CHOW, BABY! : AN OPINIONATED GUIDE TO DINING IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA : SAN DIEGO

There is not, as yet, a single Tibetan restaurant in San Diego.

But black tea thickened with aged yak butter cannot be too far over the horizon. Although big-deal, big-time restaurants remain scarce, what was once the undisputed capital of surf ‘n turf is now reasonably cosmopolitan in its eating habits.

AZZURA POINT. The hottest new restaurant is in Coronado, where East Coast whiz-kid Jeff Tunks whips up California seafood with an Asian air. The place looks like Nantucket--don’t ask why--but the view up San Diego Bay is fabulous. Azzura Point, Loews Coronado Bay Resort, 4000 Coronado Bay Road, Coronado; (619) 424-4000, ext.4600.

SASKA’S. Funky but fun, Saska’s retains the flavor of Old Mission Beach in two dark, woodsy rooms covered with photographs of famous storms and beach characters. The menu, simple but solid, divides between top-quality grilled fish and prime Midwestern steaks; as a bonus, this place serves until 2 a.m. on weeknights and 3 a.m. on weekends. Saska’s, 3768 Mission Blvd., San Diego; (619) 488-7311.

TOP O’ THE COVE. If candlelight, flowers and servers in tuxedo seem necessary for romance, this long-running restaurant fills the bill. Famous for the number of engagement rings that change hands here, Top is also known for a menu of luxury foods, including sauteed fresh foie gras, rich lobster bisque and herbed rack of lamb. Top o’ the Cove, 1216 Prospect St., La Jolla; (619) 454-7779.

CINDY BLACK’S. Cindy Black is one the few San Diego chefs with a national reputation, earned by her skill with the cooking of Southwest France. Her mustard-seed swordfish (an explosive, briny variation on pepper steak), a pairing of grilled duck breast and duck confit, fennel and spinach bouillabaisse and caramelized pear tart are served in a quiet, flower-filled establishment away from the crowds of downtown La Jolla. Cindy Black’s, 5721 La Jolla Blvd., La Jolla; (619) 456-6299.

THE FISH MARKET. Possibly the largest restaurant in San Diego, the Fish Market is one of the few that combines a superb view of San Diego Bay with excellent seafood. Amid the nautical decor, guests dine well on a handsome selection of oysters, a grand daily list of fresh fish--plain and fancy--and cioppino fleshed out with Dungeness crab. The Fish Market, 750 N. Harbor Drive, San Diego; (619) 232-3474.

EMERALD CHINESE. San Diego’s first Hong Kong-style restaurant serves a challenging menu that includes “goose treasures” (intestines) as well as superb fresh fish and shellfish plucked live from large tanks. Surprisingly pricey, Emerald Chinese Seafood is affordable at lunch, when servers wheel carts laden with fine dim sum through the rooms. Emerald Chinese Seafood Restaurant, 3709 Convoy St., San Diego; (619) 565-6888.

FIO’S. was the key to the transformation of the Gaslamp Quarter from semi-skid row to yuppie entrepot. A hit with everyone from California kids in jeans to the post-opera crowd in jewels, the simple Italian menu offers antipasti, vegetarian pastas and pizzas from the wood-fired oven. Fio’s, 801 5th Ave., San Diego; (619) 234-3467.

SFUZZI. Cleverly designed, amusingly staffed (the servers try; one day they’ll get it right), Sfuzzi has surprisingly good food. Try beef filet in peppered Chianti sauce, veal scallopine with wild mushrooms, and pasta with marinated winter vegetables. Sfuzzi, 340 5th Ave., San Diego; (619) 231-2323.

BAYOU BAR & GRILL. A good New Orleans-style restaurant in a city that knew nothing of gumbo, Bayou Bar & Grill offers the real thing: crayfish etouffe e , eggplant topped with spicy seafood, Cajun velvet pie. The decor, if insistently French Quarter, is enjoyable. Bayou Bar & Grill, 329 Market St., San Diego; (619) 696-8747.