The more saturated the media landscape, the more confused people become. Been there, where I've read some interesting bit of news, only to find later that I can't remember its source. I've also been on the receiving end, having been chided a couple of times over the past weeks for having sent people to Umi No Sachi, only for them to be disappointed to find it closed.

Well, thanks for putting my name at top of mind when it comes to restaurant reviews, but I never wrote up that restaurant and take no responsibility for other peoples' words. I was fortunate to have given the restaurant a grace period for settling in, often necessary for smaller restaurants that don't have all the details of daily operations set before opening their doors. Long story short, the restaurant closed about a month after opening in a saga worthy of a Korean soap.

Out of the ashes of Umi No Sachi comes a familiar establishment, the return of Sis Kitchen, though the only sister left is Sara Sung, who explained that after selling the business to Taste of New York Deli & Market about five years ago, the sisters went their separate ways, with six settling on the mainland.

Sung said she also “;retired,”; but returned recently to run both Umi No Sachi and Bella Mia, where patrons recognized her and often told her how much they miss Sis Kitchen's family vibe, and she realized it made more sense to offer food she understood.

“;Umi No Sachi was very busy, but I couldn't handle because I'm not from Japan,”; she said. “;I don't know how to make sushi, tempura, anything. I like to be involved with customers, have a relationship, but when they come in I don't know what they're eating. I cannot enjoy.”;

Now in her element, she's at ease when talking to guests in the familial atmosphere. That wall between customers and family doesn't seem to exist, such that even though I don't know Sung, at certain points during a meal, I thought she'd sit down at my table.

THE MENU is simple and straightforward, much smaller than I remember from the old Sis Kitchen. Sung is adding and subtracting as she goes, such that some of the dishes I sampled over the past couple of weeks are already out, like seaweed soup, steamed shrimp and sashimi. Steamed mandoo is also out, leaving only the fried ($6.95) version.

Still in for now is the yuk hae, or seasoned raw beef ($13.95). I was inspired to go for it after reading a story, this one I know was in the New York Times, about the caveman or paleo movement that has young men and women eliminating processed foods from their diets and eating in the hunter-gatherer way of our earliest ancestors.

The mound of beef is coated with a raw egg made to be mixed in with the flavorful blend of sesame oil, pepper and garlic. Slivers of white I assumed was raw onion turned out to be, upon tasting, slices of mildly sweet Korean pears. As tasty as it was, it made me a little queasy to think about all those things associated with raw meat, so I stopped eating. It's no loss if you take it home to cook up later.

Lunch hours bring plate specials of $8.95 to $13.95. At dinner time there are about eight entrees to choose from, with such standards as kalbi ($18.95), bulgogi ($15.95), barbecue chicken ($14.95), spicy pork ($16.95), and the spicy seafood stew, soon do bu chi-ke ($9.95). Plates are preceded by banchan comprising several namul, or seasoned vegetable side dishes that differ with each visit, representing single-monikered chef Kimiko's various experiments.

Many are finding it easy and worthwhile to simply order one of two Sis complete meals for two. The first, at $39.95, gives you a sampling of much of the menu: fried mandoo, soup, kalbi, fish jun and soon do bu chi-ke. The second, sham bob ($49.95), offers steamed pork and spicy pork, with a garden's bounty of greens, cabbage, lettuce and Korean shiso, for wrapping the meat.

Figuring I didn't need to sample two pork dishes, I opted for the more varied meal the first time out. The kalbi and Korean stew were delicious. Fish jun was more egg than fish. There was actually enough food for three or four, with two tables (for just two people) covered with food. Between the banchan and complete meals, they might find themselves running out of space for plates when the restaurant becomes more crowded.

The presentation with vegetables is much more lavish with the sham bob. The steamed pork did not seem exciting on the menu, but it's a boiled roast pork served with sliced peppers, sliced raw garlic and a fermented fish sauce for dipping. As with all things salty, it becomes addicting after a while, such that even after I felt stuffed, I found it hard to stop eating.

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Nadine Kam's restaurant reviews are conducted anonymously and paid for by the Star-Bulletin. E-mail .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).