GREEN TEA,

Unlike with other cuisines, finding a good Chinese restaurant among the many in the state is like your appetite finally winning the culinary lottery. (At one thriving place in South County, little frankfurter rounds have been found in the fried rice.) That's why our recent visit to Green Tea was such a pleasant surprise. The four chefs in the kitchen are from New York, including one who has a half-century's worth of experience cooking, and the overall emphasis is on Szechwan and Hunan. On the night we went, our party of three was satisfied with all three of the main items we shared. The "Lemon Sesame Shrimp" ($10.95) had a marvelously tangy sauce that the accompanying broccoli soaked up nicely. The "Hot and Spicy Chicken" ($10.95) -- translate "hot" as "mild" on this menu -- contained green rather than the red bell peppers promised, but the kitchen more than compensated with plenty of black mushroom caps, rather than the "shreds" described on the menu. All but the house specials are available in half orders, with fried or steamed rice and an egg roll, for the price of a full order.