CATCH THE WAVE NORTHRIDGE CHINESE RESTAURANT SHARES OCEAN'S BOUNTY.

Byline: Larry Lipson Restaurant Critic

With a chef-owner who plied his trade at the celebrated Ocean Star in Monterey Park, the new China Wave Seafood City in Northridge makes a concerted attempt to duplicate in the North San Fernando Valley the sort of Chinese food that is routine in the San Gabriel Valley.

Consequently, it has a large tank full of live lobsters, crabs, catfish, tilapia and the like that sits in full view of the main dining area. From the tank comes the freshest possible seafood.

China Wave is located in the spacious facility that once held Josephina's and more recently was known as Golden China Inn and briefly as Lotus Blossom. It departs from the majority of local Chinese restaurants by having fresh oysters and clams on its menu.

The oysters are particularly inviting - in size, quantity and price.

One day a couple of hungry seafood fanciers ordered clams with black bean sauce ($7.50) and oysters with ginger and green onion ($7.25).

While the heap of clams was more than adequate and produced sweet, chewable bites in a thickish, smooth, dark brown black bean sauce, it was the oysters that produced shivers of delight.

Ten luscious fat ones - quickly figured out at at a mere 72 1/2 cents apiece - reminded the twosome of a similar oyster platter enjoyed several years ago at Hop Li in Chinatown.

Steamed whole fish (which varies in price according to size and type) is a veritable bargain at lunchtime. Only $5.45, it's usually tender-fleshed tilapia, which separates quite easily from the bone. For the noon-hours crowd, it comes with rice, soup, eggroll and a fried crispy wonton.

Incidentally, the crunchy eggroll, traditional in size and style, one day was quite oily, another time not at all.

For those who like their shrimp in shell, flavored with pepper and salt and

served up a tad spicy, the bargain plate once again is the lunch deal at $5.45.

Unlike many Chinese restaurants, China Wave doesn't restrict its lunch specials to just a few items. Like Heinz, it actually offers 57 varieties.

This gives localites the opportunity to get acquainted; to try smaller inexpensive versions at lunchtime and come back for full-size dinner platters of favorite dishes.

This is a restaurant that really needs multiple visits to determine specific dish strengths. It's immediately apparent that the kitchen does a superior job overall with seafood orders.

How about poultry? Didn't get to try any duck but we know that crispy half-fried chicken with ginger and onion ($7) in its best form reveals melty tender, lovely moist meat under a crackly, crispy-skinned exterior.

Unfortunately, many of the chicken pieces served here one time offered disappointingly dryish meat under the correctly crisped skin.

However, beef here can be exquisitely tender, as evidenced by meat slices in a satisfying beef chow fun noodle dish ($6.50).

Popular soups like hot and sour ($3 and $5.25) and egg flower ($2.50 and $4.25) are respectable renditions. Splurgers might want to go for the several shark's fin options. And there are a number of interesting seafood soups.

Of the 11 possible house specialties on the huge menu, 10 sound quite inviting. The least desirable, deep-fried pig's intestine ($7.95), was easily passed up one day for intriguing minced seafood with ham ($12.95).

This turned out to be a lettuce cup creation, very tasty and an enjoyable alternative to the more familiar lettuce cup filled with minced chicken ($10.95).

But China Wave, true to form when it comes to great variety, doesn't stop at these two lettuce cups. It goes all the way with choices of minced shrimp, minced beef or minced pork at the same price. Could be fun to try them all with a large enough party in tow.

Trust me, this kitchen possesses a Hong Kong personality, ready to feed armies of hungry folk just about everything from sea and land ever heard of in modern Chinese fare.

And it's promising us that in the near future it will start real daily dim sum lunch service complete with authentic dim sum carts. If that occurs, it will make it the only restaurant in this Valley area doing such.

Yep, this could be the biggest food happening locally since Krispy Kreme landed in Van Nuys.

Personally, I can't wait for it to happen.

It will be a dim summer if it doesn't.

CHINA WAVE SEAFOOD CITY

Where: 8930 Corbin Ave., Northridge.

When: Open for lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, for dinner from 3 to 11 p.m. nightly, to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

Recommended items: Minced seafood and ham in lettuce cups, clams with black bean sauce, oysters with ginger and green onion, whole steamed fish, beef chow fun, salt and pepper shrimp.

How much: Varies per person, by seasonal price in certain instances and by size of item. Appetizers from $2.25 to $33, main plates from $6.75 to $24, desserts $1 to $4.75. Full bar. Karaoke Friday and Saturday nights. Major credit cards accepted.

Reservations: Helpful. [phone].

Our rating: Three and one half stars for food; three stars for service.

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Photo: Owner-chef Zhu Fu holds two 8-pound lobsters from the fish tank on display at China Wave Seafood City in Northridge.

Gene Blevin/Special to the Daily News