Superb Hong's Garden Takes Root In Renton

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

XXX Hong's Garden, 64 Rainier Ave. S., Renton. ($$) Lunch ($4 to $7) 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. Dinner ($5 to $14) 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. nightly. Lounge, full bar. Major credit cards. Smoking in lounge only. Reservations and takeout: 228-6332. -----------------------------------------------------------------

In the glow of Chinese New Year, the good news is the Hongs are back. The less-good news is they are not in Chinatown.

Hong's Garden is in Renton. And it is well worth the drive to the headwaters of Rainier Avenue South.

A generation ago, a small restaurant opened at Maynard Avenue South and South King Street, right in the heart of the International District - and its owners, the Hongs, created a major stir. It was called the Atlas, and in short order it was mobbed. Crowds used to dart through the rain to the bar at the old Hong Kong and sip drinks until a table at the Atlas opened up.

Eventually, the place was sold and the Hong family opened the House of Hong, at 409 Eighth Ave. S. It, too, was jammed.

A little over two years ago, the House was sold. Mon Faye and Janie Hong retired. And got bored. Restricted by a five-year, five-mile no-compete clause, they decided on a new start. They found a bright, open location in a Renton strip mall, brought in a saltwater fish tank, jade-colored tables, decorative fans, several of their old staff and opened their Garden.

I walked in the front door.

"You found us," said Janie, with a smile, and led the way to the best dim sum lunch in the Seattle area.

Dim sum's delightful

Faye Hong is still the head chef, and he has three of his former line cooks with him. Although the dinner menu (available from 11 a.m.) is more extensive, you have to try the dim sum at least once. Frankly, I thought it better than in years past.

It's a great way to dine midday; leisurely picking and choosing from 26 different snack-sized mini-meals ($2 to $3). The Shrimp & Pork Siu Mai (four for $2) are wonderfully chunky and fresh-tasting, possibly the best I've ever tried.

Steamed Beef Balls ($2.25 for three) sound rather pedestrian - and often are. But these were transcendent; light, almost fluffy, steamy with flavors of beef, spices and ginger. The pot stickers ($2 for three) are imposing and uncommonly meaty.

Appetizers are typical, but unusually well-made. Four of us enjoyed the Crispy Fried Fresh Squid ($5.25), with an almost tempura-light batter, sprinkled simply with lemon. Spareribs with Pepper Salt got mixed reviews. I found them savory and intriguing. A friend groused about nibbling on bone and cartilage - but that's the essence of spareribs.

The Singapore Style Chow Fon ($5.95 at lunch) is flat-out fabulous. One of the few Chinese dishes reflecting Indian-Arabic influences (Malay traders; circa 1650), the curried rice-noodle chow mein, is richly dotted through with barbecued pork, green onion, snow peas, shiitakes and stir-fried prawns. Because of the quick cooking time, the curry spices can sometimes be harsh. Hong's was mellow, heady and perfect.

Steamed Black Cod ($8.50) is available with either a rich soy bean sauce or a simpler oil and ginger glaze that I think contrasts better with the very rich, quite oily fish.

Eggplant with Garlic Sauce ($6.50) is one of my favorites. Chunks of the small, deep-purple Asian eggplant swim in a velvety, glistening brown sauce accented with red chili peppers. It's hot enough to get your attention but not bordering the incendiary.

Garden of vegetables

Hong's Garden maintains a ready supply of Chinese vegetables, including pea vines, bitter melon, long beans (Chinese string beans), spinach and Asian broccoli. They can be ordered alone or in combination with meat, poultry, scallops, squid, shrimp or garlic.

Two good options are the long beans with shrimp in a garlic-black bean sauce or one of the house specialties, Szechwan Style String Beans (both $6.50), spicier and more complex. Both are memorable.

One of the prettiest dishes on a very extensive menu (169 items) is the Chef's Twin Delights ($8.50). Chunks of chicken and Chinese mushrooms are tossed in a spicy bean sauce with squares of red bell pepper and jumbo prawns. The whole affair is rimmed with a necklace of shining emerald-green broccoli.

Only vegetable oils are used. There's no MSG in the place.

After a long and prosperous career in the restaurant business (which is often grueling) what brought the Hongs back?

"You can only travel so much," Janie Hong said, "and it got too cold for golf." (Copyright, 1995, John Hinterberger. All rights reserved.) John Hinterberger, who writes the weekly restaurant review in Tempo and a Sunday food column in Pacific, visits restaurants anonymously and unannounced. He pays in full for all food, wines and services. Interviews of the restaurants' management and staff are done only after meals and services have been appraised. He does not accept invitations to evaluate restaurants.