RESTAURANT REVIEW:

There are places I know I have no right going to. I’m just not hip enough or part of the “in crowd,” and I gladly accept that verdict.

Tentation Ultra Lounge is such a place. It is a South Beach-inspired nightclub that is part of Ten Asian Bistro and on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights swarms of “in people” descend to have a little sushi and do a lot of dancing.

Just because I am not cool enough to be at the club, doesn’t mean I should get shut out of some of the most interesting sushi in Orange County, so my equally un-hip friend, Andre, and I ventured over during the day.

Eating during the day has its advantages, and I certainly feel that way about Ten Asian Bistro. There are several advantages to going here in the daytime rather than at night.

The first is that valet parking during the day is free, which is nice because parking at the restaurant is at a premium.

The second is that the atmosphere at lunch is more subdued than at night, especially on nights the club is open.

The inside of the restaurant is decorated beautifully. The 16-foot Buddha above the sushi bar overlooks the dining room, but isn’t overbearing, melding nicely with the rest of the décor. The red sofa seats and black tables and chairs also add to the Asian-themed style.

One of the things I noticed immediately was the attention to detail and the service. We were seated quickly and warmly, greeted also immediately by our waiter and attended to by other staff when needed.

That attention is also evident on the menu. Edamame is usually served at sushi restaurants, but often steamed and thrown in a bowl. Here, it is mixed with sea salt and produces a better taste. Another twist they put on the starter is mixing it with garlic and then tossing it with soy sauce and chili oil.

The lobster crapes were incredible, and we were tempted to get more than one order, though we knew other delicacies awaited us. The filet mignon wontons were equally delightful. The wonton was light, and the pieces of filet were cooked medium and went well with the hoisin sauce.

I could have made a meal just from the dim sum selections. In addition to the wontons there is scallop shu mai with soy ginger dipping sauce and a lobster and spinach dumpling that comes with a spicy soy dipping sauce.

My eyes are already rolling in the back of my head from being full, and we haven’t even thought about what sushi we are going to eat.

The selection of sushi and sashimi is vast and again, presents a problem because there isn’t much I didn’t want to try.

We settled on blue fin tuna sashimi and fatty tuna sushi. Both were fresh and quite good. We barely paused, though and headed for the rolls. The yellowtail and jalapeno roll is probably one of the best of the 12 they offer. It provides a nice spice and texture.

The bar specials are also intriguing.

The salmon or halibut Carpaccio is good, but if I had one to choose it would be the softshell crab with ponzu sauce.

Now at this point we are stuffed, full beyond capacity, but Andre sees something in the entrees — the Cantonese scallops with red bell peppers and snap peas — he has to have. I have to have a stomach pump if I eat it, but we press on, and to be honest it was worth the discomfort I felt for the next couple of hours.

I want to come back during the evening, but I think I am going to have to wait until either I move up a tax bracket or find a hipper friend. Until then, however, lunch is perfect for me.

JOHN REGER is the Pilot’s restaurant critic. His reviews run Thursdays.