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Jinja is a place you go in your dreams, a subdued, mysterious nether world that is intimate and personal, even while other patrons laugh and chat nearby, enjoying their own perfect bubble of nirvana.

Alas, when you wake from this dream world, you realize that - while you thought you were savoring Jinja's upscale Oriental fusion cuisine - you were actually gnawing on your pillow.

And that's the shame of it. Jinja gets so many things right, mastering a wondrously dark, mysterious and inviting ambience with a nostalgic Asian touch made clever with little touches like woven throw-pillows on tall-backed booths and table lamps adorned with small brass monkeys.

But its food, served in that same attractive pan-Asian aplomb, is often uneven, falling short in flavor and, on occasion, not much better than a gnawed pillow.

Would that we could simply eat the ambience.

Still, Jinja's cuisine shortcomings are not egregious enough to write off this new Florida restaurant. I expect to return again and again, because there is so much to love about Jinja.

That begins with its fabulous collection of teas, served hot in infusers so as to reap every drop of flavor from the combination of herbs and flowers. A particularly nice one is the white rose melange ($4.95), which combines rose petals, wildflowers and organic peppermint.

Jinja offers a nice selection of appetizers from tempura crab cakes served with a wasabi r‚moulade ($7.95) to decent chicken and vegetable-stuffed spring rolls ($6.75).

One of the most popular is the Imperial lettuce wraps ($6.95), a do it yourself item with four crisped iceberg lettuce leaves in which you roll up with Thai-infused vegetables and bits of stir-fried chicken and smoked pork, the latter distracting from the overall lightness of the dish.

Jinja's wok bowl entr‚es are perhaps some of its best offerings, providing huge, well-spiced portions of Asian noodle fare. One of the best is the Chow Fun chili noodles ($9.50), a fiery concoction of fat rice noodles, marinated tofu, spinach, greens and onions spiked with cilantro and red peppers.

Other entr‚es feature chicken, fresh fish, tiger prawns and Vietnamese barbecued beef, each with a decidedly Asian turn. A popular dish is the halibut filet ($9.95-$15.95, lunch and dinner), served wrapped in herbs and a gooey glop of rice paper that is about as appetizing as a gnawed pillow. On a recent visit, the halibut, pretty with a frond of herb lacquered onto its surface, was dry and overcooked.

Frankly, I would avoid the more ambitious entr‚es and satisfy myself with a lovely cup of herbal tea and a big bowl of wasabi mashed potatoes ($2.75), the Oriental horseradish adding a welcome kick to comfort food.

That is worth dreaming about.