X MARKS SPOT IN STUDIO CITY CHOICES AS IMMENSE AS A DRAGON.

Byline: Larry Lipson Restaurant Critic

It always amazes me how such small neighborhood-type storefront Chinese restaurants produce menus that appear almost the same as the bigger, classier, full-service, tablecloth places.

Dragon X, with a small kitchen and only 11 tables, is a perfect example.

It recently moved into the space vacated by Canard de Bombay (which relocated to Lankershim Boulevard in North Hollywood) and evidently does more of a takeout and delivery than a dine-in business.

Consequently, it's a quiet room (except for the telephone ringing with to-go orders) and the lone waiter handles the few seated patrons with smiling attention.

If you measure a Chinese kitchen by its dumplings, this one's a hands- down winner.

An appetizer order ($4.95) of steamed dumplings brings forth 10 of them - yes, 10 - and they're not by any means small. Not only are they of decent size, but these crescent-shaped wonders arrive fashioned with thinner-than-usual wonton skins, making them less ponderous than most, and certainly giving each a lovely, light fluffiness.

Add the tasty, ample mincemeat filling seems almost like a bonus.

Pale by comparison is the assorted appetizer plate ($8.95), a passable collection of two veggie-filled egg rolls; a couple of dark brown, batter- coated, crunchy, butterflied fried shrimps; two respectable and very crispy fried wontons; a duo of tasty, meaty sweet-sauced spareribs; and two of those funny little triangular, foil-wrapped, soft little chicken nibbles.

You can order all four of these items separately, the two egg rolls for $1.95, either the eight wontons or six foil-wrapped chicken goodies for $3.95 each, and a quartet of cut spareribs for $4.95.

Personally, I'd go with the dumplings and soup as starters here, after having sampled a heartier-than-expected version of hot-and-sour soup ($3.95 or $5.95) and a lilting recipe of chicken-and-corn soup at the same prices.

For two average appetites, the smaller soup works very well.

And that reminds me of another plus for the Dragon X - its half orders.

On 46 of its main-course items (chicken, vegetables, beef, pork and shrimp), half orders are available. Purchasing these, of course, lessens the probabilities of loads of leftovers and the consequence of a truckload of stuff to take home.

This I like for two reasons: The first is it allows for more dishes to be sampled at one sitting. The second is that there'll be fewer ``doggy bag'' containers of food languishing in the corners of my refrigerator.

Three of the most recommendable half-orders at Dragon X have been the ma po tofu ($4.95), a strictly vegetable rendition without any ground pork, very nicely cooked; hot braised beef ($5.55), a savory dish of tender beef strips mixed with peas and carrots in a lightly spiced tomato sauce; and Szechwan pork, ($5.55), just as tender as the beef and certainly not too peppery-hot for sensitive palates.

But I got caught on the house specialties. None is available in half orders.

The braised string beans ($7.95) of good crunchy texture, stir-fried in a brown sauce, arrived as a veritable mini-mountain one night, double the amount needed. Consequently, there was that doggy bag for the refrigerator.

Next visit: a house specialty called chicken delight ($8.95) with white chicken meat cooked with broccoli, zucchini, carrots, mushrooms and snow peas. Not a bad dish, but again, too much.

This time I left the overage.

THE FACTS

--The restaurant: Dragon X.

--Where: 11400 Ventura Blvd., Studio City.

--When: Open for lunch and dinner from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. weekdays (lunch specials from 11 a.m to 3 p.m.) and for lunch and dinner (regular menu) from noon to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

--Recommended items: Steamed dumplings, barbecued spareribs, hot-and-sour soup, chicken-and-corn soup, hot braised beef, Szechwan pork, braised string beans.

--How much: Starters from $2 to $5, entrees (including half orders) $5 to $14. All major credit cards.

--Wine list: No alcohol.

--Reservations: Not taken. Only 11 tables. Call [phone].

--Our rating: Three stars for food; Three stars for service; Three stars for value.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, box

Photo: (1 -- 2) Chef Bobby Trinh cooks a dish of sweet and pungent chicken at the Dragon X, where the portions are plentiful.

Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News

Box: THE FACTS (see text)