MARY FURR -- DINING OUT

You may come like a hungry pilgrim to the Ruby Palace at Beach Boulevard

and Ellis Avenue in Huntington Beach and enjoy the riches of the cuisine.

All you need to enter is a good appetite and an appreciation of Chinese

food in all its complexity.

This lovely restaurant, opened in 1981 by owner and chef Hsueh Hsu, has

beauty everywhere you look -- one wall is covered with Chinese symbols,

another with a banquet in gold relief. The double dining area of tables

and booths is centered with a beautiful vase of slender reeds hung with

small accordion lanterns surrounded by piles of red and gold

firecrackers. Ruby Palace is ready to celebrate the Chinese New Year on

Saturday -- or by the Chinese calendar 4790, the Year of the Dragon.

There are 31 lunch choices, from Buddha’s Feast ($4.95) to shrimp with

lobster sauce ($6.95), and family dinners, each with eight choices --

from the Mandarin Dinner ($9.25) to Seafood Dinner ($16.95). But our

selections were from the Chef Dinner ($13.95) -- soup and appetizer with

cashew chicken and aromatic shrimp.

Of the three soups, sizzling rice has everything -- a great taste of rich

chicken broth with green snow peas, celery, onion, carrots and big

chicken pieces to which the server, like a magician, adds fried rice that

sizzles and steams. It’s fun to watch and great to eat.

A plate of appetizers comes next, with a small, stuffed spring roll --

traditionally served on the first day of Chinese New Year -- that

features a paper-thin wrapper folded around minced cabbage. There’s also

two tiny dark and sticky barbecue ribs, a butterflied fried shrimp,

delicious cream cheese filled won tons and a foil-wrapped triangle of

minced chicken disappointingly tasteless and cold.

The aromatic shrimp is as artistically composed as a picture -- the

center piled with glossy shrimp surrounded with brilliant green broccoli

flowers. Each deep-fried shrimp is a sweet mouthful, and the fresh

broccoli is crisp and clean -- an excellent combination.

A large platter of cashew chicken is piled with cashew halves and celery,

big slices of mushroom and cubes of chicken in a dark sauce that is a mix

of mild sweetness and some citrus-like tartness. It’s the complexity of

the sauces with tastes that can’t be defined that make this dish. Some

excellent fried rice and a tasty noodle chow mein complete this dinner.

The manager’s son, Domingo, says this Chinese New Year, his father will

be at the Westminster Mall from 1 to 2 p.m. demonstrating how to make

noodles. He will then return to the restaurant to prepare the big Chinese

New Year dinner ($35 per person) with the help of his son, Chef Jeff. The

10-course dinner will include a variety of seafood, Peking duck and a

whole fish. Another specialty with the dinner will be a fortune dumpling,

which conceals a fortune just like the cookies do.

So whether you plan to celebrate the Chinese New Year or just have lunch

or dinner, raise a glass of light fruity plum wine to Jeff, Domingo and

father Hsueh Hsu in the year 4790.

* MARY FURR is the Independent restaurant critic. If you have comments or

suggestions, call her at (562) 493-5062.

FYI

RUBY PALACE CHINESE RESTAURANT

WHERE: 18330 Beach Blvd., Huntington Beach

HOURS: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday, noon to 10:30 p.m.

Saturday, noon to 9:30 p.m. Sunday

MISCELLANEOUS: Credit cards are accepted.

CALL: 848-6088 or 841-8715; fax 848-8425