San Andres Splits Its Culinary Fare 2 Ways

San Andres is a new Latin American restaurant in Studio City, and any double-entendre in the name is duly noted. It refers to a windy resort island belonging to Colombia, but also calls to mind a certain fault line that occasionally rocks our part of the world.

There certainly is something of a split in the conception of the place. On one hand, the menu lists 30 dishes from the hearty, relatively European cookery of Colombia. On the other, it includes 50 from Peru, whose cuisine--influenced by the Incas, Italy and even China, as well as Spain--is bold and unique.

To put the difference in a nutshell: Every table at San Andres is served two types of aji, a green condiment made from pureed herbs. The Colombian aji is smooth and mild, dominated by the flavor of cilantro. The complex Peruvian version is like liquid green fire, it’s so loaded with chiles.

This is a spare, modern place, simple and relaxing, done in beige and soft pastels. The only real hint of Latin America is a detailed map of Colombia on the wall near the entrance to the restrooms. Whenever you visit, the persistent scents of fish and garlic will waft into the dining room from the rear kitchen.

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The best thing to eat here is ceviche, the dish of marinated raw seafood that Americans usually think of as Mexican but which in fact originated in Peru. You’ll find several ceviches to choose from in the appetizer section of the Peruvian menu, including snapper, shrimp, octopus and squid.

I’d throw caution to the wind and order the combination platter called ceviche de marisco. It’s the best ceviche I’ve had in years. The pieces of squid, shrimp and octopus are cut into small, delicate pieces and have a sharp, lemony bite. They literally squeak with freshness between your teeth.

Papas a la Huancaina is also good--it’s boiled potatoes topped with a mild cheese sauce, more or less Peruvian rarebit. Colombian customers seem to favor chicharron con arepas: bits of fried pork skin on Colombia’s national bread, the white cornmeal disks called arepas.

Another good appetizer choice from the Colombian side of the menu is empanadas. These bright yellow cornmeal purses, filled with minced chicken, potatoes and carrots, steam appetizingly when you break them open, and I recommend having them with that spicy Peruvian aji.

The main course dishes show the contrast between Peruvian food and the heavier, meat-oriented cuisine of Colombia. A Colombian entree you shouldn’t miss is pescado a lo macho, a large filet of pan-fried red snapper engulfed in a red sauce chock full of minced squid and shrimps.

Another Colombian specialty is breaded beef tongue, served either with capers or the tomato and onion-based salsa criolla.

Fritanga is a veritable Colombian extravaganza, a mountain of fried meats, plantains and chopped potatoes. The plate looks spectacular, but I must say the pork ribs, chorizo (pork sausage), morcilla (blood sausage,) and deep-fried flank steak don’t have a lot of flavor.

Comparing seafood stews, I’d give the nod to parihuela from Peru over the cazuela de mariscos of Colombia. The Colombian stew is almost too generous with cut-up fish, mussels and squid, and as a result the broth lacks the clean taste of a great seafood soup.

Parihuela adds tomatoes, spices, baby clams and crab legs to the kettle, making for a dish that is simply more fun to eat.

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It may be clear that I somewhat prefer the Peruvian side of the menu. There’s one disappointment on it, though: arroz chaufa de pollo, a South American take on chicken fried rice (chaufa is just the Chinese words chow fun). The egg and chicken mixed into the rice are overcooked, and the only flavor enhancement the dish features is chopped green onions.

All the house desserts are Peruvian. Undoubtedly the most interesting is brevas con arequipe, a pasty milk custard served with a few pitted green figs. Crema volteada is the Peruvian version of flan, and there is a good, cinnamon-rich rice pudding listed as arroz con leche; the tiny portion is served in a fluted glass dish.

You can wash everything down with a cup of Colombian coffee or a glass of Inka or Colombiana Cola, oddball soft drinks from Peru and Colombia, respectively. The Inka is pale yellow and the Colombiana is light red, but both “colas” taste like liquid bubble gum to a non-Latin like me.

DETAILS

* WHAT: San Andres.

* WHERE: 11056 Ventura Blvd., Studio City.

* WHEN: Open 10 a.m.-10 p.m. daily.

* HOW MUCH: Dinner for two, $19-$28. Suggested dishes: empanadas, $4; ceviche de marisco, $8; chicharron con arepas, $2.50; pescado a lo macho, $8.75. No alcohol.

* FYI: Parking lot. American Express, MasterCard and Visa.

* CALL: (818) 761-5447.