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Best Bargain Restaurants: Golden Palace

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Golden Palace
Washington

With its gilded fretwork depicting birds perched on fruit-laden boughs, menacing dragons coiled around massive red columns, and a spotlighted imperial throne, Golden Palace is an impressive replica of an old-fashioned Hong Kong dining room. A recent infusion of kitchen talent has rescued Golden Palace from its decade-long culinary doldrums, elevating the quality of the cooking to a level that matches its setting. Now one can only hope that the service staff's attention to detail will be improved: For one thing, it might be nice to clear the table of dishes before presenting the check.

With almost 40 dishes offered in its seafood section alone, this is a menu that compels return visits to find undiscovered treasures. Familiar dishes--such as an unusually tender, nearly fat-free Cantonese roast duck that vies with the best in Chinatown--are consistently prepared, but persevering curiosity will yield such gems as e-fu noodles, a soupy stew of tender noodles with pork, shiitake mushrooms, and nubbins of king crab, and an elegant stir-fry of large shrimp with yellow chives.

Whatever else you order on your first visit to Golden Palace, include a lobster hot pot. This casserole of unshelled lobster pieces, julienne shiitakes, and cellophane noodles, all briefly simmered in an exquisite brown sauce, is an easy choice for Chinese dish of the year.

Golden Palace , 720 7th Street NW, Washington; 202/783-1225. Open Monday and Tuesday 11 am to 10 pm, Wednesday through Sunday 11 am to midnight. AE, CB, DC, MC, V. MapIt!

QUALITY: ****Excellent; *** Superior; **Very Good; * Good
PRICE RANGE: $$$= Very Expensive; $$ Expensive; $=Moderate; ¢=Inexpensive

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