The following are summaries of recent Times...

The following are summaries of recent Times restaurant reviews by Max jacobson. Prices are based on average cost for a party of two without wine. $--less than $15 $$--$15 to $39 $$$--$40 to $75 $$$$--More than $75

AMERICAN * Be-Bop Burgers, 18575 Beach Blvd., Huntington Beach. (714) 842-1958. Open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; weekends to midnight. Carhop service Wednesdays through the weekend from 7 p.m. to closing. $

* Pinky’s Hamburger Grill, 4115 Campus Drive, Irvine. (714) 854-4632. Open Sundays through Thursdays from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays to 11 p.m. $

Be-Bop Burgers and Pinky’s Hamburger Grill are part of a wave of “nostalgia” hamburger joints engulfing Orange County, and both are longer on atmosphere than food. The Be-Bop burger is a good value, a full quarter pound of lean beef on a seeded bun that just drips with condiments. Pinky’s beach burgers are charcoal-grilled and really taste good. Other sandwiches in both restaurants are less appealing. Luckily, both restaurants exude energy, plus the mindless fun of the ‘50s and ‘60s.

CHINESE

* Five Feet Too, in Fashion Island, 1145 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach. (714) 640-5250 . Open daily from 11:30 a.m. to midnight. $$

The gentrification of Chinese cuisine reaches new heights of absurdity in this self-consciously chic restaurant, the second effort of owner-chef Michael Kang. The restaurant is visually stunning but often comes up short in the taste department: Many dishes are precious and ill-conceived. The signature deep-fried catfish is excellent, and some imaginative dishes work well. Curried-beef spring rolls are delightful. Kung pao three, with chicken, scallops and shrimp, is too. Desserts also are fine. Pity they don’t serve humble pie.

GREEK

* Mene’s Terrace, Orange Tree Plaza, 23532 El Toro Road, El Toro. (714) 830-3228. Open Mondays through Fridays from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and from 5 to 9:30 p.m.; Saturdays from 5 to 10 p.m. $$

Mene’s Terrace is like a sun-splashed Aegean taverna transported magically to an El Toro shopping mall. You know you’re not in Greece because you can see the Denny’s just outside the window. The menu is small, but everything is prepared the way an Orthodox grandmother would prepare it. Tirapita and spanakopita (little cheese and spinach pies in a filo crust) are near perfect. The egg lemon soup is even better. Wonderful char-grilled meats, marinated in lemon juice and Greek spices, are served with rice pilaf and pan-roasted potatoes. There is even complimentary baklava at dinner time.

INDIAN

* Royal Khyber, 1000 N. Bristol St., Newport Beach. (714) 752-5200. Open Sundays through Fridays from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and daily from 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. $$$

The cuisine at Royal Khyber is the rich Mughlai type from northern India, and the restaurant has a richness to match; it resembles a maharaja’s palace. The best time to visit is for Sunday brunch, when a tempting array of more than 20 dishes is spread out before you. Meats cooked in the 800-degree tandoor are tender and crumbly with exotic spices. Biryani (a simple basmati rice dish with peas and fried onions) is soft and fragrant. Among the many other dishes, chicken curry, channa masala (stewed garbanzo beans) and the dessert, a carrot-almond pudding, are most memorable.