RESTAURANT REVIEW : Spicy Works Better Than Sweet : Anajak Thai caters to American palates rather than emphasizing hot and aromatic dishes.

“How come you know how to eat?” queried our wide-eyed waitress. We had just in quired about som tam papaya salad and sticky rice, authentic Thai dishes not available at Anajak Thai restaurant in Sherman Oaks.

The question implied more about her regular customers, I suspect, than it did about our sensibilities. This 12-year veteran of the Valley restaurant wars has survived by offering a steady diet of sweet, Americanized versions of standard Thai dishes at very reasonable prices, so obviously, a great number of people must like their Thai food this way. I just don’t happen to be one of them.

Anajak Thai is a charming enough place, a dark, moody little cafe punctuated by opulent Thai paintings, white wooden latticework and a wall plastered with rave reviews written by area restaurant writers. Perhaps in the ‘80s, when most of these raves were written, the kitchen was more accomplished. But it is more likely that back then, before the Thai food explosion, we simply knew less about the wonders of this cuisine.

These days, practically everyone is hooked into the flavors of lemon grass, mint and galanga root, and addicted to the fiery hot chilies that Thais put into almost anything. You will certainly taste all these flavors in the various dishes here, even when they are obscured by the taste of added sugar.

Paht Thai is a good test of a Thai restaurant. These popular flat fried rice noodles are a savory snack dish in Thailand, but Anajak’s come out as sweet as candy--even after we made a specific request to leave out the sugar. (The owner then brought us a second plateful, far less sweet and far more appealing.) Moo prik king is sliced pork, stir-fried with string beans and curry paste. Instead of emphasizing the hot and aromatic aspects of the ingredients, this kitchen emphasizes their sweetness.

Not that there aren’t good things to order instead. The appetizers and soups, which make up a large portion of this menu, are much better balanced. The excellent grilled beef skewers, called satay, are made from flank steak, for instance, and there are special delicacies such as gra thong tong , little pastry cups filled with minced chicken and corn.

The combination platter may strike an Asian food buff as more Chinese than Thai, but the components are lots of fun to eat. One side is a pile of crispy won tons with a dense, meaty filling and cut up po pia . The latter are Thai spring rolls stuffed with a dense pork forcemeat, which Thais dip in a sticky red sauce and eat with sliced cucumber. And don’t forget these delicious barbecued spareribs on the other side of the plate--meaty, messy ribs beautifully glazed with an even stickier barbecue sauce. (Well, barbecue sauce is supposed to be sweet, anyway.)

Save room for soups. Tom ka kai is a creamy version of the classic, made with chicken, cabbage and a touch of galanga root, enriched with coconut milk. Tom yum goong is a complex, lemony broth fashioned with shrimp, mushroom and lemon grass. Usually Thai restaurants serve these soups in great, steaming caldrons. Here they come in individual bowls, which makes more sense.

One of the most typical Thai dishes on this menu is larb nuea , ground steak mixed with mint leaves, onion, roasted rice and a chile-lime sauce. You eat clumps of it rolled up in cabbage leaves. I asked the kitchen to leave off the sugary dressing and add extra chile. If you do, though, be warned: This can be blistering.

Rice dishes are especially reliable here. Try the good crab fried rice, made with lots of egg and onion, or chile pepper shrimp fried rice, full of nice clean flavors.

Where and When Location: Anajak Thai, 14704 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks. Suggested Dishes: Beef satay, $5.95; tom yum goong , $2.95; combination platter, $6.25; chile pepper shrimp fried rice, $6.50. Hours: Lunch 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Tuesday-Friday; dinner 5-10 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 5-11 p.m. Friday, 4-11 p.m. Saturday, 4-10 p.m. Sunday. Price: Dinner for two, $15-$25. Beer and wine only. Street parking. American Express, MasterCard and Visa. Call: (818) 501-4201. Box for page