A Japanese restaurant owned by Chinese, and with Chinese chefs? Sound odd? At Yusura, the little corner spot where Smith meets the lei stand block of Beretania, it's a recipe for enjoyment.

Cantonese may float around the kitchen as orders are placed and chefs converse, but what comes out of the kitchen is, with a few exceptions, distinctly Japanese. "All the chefs have worked long time in Japanese restaurants," explained manager Kristina Yee.

The exceptions are the ramen, which swims in a Chinese-style meat broth (pork and chicken) rather than the Japanese-style dashi you might expect. But what a flavor-packed broth, and what a seductively moist slice of nibuta (slow-simmered pork) floating on top. I could make a meal of just a bowl of their plain ramen ($8.25; $9.25 if you prefer thicker, slightly more toothy udon noodles). Oh, and the ma bo tofu crispy noodle, which I plan to go back for someday.

Yee says the crispy noodle dishes — (seafood, $7.15, chicken, $6.75 or ma bo tofu, $6.75) — are among their most popular. Also a big seller, the butterfish misoyaki ($12.75), which comes with miso soup, a lettuce/cucumber/tomato salad in a tangy sweet Asian dressing and a generous bowl of rice. I ordered that dish one night and Yee brought it out noting that, because the first fillet was a bit small, she'd added a second.

I could barely finish one of them, perfectly cooked and glazed though they were. My husband, having finished his sampler platter ($8.95), went to work on the rest, happily picking bones out of the melting meat and savoring the rich, fatty skin.

Yee is a very gracious hostess, whether or not you're a regular. And there are quite a few of those: Downtown office workers at lunch and folks from nearby condos at dinner. At night, the phone would ring and a few minutes later a slippered and T-shirted guy would saunter in for an order of shrimp tempura ($9.95 in a set or $1.75 per piece) and a container of azuki bean ice cream ($2.50), or a couple would walk in, casually cradling a bottle of red, a corkscrew and a box containing stemless Riedl glassware, setting up at what was obviously their usual table.

"We have a lot of neighborhood business," said Yee — but since much of it is takeout, the restaurant is pleasantly quiet in the evening, a place where you can linger (though the food tends to fly out of the kitchen pretty fast) and actually hear each other talk.

The surroundings are exceptionally well done — golden wood (or faux wood), bright red-and-gold carp-patterned fabric hangings, slatted wood window treatments that let in light but mask the view of passers-by (some of whom, in Chinatown, are not particularly savory). And the prices, especially in these days of rising food costs, are a welcome bargain.

I suspect the only thing that is keeping people away in droves is the seeming lack of parking. I can't tell you how many times I've driven by Yusura on my way home in the evening and said, "I have to go there." Our former food critic, Matthew Gray, had reviewed the restaurant favorably when owner Priscilla Kan opened it almost five years ago. I always meant to stop there but never did.

I hate to give this away, since many people haven't discovered it yet, but there is an inexpensive underground municipal lot between Nu'uanu and Smith Streets (makai side, just after the church that used to be a theater) that's perfect for getting in and out of Chinatown fast and is just steps from Yusura (not to mention Grand Cafe & Bakery, Little Village, Mei Sum, etc.)

Finally, some weeks ago I attended an all-day conference near Yusura on a Saturday and decided to go there on my lunch break. The tonkatsu (deep-fried pork) set I ordered ($9.95) made me decide to return with friends, and I did so a few days later. The three food-savvy girlfriends I invited were impressed, particularly with the signature gyoza ($1.95 four pieces; $2.95 six pieces), filled with vegetables and ground pork with a classic light dipping sauce (shoyu, vinegar, chili sauce — and there are more of these condiments on the table so you can altar the sauce to your taste).

Yusura offers three types of sets: teishoku ($5.95-$12.75; full-size servings with rice, salad, miso soup), combo set (two choices, with rice, salad, miso soup) and mini sets (ramen, four pieces gyoza and either unagi, beef or chicken teriyaki or chicken katsu curry, $7.25-$8.25).

For dainty eaters, or for groups that enjoy sharing, it's nice that you can get a lot of things individually or in small numbers (one soft shell crab, lightly battered and fried, $4.95; single order shrimp tempura, $1.75; five pieces spicy chicken wings, $3.99; five pieces shishamo, whole smelt lightly battered and fried, $4.25).

Before plowing into my butterfish, my husband ordered a sampler that included all of the above — a deep-fried marathon at $8.95, including three pieces chicken, two tempura shrimp, one soft-shell crab, four shishamo. We detected nothing spicy about the chicken wings but the shishamo were briny little poppers, eaten eyes and all, and the tempura was of the puffy, golden batter type rather than the crispy panko type. The crab was crunchy, sweet heaven, filled with yellow roe.

In addition to these, there are long lists of something-on-top-of-starch dishes: ramen topped with everything from char siu to unagi; udon or fried noodle making a bed for fried pork, crispy chicken and more; and rice bowls from classic oyako don (egg, chicken, vegetables) to gyoza curry rice or seafood over fried rice. (These range from $5.95 for plain chuka ramen to $8.50 for tempura udon.)

You won't go away hungry and you won't go away broke. And you might even find yourself carrying some green tea ice cream home to enjoy once the feast settles.

RESTAURANT NEWS

The Cream Pot has opened at the Hawaiian Monarch Hotel, corner of Niu and Ala Wai. Manager Nang Tran said the spot opened quietly a month and a half ago and features the contemporary French and Japanese food of chef Victor Kwan, who came here from Beverly Hills, Calif.

And the rumors are true: Everything's made with cream — but light, he promises. Right now, the restaurant is open daily 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., but they're seeking a liquor license and plan to add evening hours.

The breakfast menu sounds intriguing (and sinful): Eggs Benedict made with toro (fatty tuna belly) and a rice cake; baked eggs, French toast stuffed with bananas and cream. And at lunch, creamed chicken in a bechamel sauce and fresh-made crepes, both sweet and savory. With cream, of course. Phone: 429-0945.