Tradition Takes Root At Hong's Garden

------------------------------------------------------------------ Restaurant review

Hong's Garden, 64 Rainier Ave. S., Renton. Chinese. Lunch ($4 to $6.50), dinner ($6 to $24); 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday, 4 to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Major credit cards, Cocktail lounge, full liquor. Reservations, 228-6332. ------------------------------------------------------------------

New restaurants usually need time to inspire the staff, modify the menu and generally finesse the establishment. But not always.

Hong's Garden opened its doors March 30 in Renton already steeped in tradition and serving a loyal following. The owners, Faye and Janie Hong, formerly operated House of Hong in Seattle's International District, one of the city's most attractive and congenial Chinese restaurants. The Hong family also ran the revered Atlas Restaurant at Maynard Avenue and Jackson Street from 1956 to 1982. The restaurateurs sold House of Hong in 1992, intending to relax and enjoy leisure time.

With the unveiling of Hong's Garden, they rally from retirement with zeal.

"I was going to retire," said Faye Hong, 52. "I got tired. I was too young to retire."

Former employees also swayed him to launch a new venture, he said. Two cooks, a dishwasher, a host, two hostesses and three waiters followed him from House of Hong to Hong's Garden.

Hong lives in Beacon Hill and preferred a short commute, so he shopped around for south end locations. After a negotiation in Kent fell through, he happened upon the all-new construction in Renton, a lucky day for commerce along Rainier Avenue South near the Renton Municipal Airport.

Hong's 168-item menu accents an eclectic range of Chinese food that mostly adheres to Cantonese regional cuisine. Some items, like the exotic birdnest with minced chicken soup, are authentic Chinese. Others are geared for American tastes. Dinner offerings include seafood, Peking duck ($20 and 24 hours advance notice required), tangerine peel beef steak ($8.50), kung pao jumbo prawns ($9.50), Mongolian beef ($7.95) and kung pao gai ding (boneless chicken sauteed in hot spicy sauce with peanuts and green peas, $7.50).

"I serve the kind of Chinese food you can only get in Chinatown," Hong said.

Lunches consist of a variety of combinations and are served with soup and tea. A dim sum (Chinese appetizers) luncheon, which drew standing-room-only crowds at House of Hong, will be offered at Hong's Garden starting May 16.

On our initial foray, my wife and I shared an order of pot stickers, shrimp fried rice and prawns in lobster sauce, all for about $20. The filling in the pot stickers was excellent, though I would have preferred the skins were a little thinner. The prawns in lobster sauce were marvelous and convinced us to return for a family dinner.

On the advice of our friendly waiter, we ordered the No. 3 dinner for $11.95 apiece and were thoroughly satisfied. It started with tender barbecue pork strips and lightly battered egg rolls with shrimp, bamboo shoots and Chinese vegetables. The hot and sour soup with green onions, eggs and peas arrived next. You'll need a big appetite for the main course - the vegetable chow yuk, chicken subgum chow mein, sweet and sour prawns and pork fried rice. Portions are healthy, well-presented and served quickly. Plan on leftovers, excellent for lunch the next day. A Tsing Tao beer from China or a Mai Tai from the bar adds to the exquisite meal.

From the shiny new booths and tables, to the crisp clean menus and inspired service, Hong's Garden exudes freshness steeped in tradition.