washingtonpost.com: Full Kee

509 H St. NW (202) 371-2233 Hours of Operation and Prices Lunch: M-F 11-3; Entrees: $4.25-$5.75 Dinner: M-Th 3-1 am, F 3-3 am, Sat 11 am-3 am, Sun 11 am-1 am; Entrees: $8-$15 Other Information • Cash only • Reservations accepted for 6 or more • Dress: casual • Street parking • Nearest Metro: Gallery Place-Chinatown

But for the combination of Chinese atmosphere, interesting menu and good value, I find Full Kee always satisfies. In part, I favor it for its open kitchen, because it's fun to watch the cooks wrapping dumplings and scooping noodles from the giant cauldrons in the front window. And for a comforting lunch you can't beat the Hong Kong-style shrimp dumpling soup, a big bowl of broth (fairly wan) filled with bobbing dumplings of whole shrimp and shreds of mysterious vegetables.

While that's enough reason to remember Full Kee, there is also a long menu of standard Cantonese stir-fried dishes, bright and glistening, generously portioned. And there is one I haven't seen elsewhere, a combination of shrimp, scallops and squid fried in a light crunch of flour coating and seasoned with peppered salt and bits of green chilies. Other restaurants serve similar fried squid or shrimp, but this combination makes nibbling irresistible while you wait for your dumplings to be simmered to order.

Late at night, Full Kee can make for interesting sightseeing, since it's where some of the city's top European and American chefs come to eat after work. They're likely to order the whole steamed fish. That's an impressive recommendation for any restaurant.

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