RE-ORIENT AT L.A. SEAFOOD.

Byline: Larry Lipson Daily News Restaurant Critic

If L.A. Seafood looks almost identical to its predecessor, Hong Kong Paradise, don't be surprised.

That's because Paradise has been lost and regained as L.A. Seafood in short order without apparent major physical changes.

And the basic Chinese cuisine direction remains the same as well. The Hong Kong-Cantonese seafood emphasis that so many of the popular Monterey Park-area Chinese restaurants embrace is dramatically present here in Encino.

However, this is not the place to go for your everyday Chinese food. There are plenty of those restaurants nearby.

That is not to say that the kitchen can't match the quality or presentation of the local competition when it comes to kung pao chicken or moo shu pork.

But L.A. Seafood shines the way a Chinese restaurant of depth and character should, possessing a kitchen that can - day after day, night after night - satisfy the more sophisticated palates in our midst, those who appreciate fresh, live Maine lobster right out of the tank as low as $9.99 a pound (minimum 2 pounds) steamed perfectly and served with a tasty garlic sauce.

Or conversely, those who appreciate Peking duck with buns and hoisin sauce, a worthwhile dish that doesn't have to be ordered in advance, for $12 per half duck.

Or a whole fish - usually rock cod - that comes steamed or fried and runs around $13 per pound with your pick of garnishes or sauces - black bean sauce or with ginger and green onion are two of the more popular ways.

If you like the lettuce cups that some of the hipper restaurants are calling Chinese tacos, here you'll find them five ways. These are enough for four people, and my preference leans toward the finely chopped barbecued pork version ($7.95).

You won't find XO sauce at your everyday Chinese eatery. L.A. Seafood uses this rich, cognac-flavored brown sauce with crab, lobster, shrimp and string beans. The latter ($7.95) provide a delicious vegetable accompaniment to just about anything else ordered.

There are so many options here, you can easily become dazzled by the sheer numbers of adventurous menu offerings.

If it's difficult to be decisive about what seafood dishes to pick, I would suggest going to the chef's specialties section and choosing the gratifying sizzling seafood platter of shrimp, scallops, fish fillet and assorted vegetables ($12.95).

Incidentally, portions here are generally large enough to share among four or five healthy adult appetites, so it often happens that there's plenty of food left over.

And although seafood is its main thing, like JR Seafood on the Westside where its chef came from, this restaurant shows a great deal of expertise with meat and poultry dishes.

Gratification in the beef category in Chinese restaurants usually implies tender meat qualities.

Here, the beef is extraordinarily tender - although never mushy.

This is emphasized in both the Szechwan-style beef and the Mongolian beef ($7.95 each), where the sliced pieces display the exact degree of firmness to please.

At this price, you might expect those overly chewy characteristics often found in the texture of such moderately ticketed beef items.

And though a side of white rice seems to appear automatically with some dishes, interesting (Chinese pasta) noodle recipes like chow fun with chile sauce ($6.75) and the thin, fried vermicelli-style rice noodle that comes served in the dryish Singapore style ($6.95) should not be passed up.

Adding to its top-notch food lure, L.A.. Seafood has been presenting several bargain 99-cent side plates and $3.99 main-course dishes that become available with any two regularly priced menu dinner orders other than appetizers.

I remember getting four delightfully executed potstickers for 99 cents one evening, also a delicious version of spicy eggplant for $3.99.

Perhaps the only fault of note here was the nonavailability of the intriguing oyster with roast pork and satay sauce casserole ($8.95) one time.

Never did find out exactly why we couldn't have it.

That's probably because what we ended up eating was so enjoyable.

THE FACTS

The restaurant: L.A. Seafood.

Where: 16240 Ventura Blvd., Encino.

When: Open for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, for dinner from 4 to 9:30 p.m. daily, to 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Recommended items: Steamed live Maine lobster or steamed whole rock cod from tank, potstickers, sizzling seafood platter, Peking duck, Szechwan-style or Mongolian beef, Szechwan eggplant, string beans with XO sauce, minced barbecued pork lettuce cups, Singapore-style rice vermicelli, chow fun with chile sauce.

How much: Appetizers from $2.50 to $6, main dishes from $6.25 to $13.75, various seafood items at seasonal rates. Full bar. AE, MC, V.

Wine list: Minimal selection of eight Fetzer and second label Bel Arbor wines ranging from $10 to $18 per bottle and $3 to $5 per glass. Nine beers include the Chinese Tsing Tao. Corkage: $5.

Reservations: Helpful. Call [phone].

Our rating: Three and One Half Stars for food; Three Stars for service; One for wine.

CAPTION(S):

Photo

Photo: Executive chef Rong X. Yu, left, and co-owner/managers Sam Wu and Ben Y. Lam display some of the offerings at L.A. Seafood.

Michael Owen Baker/Daily News