Taking up 3,600 square meters, Long Boat (龙达园小海鲜) seafood restaurant is spacious enough to house 400 people in its general area and private rooms each bigger than 40 sqm. There is no menu here - you just order from the fresh seafood section in the middle of the central hall. Everything is fresh, healthily prepared, and reasonably priced.

Fresh seafood comes from Yantai in Shandong province, near the Yellow Sea. They are prepared with an emphasis on low calorie, low oil and high nutrition. Lobster, prawn, scallop, squid and sea urchin are some often-ordered dishes. Two must-try dishes, though, are the dumplings with Spanish mackerel filling (鲅鱼馅饺子) and Shandong baked cake with smooth-tasting pickled turnip (武大郎烧饼配潘氏咸菜丝). These are both fresh and simple, yet the best of local produce.

The restaurant uses its name to decorate its front gate, the bar is shaped like a boat and many pleasant sea-blue colors are used in the rooms. Of note, too, is a performing troupe from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Beautiful Korean actresses sing along and will join your karaoke and perform folk dances in the private rooms. Average cost is 100 yuan and there is plenty of parking. One negative, though, is the restaurant's location, 10 km north of North Fifth Ring Road.

11 am-2 pm, 5-9 pm. Liulitun crossroad, Yongfeng Lu, Xibeiwang Township, Haidian district. 8247-8808.

海淀区西北旺镇永丰路六里屯东口,北五环肖家河桥北10公里

(China Daily December 30, 2008)