RESTAURANTS : Despite Its Elegant Beauty and Artful Edibles, Problems Exist at the Emperor’s Fortune orSome Taste Problems Do Exist

Emperor’s Fortune is the kind of Chinese restaurant where every table is set with linen, silver, china, crystal . . . and a delicate orchid. There’s expensively mounted Oriental art and a gold-streaked, pink marble floor. Waiters wear smart tuxedoes and serve dishes solemnly, from long, sleek trolleys. The maitre’d’s name is Klaus.

What comes out of the kitchen is equally mannered. Chef Kin Sheck prepares edible works of art that please the eye as much as the palate. Dishes are carefully plated, elaborately garnished. Beautifully lacquered Peking duck, presented whole to the table, glimmers like an edible jewel. Tiny, steamed loaves of corn and whole-wheat breads are served piping hot from little bamboo baskets. It’s all designed with the goal of transporting the elegance of a first-class Hong Kong dining room to Orange County.

But there is trouble in paradise: Business is slack; initial notices have been mixed. This surely puzzles management because everyone is clearly trying so hard.

One problem may be the restaurant’s upscale prices. This is haute Chinese in its latest incarnation, and it’s going to take a little getting used to. Another explanation may be that the kitchen tends to play it safe too often. This is a menu limited to foodstuffs that Western diners are comfortably familiar with: beef, chicken, duck, lobster, even the un-Chinese salmon. Squid, offal and cold meat dishes may not appeal to mass tastes, but they do appeal to just the sort of people who patronize these restaurants.

I enjoyed everything I ate at Emperor’s Fortune, but much of the food seemed slightly bland. There were few of the exaggerated flavors for which Chinese cooking is famous. The owner, China-born restaurateur Bill Liu, responds to his critics by saying that they don’t understand Chinese food. But in a restaurant where chop sticks are brought only on request, that reply seems a trifle gratuitous.

Still, there are good things to be had. The Emperor’s chicken appetizer is a real delight. It’s minced chicken, Chinese mushrooms, pine nuts and Sichuan mustard eaten from a lettuce leaf, Chinese New Year’s-style. Scallops with squash (little, carved zucchini) are stir-fried in a light oyster sauce--I haven’t had a better version in a long time. And I certainly wouldn’t miss that Peking duck; it’s the restaurant’s best dish.

There’s amazingly crispy skin on one half of a large serving platter, waiting to be eaten in crepes smeared with plum sauce and stuffed with scallions. The other side of the platter contains the boned shreds from the choicest pieces. It has been mixed with red and green pepper, onions and a delicate sauce.

I was surprised by how much I liked the New Zealand mussel appetizer; the mussels glistened with a spicy-sweet garlic sauce that gave them the look of candied fruits.

But you can get too much of a good thing: When I bit into the Sichuan lobster, I was disappointed to find a nearly identical sauce. Nanking pork loin (stir-fried pork medallions) and the Hong Kong filet mignon also shared similar sauces--this one tasting of Worcestershire, garlic and sugar.

Every attempt has been made to put together a serious wine list. There are even first-growth Bordeaux. But the people who can afford the likes of Chateau Lafite-Rothschild generally prefer to see the vintages listed--a little detail the management has overlooked.

At lunch, prices are considerably more down to earth. There is a pleasant patio and several untraditional dishes are perfect for a light lunch. A salad with avocado, greens and a ginger-balsamic dressing is terrific. So is the house chicken salad served on romaine with jicama, rice noodles and cashews.

I also highly recommend a dish with the silly name of Shrimp Go Nuts. It’s a stir-fry with walnuts, cashews, macadamia nuts, asparagus spears and sauteed shrimp.

Desserts have been given careful consideration--they come from Grand Finale, one of the county’s most respected dessert makers. The fresh plum tart, for instance, is a wonder. But is it Chinese? You decide.

Emperor’s Fortune is moderately expensive. Lunch items are $5 to $12. A three-course, pre-theater menu is served from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. for $23. At dinner, appetizers are $5 to $7, entrees are $16 to $28.

EMPEROR’S FORTUNE

South Coast Plaza Village, 3820 Plaza Drive, Santa Ana

(714) 850-9008

Open for lunch Monday through Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., dinner Monday through Friday 3 p.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday until 11 p.m.

All major credit cards accepted.