RESTAURANT REVIEW:

Good Chinese food is hard to find, not only in Huntington Beach, but all of Orange County.

Maybe Ruby Palace has driven most of the other Chinese restaurants out of town. It is entirely possible, considering their food is the best I have had in the county.

Only restaurants in the three major Chinatowns — New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco — are better.

Ruby Palace has been owned by the same family for 27 years. The Hsu brothers, Domingo and Jeff, took over for their father and have continued the traditions he started.

The dining room is elegantly decorated. There is an elaborate wood carving entrance and the red booths give the feel of a large dining hall. There is Asian art on the walls and a large Buddha on a center island, where bottles of wine are displayed.

The staff is very attentive and friendly. Chow mein noodles, and sweet and sour sauce are brought to the table, though you can request hot mustard if you prefer to dip the crunchy noodles in something spicier.

While most Chinese establishments focus on one particular style of food, Ruby Palace presents three different styles of cooking: Szechuan, Cantonese and Mandarin.

My first dish was the creamed corn with crab soup. It is a delicious blend of corn nibblets with flecks of crab, and the same consistency as hot and sour soup.

The lobster egg roll is cut diagonally to expose the inside, which consists of lobster, shreds of carrot and cabbage, and a thin asparagus tip. There is a dipping sauce that I found quite interesting in its simplicity — mayonnaise and lemon juice with a touch of sugar — that provides a nice accompaniment.

Several worthy shrimp dishes on the menu include curry shrimp, sizzling rice shrimp and Szechuan shrimp. I wanted something sweet, but also wanted a vegetable to ease my guilt. The romantic two-flavor shrimp combines the white aromatic shrimp with honey walnut and the aromatic shrimp with broccoli. Divided by slices of lemon, they are both sweet and delicious. Both are deep-fried and then glazed, one with honey sauce and the other with a sugar-based concoction. Neither is overpoweringly sweet, nor are they drenched in sauce.

The real star may be the broccoli, which is a mere side. It is flash-steamed al dente and very tasty. It is the way all of the broccoli comes in any dish ordered and it was refreshing to see a vegetable that wasn’t murdered and the crime covered up with sauce.

The Ruby Palace special chicken is pan-fried strips of dark and white meat mixed with snow peas, mushrooms, carrots and water chestnuts. The sauce is oyster and soy, with a little bit of chili powder and sugar to take away the sting. While I liked the dish, the sauce was a bit overwhelming, but remedied when I mixed it with white rice. I would order it again, just with less sauce.

I doubt they would have a problem with that; they are so accommodating and friendly at Ruby Palace. One of my joys is that every time I visit I find something new. It is an adventure I readily welcome.

RUBY PALACE CHINESE RESTAURANT

Address: 18330 Beach Blvd., Huntington Beach

Phone: (714) 848-6088

Cuisine: Chinese

Specialty dish: Complete duck dinner

Alcohol served: Wine and beer

Dress: Casual

Family friendly: No children’s menu, but family specials are available

Rating: *** 1/2

JOHN REGER reviews restaurants for the Independent.