Food Blenders: Eating Eclectic

Decisions, decisions. Do yourself a favor and pick one of these recently reviewed restaurants that blend their various ethnic influences with style and taste. Babalu (1002 Montana Ave., Santa Monica, (213) 395-2500). Babalu looks like Bette Midler’s 117th dream, a jumble of African, Caribbean, Polynesian and pop-Cubist motifs all under tropical shack ceilings of bamboo and galvanized tin. But you can get Russian potato pancakes. And American turkey loaf. There are crab cakes with a crisp, browned crust and an excellent hamburger. There are also Indonesian chicken satay with coconut-lime curry sauce, a decent Polynesian appetizer of shrimp deep-fried in a batter full of coconut, and a very untraditional Mexican quesadilla filled with broccoli, cauliflower and caramelized onions. For dessert, the key-lime pie is convincing. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sun. Cash only. No liquor. Street parking. Dinner for two, food only, $30-$45.Chaya Brasserie (8741 Alden Drive, Los Angeles, (213) 859-8833). Soft light casts a golden glow over the room, and huge plants soar toward the high ceilings and linger on rustic wooden beams, giving the restaurant a faintly Japanese air. The perfect place for a leisurely dinner? Well, yes, but Chaya is known for its exceedingly snappy service. And the food? Eclectic touches of France, Italy and Asia ought to please almost everyone. In the mood for Italian? Start with Carpaccio (served with baby artichokes and slivers of Parmesan cheese). Is it Asian food you’re after? Order pan-fried ginger lobster--half of a small lobster topped with a blizzard of mussels, oysters and clams. Maybe French is more your style. Try the grilled chicken with pommes frites. Desserts are unmemorable; have an after-dinner drink instead. Lunch Mon.-Fri., dinner daily. All major credit cards. Full bar. Valet parking. Dinner for two, food only, $40-$80.

Don Felipe Restaurant (1050 N. Western Ave., Los Angeles, (213) 464-3474). Don Felipe looks like an Argentine ranch but the menu combines hearty steaks and grilled meats with a strong dose of Italian. The homemade ravioli is excellent. So is the tangy marinated eggplant. There is also a wonderful appetizer of rolled beef, sliced to reveal a mosaic-like vegetable stuffing. The Argentine side of the menu includes parrillada, an assortment of short ribs, skirt steak, and sausages presented on a charcoal grill. Zesty green chimichurri sauce accompanies the meats. Don Felipe’s wine list offers a good selection of South American products. Dessert is a must, especially the lemon-flavored bread pudding doused with caramel sauce. Lunch and dinner daily. All major credit cards. Beer and wine. Parking in rear. Dinner for two, food only, $25-$45.

Mami King (4321 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, (213) 669-1078; 21209 Hawthorne Blvd., in the Del Amo Village restaurant belt, Torrance, (213) 540-3326). At Mami King, Chinese dishes are prepared to the Filipino taste with American ingredients. Noodle soups and steamed buns are their specialty. The buns, called siopao , resemble the fluffy pork-filled char siu bao , you get in Chinatown. Braised pork or chicken are both good. They do a variation called bola-bola , (Tagalog for meatball) that’s stuffed with ground pork, chicken, egg, mushroom and sausage, and another called mongo, which is filled with sweet dark bean paste. The word mami refers to noodle soups. And these are big, soothing bowlfuls of clear broth with noodles and chicken, pork or beef. Desserts veer away from the Chinese to the strictly Filipino. Halo-halo , a combination of candied beans, coconut, jackfruit, palm seeds and purple yam paste with crushed ice and milk, is just $2 and a delight. Lunch and dinner daily. Cash only. No liquor. Shopping Center parking. Dinner for two, food only, $8-$20.

Mrs. R. A. Sperry’s Pantry, (1357 E. Colorado Blvd., Glendale, (818) 241-8051). While Mrs. R. A. Sperry makes the desserts, Mr. Sperry cooks lunches and dinners, which have Cajun, French, Italian, Mexican, Filipino and contemporary California influences. Appetizers range from a good country pate presented with a dab of mustard and a few cornichons , to a startlingly good wonton ravioli with coriander pesto. Mr. Sperry also has a way with fish: yellowtail with pecans and pineapple is a fine wedge of fish with just enough fresh pineapple and chopped pecans. Don’t underestimate the meat dishes-- osso buco comes in a perfect dark sauce, and pork batangas, bite-sized pieces of pork in a curry coconut sauce, will make you gasp with pleasure. Mrs. Sperry’s desserts are as wonderful as Mr. Sperry’s cooking. Her layer cakes are mostly a dreamy mousse and her homemade white chocolate ice cream with fresh raspberries is no less wonderful. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sat. MasterCard, Visa and American Express. No liquor. Parking in rear (enter on Orange Grove). Dinner for two, food only, $18-$40.