LILY POND: 1073 Northern Boulevard, Roslyn; 516-626-3933

CUISINE: Chinese/Japanese

HOURS: 12 p.m. to 10 p.m., Sunday to Thursday, 12 p.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday

CREDIT CARDS: All Major

HANDICAPPED ACCESSIBLE: Yes

For the finest in Chinese and Japanese cuisine — Go East. Not all the way to Asia, but just a few miles over the Nassau County border, to Lily Pond in Roslyn. There you can indulge in rich, traditional dishes, prepared with both elegance and flair.

The atmosphere of the restaurant, with its peach-toned walls and ornate floral arrangements somehow feels more Mediterranean than southeast Asian. But if there is anything at Lily Pond truly worth pondering it is what to order.

For many of the regular customers, this decision is left in the hands of hostess Catherine Huang, who can compose a feast of such variety and delight, that one is apt to lose all confidence in their normal ordering ability. Such regulars include Congressman Gary Ackerman, and State Senator Manny Gold.

While it is possible to order a completely Chinese or completely Japanese meal, Catherine tends to create an interesting mix of the two.

We started with the Dim Sum, an excellent mix of vegetable and seafood dumplings. Then we switched gears slightly to the Japanese side of the spectrum, and enjoyed the Spicy Tuna roll ($4.75), and the Shrimp Tempura roll ($4.25).

Next came the soup. We tried Lily Pond’s superb Won Ton soup ($1.50), and their hearty Seafood Bisque soup ($6.95). Both were fresh and extremely satisfying.

Then, much to our surprise that more food was being brought to the table, we moved on to our main courses. The first of these courses was the Butterfly Filet Mignon with leeks and hot peppers, and served with a delicious spinach rice. A truly unique take on a popular standard that is ingrained on our palates. This dish, and others like it, is available as part of Lily Pond’s special Prix Fixe dinner ($21.95). This includes a choice of soup, appetizer, and dessert.

The piéce de resistance was a dish called Lily Pond’s Love Nest, which is chicken and shrimp mixed in a wonderful crust and decorated with a pair of star-fish crossed shrimp lovers.

Other entrees on the special dinner menu include, Pan Seared Jumbo Shrimp with scallion and ginger, Steamed Salmon with black bean sauce, and the Grilled Triple Crown (chicken, shrimp, and salmon).

For dessert, we had Lily Pond’s famous Steamed Malaysian Cake, which is made without any butter. The chef also recommended the crispy sesame ball.

So for traditional Chinese and Japanese, one needn’t book expensive plane tickets, just place your lily pad on Lily Pond.