RESTAURANT REVIEW:

When I walked into China Palace I wasn’t really expecting to be put in a holiday mood.

My shopping was almost done, I had braved the crowds at South Coast Plaza and Fashion Island, and was ready for a break. So it was a little alarming when I walked into China Palace and there was a 15-foot Christmas tree to greet my girlfriend and me as we approached the entrance to the dining room.

The restaurant, which will be open on Christmas, is usually beautifully decorated, but it really looked festive. In addition to the tree, there were poinsettias and white lights on the trees outside that are visible from the expansive dining room.

The facility is large, taking up almost nearly a half a block of West Coast Highway and the large comfortable booths offer a great view of the outside. Behind the main row of booths are booths that offer a little more privacy and are perfect for couples.

The restaurant is a nice mixture of both formal and casual in both its décor and cuisine. The oval sushi bar is set far enough away from the dining room so that its revelry doesn’t intrude on diners wanting a little more subdued environment.

The graffiti wall is my favorite part of the restaurant. Customers write sayings or their names or whatever comes to mind on the wall that wraps around the sushi bar area. In the dining room, hanging plants dangle from the rafters and soft spot lights comfortably illuminate the room.

The food is a nice mix of both Chinese and Japanese influences. The Chinese part of the menu is filled with both traditional and unique dishes.

For instance, I haven’t seen too many Asian restaurants offering veal scaloppini, but there it was. The dish served with fresh basil and black pepper is one of the more popular entrees. So is the Chilean sea bass, which has a chef’s secret sauce and is very flaky and moist.

A more traditionalist approach would be to get the mu shu pork or chicken, or the Peking duck. The duck comes in both half and whole orders.

We settled for something in the middle. The chili Serrano chicken combined the uniqueness of the sautéed chicken and chilies with a brown sauce that contained garlic, ginger and white onion.

The chicken was incredibly tender, and I almost didn’t need to chew it. Added to the poultry was a generous amount of cilantro that really made for a fantastic dish.

Before our main course, we ordered a few items from the sushi menu. The traditional pieces are there, such as tuna, yellowtail, salmon and albacore, but there are some unusual selections too, like tataki, giant clam and sea urchin.

We were in the mood for rolls, but again wanted something a little different and found it with the Alaska roll. The hand roll is a combination of crab, tuna, shrimp avocado and rice rolled into rice paper. It was very good and all of the seafood was discernible, though the avocado tries to overtake them.

As we were scanning the chef’s specials we saw a scallop casserole and decided to try it. The baked dish features dime-sized scallops and button mushrooms with garlic and an eel sauce.

It was excellent. The scallops are tender, but not mushy and the mushrooms barely outnumber the scallops. The sauce is filled with garlic and really complements the scallops and mushrooms, and I found myself taking the excess sauce and pouring it on my white rice.

The touches the restaurant does are also welcome. The servers are very attentive and a small plate of edamame was delivered shortly after we sat. For dessert an almond and fortune cookie were served as well as slices of orange.

The mix of Chinese and Japanese influences, as well as a formal and casual atmosphere made for a really enjoyable meal. It is a formula that has worked since 1982 and should thrive for many more years.

CHINA PALACE

ADDRESS: 2800 W. Coast Hwy., Newport Beach

PHONE: (949) 631-8088

CUISINE: Chinese and Japanese

SPECIALTY DISH: Chili Serrano Chicken

ALCOHOL SERVED: full bar

ENTRÉE PRICE RANGE: $10.75 to $35.95

FAMILY FRIENDLY: not so much

CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED: American Express, MasterCard and Visa

RATING: ***

JOHN REGER is the Pilot’s restaurant critic. His reviews run Thursdays.