Dining in the Square is an evolutionary process. From Bertuccis and the Border you move on to more unusual offerings such as the Siam Garden and Roka. But eventually, every Harvard student will end up at the Hong Kong.

To Square outsiders, it's that pink fortress-like building with the garish red neon sign along Mass Ave. Ask those who go there, and they will tell you it is the ultimate dining experience.

An alternative to Harvard Dining Hall food, the Hong Kong offers a wide selection of Chinese cuisine. But regulars advise newcomers to order "intellegently."

According to Andrew H. Migdon '92, a frequent customer, the best dishes include chicken fingers and Peking raviolis ("Peking ravs," for frequent Kongers) and hot-and-sour soup.

"We're cool on the soups," says Migdon.

Still other customers swear by the combination plates. "C6 is excellent," claims Paul S. Vietzen '95.

Some Adams House residents say that the presence of the Kong eliminates the need for a house grille and maybe even the dining hall.

"For Adams, it's closer than the dining hall for some people," says Michael O. Voll '93.

"You don't even need a grille in Adams, with Tommy's and the Kong," Tina P. Hsu '93 adds.

But many students say its not the food that draws them to the Kong. More than a restaurant, it is Harvard's only party that is still going on after 1 a.m.

"It's not Chinese food, it's the Kong," says Migdon.

A typical weekend night at the "Kong"--insiders' affectionate name for the Chinese restaurant--begins late, after midnight and after students begin to run out of party options.

They crowd into the '70s-esque dining room, ready to top off the evening with a Scorpion Bowl and greasy Peking Ravs.

The Kong is where Harvard students go "when it's over," says Thomas J. Scocca '93.

Voll says that he and his friends "make random plans on a weekend, but we say, regardless, meet up at the Kong."