IT'S A SEAFOOD PARADISE.

Byline: Larry Lipson Restaurant Critic

One day there were fat, green-lip mussels, as many as you wanted.

Another time there was crunchy octopus in black bean sauce.

Big, juicy clams on the half shell resting on ice were there for the taking.

Asparagus fanciers could find their favorite vegetable topped with a cheese sauce, slant-cut and wok-sauteed or simply steamed.

These are just a few of the highlights at the new Super King Buffet in Simi Valley, touted as ``the largest and most elegant Chinese-American buffet in town.''

I don't know how many other similar buffets there are in Simi Valley to compare with this one, but it truly is nicely furnished, featuring comfortable booths, carpeting and an attractive koi fish pond near the entrance.

More important, the food is presented neatly and appetizingly.

Tray after tray of regularly tended-to items, at least 100 at a time (including sauces), offer an array of mostly Chinese fare with some American, Japanese, Korean and even Italian-style recipes to choose from.

At dinnertime there's also a chef preparing your choice of meats and vegetables in the Mongolian barbecue manner.

All of this costs a mere $6.99 for lunch, $8.99 for dinner.

After I ate my $6 or $7 worth of mussels and shrimps, I figured I was coasting on Super King's money.

There are respectable soups, usually hot and sour, egg drop and a seafood mixture.

Those tasted denoted a touch of superfluous cornstarch thickening, but were otherwise quite enjoyable.

For diners who want to concoct a salad, the makings are readily available with a choice of dressings. Personally, I prefer a dollop of Super King's spicy kim chee and a hefty portion of its tart julienned daikon radish salad (with slivers of carrot) instead.

If you like sushi, Super King accommodates with several well-crafted rolls, all reasonably fresh-tasting and with the necessary soy sauce and wasabi condiments near at hand.

Beware. Sometimes, the food that looks the most attractive doesn't taste that well and vice versa.

But the choices seem endless.

Super King claims to have as many as 150 items in its total repertoire with a changing menu daily.

Consequently, it's unlikely that regulars will get bored.

Wandering around and looking for goodies, I scored with some tasty stuffed mushrooms, didn't do as well with steamed wonton dumplings that unfortunately had a pasty texture.

A large ``baron'' of beef stood beckoning with a black-handled serrated knife nearby. I sliced off a few pieces, finding out when I sat down at my table that though the meat was cooked to medium or medium-well, it had retained both juice and flavor.

So I went back and sliced off some more.

The most questionable of the items could be those dubbed ``crab'' or ``scallop.'' Both resulted in heavily breaded batter-coated items with unfamiliar texture and rather bland taste.

The discriminating diner at Super King will do better with chicken, noodle and pork items.

One thing about this buffet restaurant puts it above many of its ilk. If you come here to eat later rather than earlier, like 1 p.m. or afterward for lunch and after 8 p.m. for dinner, you'll not find messy or dried-out food being offered.

Obviously, the staff pays attention to how the food is presented at all times, evidently replacing items that look like they have been sitting there too long.

As for endings, the dessert station features a number of excellent baked goods brought in from Ontario, Canada, along with a good selection of fresh fruit and ice cream from a dispensing machine.

You won't be disappointed. Super King has remarkably good value, pleasant surroundings and,occasionally, a treasure trove of fat, green-lip mussels. As many as you want.

SUPER KING BUFFET

Where: 1850 Erringer Road, Simi Valley. (Also in Lancaster, Bakersfield and Oxnard.)

Phone: [phone].

When: Open for lunch and dinner from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Recommended items: Mussels, clams, stuffed mushrooms, daikon salad, octopus in black bean sauce, sesame chicken, roast pork, kim chee, house egg roll, asparagus three ways, baked salmon, roast beef, Mongolian barbecue, variety of desserts.

How much: $6.99 for the all-you-can-eat buffet lunch (served daily except Sunday), $8.99 for dinner (served nightly and all day Sunday). Children ages 3 to 11: lunch 50 cents per year of age, dinner 75 cents per year of age. Children under 2 free.

Wine list: No alcohol.

Our rating: Three stars for food; three stars for value.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1) Sushi, fresh and succulent, is one of the main draws at the Super King Buffet in Simi Valley.

(2) Chef Siew Chen offers a plate featuring some of the specialties of the house.

Evan Yee/Staff Photographer