First Impressions : A One-Man Show

Trying to make a reservation at C’est Fan Fan, 3360 W. 1st St., Los Angeles, (213) 487-7330, can be frustrating. Trying to eat there can be frustrating too. This is because the person who answers the phone, who also happens to be the lone waiter and dishwasher, barely speaks English. You may think you’ve ordered beef and find yourself eating chicken.

Still, you may want to persevere. For the new occupant of what was until recently Chabuya, and before that Lyon, has changed the style of this tiny restaurant. The new owner, chef Hajime Kaki, is a veteran of Chinois on Main and New York’s China Grill, and he has transformed a Franco-Japanese restaurant into a Franco-Chinese one with Japanese overtones.

Hajime puts on quite a show in his miniature kitchen, racing singlehandedly through his repertoire. Some of his dishes (the calamari salad for instance) are highly reminiscent of Chinois. Some, like his stuffed Chinese bread, seem fairly straightforward Chinese fare. And some, like the fanciful Peking Duck with scallion pancakes, or the cheese-laced crab and shiitake crepes, seem to be uniquely his own. Prices for entrees run $13-$18; the prix fixe dinner is $26.

The restaurant seats little more than a dozen people at the counter and there are no tables. Therefore, reservations are really essential. Don’t be discouraged by the voice on the other end of the line; eventually you will manage to make yourself understood.