World’s Fare at Utopia

“Utopia” has an ominous sound as a restaurant name. Ideological purity is bad enough in politics; in food, it could mean trouble. Will you get a menu or a manifesto?

Relax. This intimate cafe-style eatery, situated in a gentrifying Long Beach neighborhood, is anything but dogmatic. The menu skips merrily--and most of the time quite gracefully--across Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Asian and New World specialties. It’s eclectic, not dogmatic.

Eclecticism can mean uneven mastery or monotonous interpretation, of course. Happily, that’s not a problem in Utopia. Chef-owner Amir Zolghar--a former civil engineer--knows how to put a fresh spin on things without going overboard. His food is playful yet tastefully simple.

The two candle-lit sidewalk tables flanking the entrance announce the relaxed, quietly elegant atmosphere. On the burnished yellow walls hang everything from 19th century Persian miniatures to mixed media on canvas (all for sale). And despite the varnished concrete floors, the room is surprisingly quiet and conducive to intimate conversation.

The first hint that you’re in good hands comes with the calamari--plump, juicy and succulent in an oregano-spiked breading. The marinara dipping sauce whispers of fresh ingredients and slow cooking.

Utopia excels in the art of the accent. Capers tumble lightly over the garlic shrimp appetizer, providing a tangy high note to the garlic, oil and white wine sauce that bathes the shrimp. The Japanese eggplant and feta cheese is similarly punched up with a sprinkling of fresh basil, though the under-breaded tempura isn’t given much of a boost from its bland dipping sauce.

The salads--greens that all but salute with crispness--arrive on chilled plates, dressed in a vinaigrette made with superb extra-virgin olive oil. Then there’s the soup, anchored in a pungent rustic chicken consomme and served in prudent portions that lull you into the next course without overdoing it.

While made from undeniably fresh stock, the yellow bean soup served on my first visit was dismayingly over-salted. But the vegetable soup served on my next trip was right on the money, with zucchini and carrots luxuriating in a dense liquid zapped with fresh oregano.

The menu’s 10 pasta courses tread a happy line between the nouveau and old-fashioned comfort food, with a judicious but relaxed attitude toward butter and cream. The lasagna is a springy mattress of low-fat ricotta, lightly breaded ground beef and pasta sheets that come to life beneath the excellent marinara. A slight aftertaste boomerangs from the sun-dried tomatoes that flavor the sauce for the pollo crema, but the dish is otherwise delightfully filling.

Beef is barely present on the menu. Grilled lamb chops (billed as the Himalayan Treat), drizzled with mint sauce and lightly crusted with minced garlic, do not provide one of the meal’s peak moments. Mine were overdone and a bit dry.

So chicken and, to a lesser extent, shrimp are the fundamentals. The Rosarito especial, for example, casts sauteed shrimp in a Veracruz-style sauce perfumed with a hint of cinnamon. The Toledo pollo basks in a velvety Marsala sauce that gracefully dodges the occupational hazards of oiliness and overcooking. The Bombay curry chicken quietly requests attention from the salt shaker, but otherwise it’s a deft riff on the theme.

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The service at Utopia is gracious and, to put it charitably, leisurely. Doubling as waiter, co-owner Kamran Assadi treats his customers like guests. His unobtrusive hospitality explains the lack of grumbling when things are slow coming out of the kitchen. Regulars clearly regard Utopia as a place to linger. The refusal to rush keeps the quality consistent even when the kitchen’s under heavy fire.

Open since Sept. 1, Utopia began serving dinner only three months ago, so such growing pains are likely to be worked out in time.

The restaurant keeps its prices moderate by holding the line on its suppliers--the chicken can be just a bit too lean and the shrimp somewhat mealy--but the strategy pays off. Utopia delivers value on the basis of excellent preparation and its ardently rendered sauces.

Utopia is moderate, with most appetizers and salads at $5 and $6; pasta dishes, $7 and $8; entrees, $9-$12.50. Desserts are $3.

BE THERE

Utopia, 445 E. 1st Street, Long Beach. (562) 432-6888. Beer and wine. Visa, Master Card, American Express.