, and, thanks to a kitchen fire, failed to last through the season. The fire, however, merely served as the finishing blow to a pretentious eatery that already had failed to develop a clientele.

Much of the problem with Mon Jardin lay in a poorly written French menu that no one on the staff, most notably the cooks, understood how to prepare. Docu, a Romanian immigrant who operates a successful Romanian establishment in Rancho California, apparently was out of his depth with this menu, rather like a would-be scuba diver who had read a great deal on the topic but had failed to learn to swim before plunging into the waves.

The overblown decor, which featured armloads of artificial flowers (and some fresh blooms) in a town that prides itself on its gardens, did not help the situation. But all this has been replaced with a formal, yet comfortable and stylish, interior that is as distant from its plastic predecessor as the new menu is from its pseudo-French antecedent. The tones are a soothing blend of pink and pale brown, picked up by quiet arrangements of silk flowers; the armchairs are inviting at the end of the day, but consider one of the plush booths as the prime location for a cozy, relaxing dinner.

Try Romanian

Many restaurateurs would have been exhausted by Mon Jardin’s brief struggle for existence, and would have sold out at the first opportunity. Docu, however, drew on his background and decided that, if at first you don’t succeed, try Romanian.

A fair portion of the menu will be familiar to diners who know the cuisines of Greece, the Balkans and the Eastern Mediterranean. For example, moussaka, stuffed grape leaves and cabbage rolls are featured entrees. But, in each case, subtle differences in preparation distinguish these Romanian versions from similar dishes served by related cuisines. Others will be less familiar, such as the roast duck with a heavily tomatoed sauerkraut, and the chicken Moldava, a sauteed breast finished with a creamy dill sauce. Still others, rather amusingly, seem to be Balkanized versions of San Diego favorites. For example, there is a pasta tossed with basil, tomatoes and--for the Romanian touch--feta cheese, and the menu also offers “Black Sea-style shrimp scampi,” or shrimp sauteed with seasonings and brandy. The term “shrimp scampi” is a local redundancy that probably will not be encountered on the shores of the Black Sea.

Dinners begin with a complimentary appetizer plate that, quite frankly, is much nicer than anything of the kind served elsewhere in town. It includes a mound of pike caviar, an unusual (in these parts) variety that evidently is quite a favorite along the Danube, and certainly could become so here. Among other nibbles are a taste of nicely seasoned minced eggplant salad, marinated bell pepper strips (quite like those served on Italian antipasto buffets, and just as likeable), and cubes of feta cheese.

Relative of Kebab

On the night in question, Docu also presented guests with complimentary servings of mititei , a fresh, skinless sausage that appears on the menu as an entree. The generosity was impressive, although it rendered the act of ordering dinner somewhat pointless; the sausage was in any case quite tasty, and likable for its grill-crisped exterior. The dish is a close relative of the genuine Turkish kebab, or patties of minced lamb or beef (or both), generously seasoned and broiled over a quick fire.

Given the complimentary appetizers, a second starter course seems quite unnecessary. Several are offered, however, including smoked salmon, a dish of baked feta cheese, and a truly Romanian specialty called mamaliga . This last, which also garnishes several of the entrees, is much like Italian polenta, or, as we would say in plain English, cornmeal mush. Served with cottage cheese and sour cream, as it is here, this dish is perhaps more interesting than when plain, but it doesn’t seem likely to capture the San Diego imagination overnight.

The menu also offers an immense Romanian salad that has much in common with the familiar Greek salad, and can easily be shared by two guests. The restaurant’s special soup, ciorba , is a rather impressive version of the ever-popular vegetable soup, in this case served in a fine broth enriched with snippets of soup meat.

The specifically Romanian entrees would seem the dishes of choice at Bucharest. The veal Transylvania, despite its name, is virtually the same as the widely-available veal picatta , or sauteed scaloppine finished with lemon and butter. The sturgeon “Danube-style,” or broiled and topped with basil butter, seems closer to the source, as does the lamb Dobrogea, or broiled lamb chops dressed with a heady, mixed herb sauce. This last received an impressive presentation.

Healthy Appetite

The duck with sauerkraut, although roasted to an exceptionally crisp finish, oddly lacked flavor; it may have been that the unusually robust sauerkraut, flavored with a good deal of tomato, muted the fowl’s own flavors.

The combination plate requires a healthy appetite, but gives a good impression of Romanian home cooking and includes, for the curious, a sample of mamaliga . The moussaka, served in a small slice, is an elegant example of this popular layered casserole of eggplant, chopped beef and custard. The stuffed grape leaves seem restrained in their seasoning compared to the Greek variety, and would benefit from that cuisine’s traditional lemon sauce, whereas the stuffed cabbage rolls, a third item that uses ground beef as its main component, feature a much more assertive level of spicing than is common in this ubiquitous Eastern European preparation.

The dessert trolley bears several made-in-house specialties, of which a recent kiwi-strawberry tart ranked a distant third behind a creamy duo of apples and custard baked in a rich crust, and a frothy, remarkably light chocolate mousse cake. As an alternative or adjunct sweet, the house espresso, flavored with orange and sweetened with a fair amount of sugar, is unusual and good.

BUCHAREST

6737 La Jolla Blvd.

454-4555

Dinner served nightly, 5-11 p.m.

Credit cards accepted.

Dinner for two, including a moderate bottle of wine, tax and tip, $40 to $70.