Kebaborama : <i> For a taste of the Middle East--without going over there. </i>

Cafe Mediterranean, 10151 Riverside Drive, Toluca Lake. (818) 769-0865. Style: Popular lunchtime hangout for the studio set. Setting: Very pink room filled with skylight and fresh flowers. Recommended dishes: Vegetarian combo appetizer; shish kebab; cheese bourek. Cost per person: $10-$28.

Golan, 6361 Woodman Ave., Van Nuys. (818) 989-5423. Style: Where Israeli families gather for Moroccan meals. Setting: Clean and simple with posters on the walls and tiled floors. Recommended dishes: Moroccan cigars, rolled filo filled with spiced meat; meatballs; couscous. Cost per person: $8-$12.

Saam, 39 S. Raymond Ave., Pasadena. (818) 793-8496. Style: Iranian hot spot in Pasadena. Setting: Bright with neon and a few Persian trinkets for decoration. Recommended dishes: Lamb shish kebab; combo plate; boneless chicken kebab. Cost per person: $10-$25.

Shahrzad, 17547 Ventura Blvd., Encino. (818) 906-1616. Style: Proof that Iranian food is more than just kebabs. Setting: Stark and shapely. Recommended dishes: Mast o mosir, plain yogurt and minced shallots; albaloo polo , rice cooked with sour cherries; barg sandwich (steak kebab). Cost per person: $12-$23.

Shater Abbas, 13130 Sherman Way, North Hollywood. (818) 765-6600. Style: Iranian version of an an old spaghetti house. Setting: Walls are covered with Iranian memorabilia. Recommended dishes: Ash , a sort of minestrone soup; combination kebab; kashke badenjan , eggplant topped with pomegranate juice and minced walnut. Cost per person: $10-$15.