RESTAURANT REVIEW : Ken of Japan Tries to Satisfy Too Many Tastes : The Simi Valley eatery prides itself on a vast array of foods. But the best results are at the sushi bar and grill tables.

On my first trip to Japan many years ago, I was fascinated to discover how much the Japanese appreciate specialty restaurants. I found a place in Kyoto that served only tofu in 38 different ways, and I had a great time savoring six different courses of eel in a tiny spot in Osaka.

Citizens of bustling Tokyo enjoy noodle joints, sushi bars, tempura establishments, yakitori stands and okonomiyaki (filled pancakes) dives--some just an escalator ride away from each other in high-rises.

While the Japanese like restaurants that serve single dishes prepared various way, Americans gravitate more toward a place with wider choices of many foods. Ken of Japan, a 10-year-old restaurant in Simi Valley, offers a taste of both worlds. One section of this giant venue can seat 40 customers around a number of grill tables for teppan yaki --in which an entertaining chef grills meat, seafood and vegetables.

Another section contains a small sushi bar for those who want to concentrate on the permutations of fresh fish and vinagered rice. And finally, there’s a large room of intimate booths (which includes two semi-private tatami tables) for all the other dishes that come to mind when I think of Japanese cuisine. But the food is consistently better if you stay with the specialists at the teppan yaki grills and the sushi bar.

In whichever room you’re dining, I recommend starting with sushi, which is generously served and eminently fresh. I like the yellowtail ($3.50), inside-out California roll topped with smelt roe ($3.75), succulent tuna tekka maki ($4.20), and a special shrimp-covered avocado roll ($7). Among the regular appetizers, a crisp-fried soft shell crab ($4) is pleasant, but the savory dumplings known as gyoza ($3.50) are pasty, the egg roll ($3.50) is tasteless and chicken kara-age ($3.50), an eastern version of deep fried chicken McNuggets, tastes only of overused oil.

In the large dining room, I keep seeing gargantuan boats of food sailing by, which tempts me into ordering the Dream Boat Dinner (for two people at $14.95 per person). The serving vessel contains a mountain of attractively presented food but, like a Hollywood stage set, appearances can be deceiving. The broiled lobster tails are topped with a strange coagulated sauce that desecrates my favorite crustacean, while shrimp and vegetable tempura become soggy atop a mound of salad. And the skewered beef kushiyaki and chicken and beef teriyaki all taste blandly alike in an overly sweet sauce.

A combination order of salmon teriyaki and halibut steak ($7.95) is so overcooked as to make the flavor of each fish indistinguishable. The best item on the menu is the sukiyaki ($7.95) of tender chicken served in a beautiful ceramic crock containing lightly cooked onion, bok choy and rice noodles in sake-laced broth.

In the teppan yaki room, I fare infinitely better as the skilled chef, wielding his mesmerizing knives, cooks everything perfectly. After ordering the New York steak and scallops combination dinner ($18.50), I begin with a starter of grilled shrimp accompanied by miso soup and salad. The chef then deftly slices mushrooms, zucchini, onions and carrots, which are grilled with sesame seeds. The vegetables are served with the lightly grilled steak, juicy scallops and a bowl of rice.

The seafood combination ($24) offers succulent grilled slices of lobster, shrimp and scallops. Among the other combinations is a felicitous duo of chicken and calamari ($14.50).

If you’re adventurous, try the tempura ice cream ($2.50) in which the fried ice cream does stay intact, insulated with sweetened batter. I prefer ginger ice cream ($1.50) or freshly sliced oranges and melon ($3).

This handsome restaurant could become one of the county’s better Japanese establishments if Ken Jung (the eponymous owner) would only upgrade the lackluster food in the main dining room to the level of the cuisine produced by the sushi and teppan yaki chefs.

Details

* WHAT: Ken of Japan.

* WHERE: 4340 E. Cochran St., Simi Valley.

* WHEN: Open for lunch Monday through Saturday from 11:30 a.m to 2 p.m., dinner Sunday through Thursday from 5 to 10 p.m., Friday through Saturday from 5 to 10:30 p.m.

* COST: Meal for two, food only, $16 to $46.

* FYI: MasterCard, Visa and American Express accepted. Sake, beer and wine.

* ETC.: For takeout: 527-6490.