Family Style Dining at Mon Japanese

You need to slide, rather than push or pull, the front door open at Mon Japanese in Tarzana. Then part the noren (hanging fabric panels) to enter into this cozy little neighborhood restaurant.

Run by a Japanese family, the restaurant also attracts a family clientele. Grass-cloth walls are lined by booths with paper lanterns hanging above the tables. The L-shaped dining area wraps around the kitchen, leaving only enough room for three tables in the center.

The photo on our table advertising their special dinners-for-two didn’t look very appetizing, but we ordered the shogun boat for the sake of research. Our meal arrived on a 2 1/2-foot-long wooden vessel, which some might consider a bit hokey, but sure caught the eye of the children who had just been seated in the next booth. It wasn’t long before a sister ship floated onto their table.

Attractively arranged on our boat’s deck were lobster, tempura, beef and chicken teriyaki and two cut oranges. Only the lobster was disappointing. Although the stuffed shell contained nice big chunks of lobster meat, they were combined with mushrooms and it was difficult to figure out what else, in a much too heavy cream sauce.

By contrast, the tempura batter on the shrimp and vegetables was light and lacy; although fried in oil, they weren’t the least bit greasy. The teriyaki sauce was also outstanding--not too salty and an excellent complement to both the very tender strips of New York steak and boneless chicken.

The dinner was certainly sumptuous, especially considering it also included miso soup, rice, sunomono and green tea ice cream. The miso soup at Mon Japanese has plenty of flavor with shreds of seaweed and a little sliced green onion. Their sunomono consists of thinly sliced cucumber and shredded carrot marinated in a slightly sweet vinegar dressing.

The samurai boat dinner includes beef teriyaki, sashimi, tempura, chicken teriyaki, fruit and green tea ice cream. The Mon boat consists of California roll, fried oyster, egg roll, chicken teriyaki, fruit and green tea ice cream.

A la carte dinners are less extravagant, but still include soup and rice. The friend who introduced me to this restaurant ordered the salmon, requesting that it be grilled longer than the rare normally served. It came beautifully prepared and accompanied by a simple salad.

Combination dinners combine two items and are accompanied by soup, sunomono and rice. The same trio comes with the lobster specials and Mon special dinners, which feature three items. We were pleased with the salmon teriyaki, tempura and sushi combination artfully presented on a wood framed tray.

The half-dozen sushi, including California roll, shrimp (ebi) and yellow tail (hamachi) tasted very fresh. The salmon was still nice and moist and the tempura equally as well-prepared as it had been for the shogun boat.

A pot of green tea brewed with crispy rice is the complementary meal accompaniment. They also offer sake, Japanese bottled and draft beers, plum wine, domestic beer and wine, soft drinks and ice tea.

Green tea ice cream is offered a la carte, as well as with the boat dinners. It’s refreshing, although nothing to rave about. Other desserts include fruit and ice cream tempura.

Mon Japanese, 19463 Ventura Blvd., Tarzana, (818) 342-0307. Open for lunch Tuesday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dinner served Tuesday through Thursday from 5 to 9:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 5 to 10 p.m., Sunday from 4 to 9 p.m. Visa and MasterCard accepted. Reservations accepted. Small lot in rear and street parking. A la carte dinners, $7.25 to $12; combination dinners, $9.50 to $12.75; Mon special dinners, $12 to $13.50; boat dinners, $22 to $32.