BY LARRY LIPSON >FOOD CRITIC

The new Red Fish in Simi Valley is a surprise.

It's big, spacious, very modern, with an exhibition fish cutting room and raw bar. It has an upscale appearance, looking much like something Wolfgang Puck would do if he decided to open a seafood restaurant.

But that's where the similarity ends. You'll notice that your cutlery is wrapped in a napkin rather than arranged on a table as a place setting. And that your dinner is more likely to total under $50 than over $100 per person.

Especially if you stick to a nice piece of good, fresh fish from the "dailies" box on the menu, like Arctic char ($23), somewhat salmonlike, but more delicate.Absolutely delicious when lightly poached "Peruvian style" with lemon, cilantro, garlic, green onions and mushrooms.

There are 10 daily options. On one occasion, they included bluenose bass, pink snapper from New Zealand, petrale sole and the char, which was served with one side dish (I chose charcoal roasted red and gold beets one night). Preparation choices, in addition to Peruvian poaching, include baking the fish in a tomato broth with sweet garlic and mesquite grilling with herb butter and lemon. Guess there's no frying, except for French fries.

Meanwhile, the skillful Red Fish kitchen cooks a nifty Boston-style white clam chowder (cup $4, bowl $7), boosted with potatoes, onions and bacon; and a conversation-piece rendition of seafood chili ($12). If you shut your eyes and concentrate while you're eating, you'll find little difference between the "ocean meat" or the regular land meat variety. In fact, the former may well be the more tender of the two.

Fried calamari may be the benchmark dish, the one that measures a kitchen's merit. Light in color and weight, fluffy in texture, easy to chew, non-oily, they're what we're looking for.

Here a heap of calamari ($11) meets the challenge and arrives accompanied by three dipping sauces.

However, a sticky crab, shrimp and spinach dip ($13) doesn't make the grade.

From the menu's "fins" offerings, pistachio-crusted halibut ($26) is a worthwhile choice, with this popular fish enhanced with green onion, garlic, charred broccolini and red peppers.

Meat eaters should not feel excluded at Red Fish.

There are chicken, pork chop, babyback rib, prime rib, filet mignon and lamb chop opportunities here. And they do a pretty good job, when you consider this is primarily a seafood house.

But you pay for the quality.

Center-cut filet mignon ($38) is very tender, could be a little juicier. Double lamb chops from Colorado ($41) with a minted cabernet sauce can be over-the-top wonderful or a little too raw, depending on how you like them. Best to specify in advance.

Endings ($7) like the apple walnut cobbler hit the spot even though they might not be the finest versions around.

At its best: Here's a handsome, bona fide fresh fish restaurant that has all the bells and whistles clanging merrily. If it makes it in Simi Valley, it can be a success anywhere.

Could be better: Why not have place settings? Is it that labor intensive?

Larry Lipson co-hosts "What's Cooking?" a restaurant, wine and food talk show that airs 2 p.m. Saturdays on Cable Radio Network (CRN).

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RED FISH

>Details: 1555 Simi Town Center Way, Simi Valley. Open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for lunch weekdays, for dinner from 5 to 11 p.m. nightly, to midnight Saturday and Sunday. (805) 823-4756. www.sparkredfish.com
>Cost: Starters from $4 to $15, entrees from $23 to $42, desserts, $7 each. Corkage: $10.
>Noteworthy: For the deep-pocketed surf and turf set: steak or prime rib chop with lobster or crab legs is available if you're ready to pay the hefty market price.