DOWN THE GARDEN PATH TO CHINESE CUISINE FROM DAYS GONE BY.

Byline: Larry Lipson

Restaurant Critic

Enter through the heavy wooden front door of the Golden Garden Caf(hrt) in Shadow Hills onto a faux garden path leading to a tiny 32-seat dining room, all incorporating feng shui design.

Heavy with a Chinese motif that includes shiny red chair upholstery, lanterns and a writhing serpent with lit-up red eyes on the ceiling, Golden Garden promises a bygone, East Coast style of Chinese food. It features wild shrimp, Maine lobster, large sea scallops, filet mignon in at least two of its beef dishes, no MSG and a gourmet approach to its cooking.

Some of its food seems odd, some absolutely delicious and some relatively passable. Most though is quite different from what is found at your average, friendly, neighborhood Chinese eatery.

After being seated, you get complimentary, slightly oily wonton crisps in a basket with two dipping sauces, one the familiar hot Chinese mustard, the other a fruity "duck" sauce. Also teapots of hot tea, but not just the everyday green -- in fact a choice of three different types are offered at no cost and replenished as needed.

Assorted soup offerings

Hearty soups (egg drop, $2.95, or won ton, $3.95) appear thicker with veggies and tofu than the usual clear broth versions we normally see. And hot and sour ($2.95) could use more hot (chile spicing) and sour (vinegar) to achieve the classic designation.

There is one soup that should be noted, though it remains untried. It's dubbed "four seasons," contains two whole Maine lobsters and is ticketed at $100 and said to easily feed four. Definitely sounds more like an entr(hrt)e than a starter.

Also, potential diners should remember that just about all menu items except, perhaps, regular soups, are deemed shareable by two or more. The soups are served in medium-size, individual bowls.

To begin, a side order of spicy cucumber salad ($3.95) provides a refreshing starter and/or a lilting condimentlike addition to well-seasoned entrees.

Steak har gow ($19.95) arrives as a tasty, rich-sauced dish of filet mignon pieces cooked with onions and tomatoes. A beef curry recipe ($12.95), mildly spiced, is almost as good, the beef again extremely tender and flavorful. The chicken version ($11.95) provides a worthy alternative for those who eschew beef.

From the sea

I'm less than bowled over by the Maine lobster soong ($29.95) offering. I prefer my lobster meat sweeter and not as chewy as some pieces are. On the other hand, it's a relatively gratifying casserole-style creation, though a bit pricey.

Big fried sea scallops ($19.95) in a garlicky sauce bring forth a generally high degree of satisfaction, but the highly touted chicken chow mein ($10.95) here resembles a somewhat mushy chicken and vegetable stew topped with crispy won ton pieces.

Retro dish satisfies

However, kudos to the kitchen for its pork egg foo young ($10.95) rendition. This delicious retro dish, enough for three or four to share, will bring back fond memories to those who used to frequent the Cantonese-style Chinese restaurants of yesteryear.

Before Mandarin. Before Szechwan and Hunan.

So whatever happened to that cubed, pressed duck I once loved? Haven't seen it on a Chinese menu for years.

Larry Lipson, [phone]

[e-mail]

GOLDEN GARDEN CAFE

Food: Two and one half stars - Service: Three stars

Where: 9678 Sunland Blvd., Shadow Hills.

Phone: [phone]

Meals/hours: Open for lunch and dinner from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, for dinner only from 5 to 10 p.m. Saturday, from 5 to 9 p.m. Sunday. Closed Monday.

Food type: Chinese.

Cost: All dishes sharable. Starters from $3 to $15, entrees from $10 to $30 (special seafood soup for four with two whole Maine lobsters, $100), dessert: $2.50.

Credit cards: MC, V.

Patio dining: No

Parking Free parking in small strip-mall lot.

Full bar: No alcohol license.

Music/entertainment: Only recorded Asian background music.

Takeout/delivery: Yes on takeout. No on delivery.

Reservations: Taken.

CAPTION(S):

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Photo:

Golden Garden Cafe owner Bo Bilson displays an assortment of the fare offered at her Shadow Hills restaurant.

John McCoy/Staff Photographer