Kingfish Hall   

1 Faneuil Hall Market Pl
Boston, MA 2109
617-523-8862
www.toddenglish.com

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Todd English is little more than an absentee landlord at most of his restaurants, but at Kingfish Hall the formula is so fine that it operates efficiently without him. Whatever one's take on the man, there's little not to love about a menu anchored by expertly prepared seafood. That said, what elevates Kingfish Hall above local standbys like Legal Sea Foods? The flamboyant design scheme, for one thing, which looks like Atlantis as hallucinated by Antonio Gaudi.After digesting the two-tiered space's shimmering mosaics, clam-shaped booths and serpentine bar, one arrives at the restaurant's next trump card: a menu that flirts with extremes without overkill. As if to emphasize the offerings' fresh-caught quality, many of the specials arrive propped on their plates as if swimming toward the diner. Proving that the mirrored raw bar and mammoth lobster pot (illuminated by disco lights, no less) are more than props is a stunning assortment of shellfish, including enough oysters for a mixed dozen and lobster served both "crispy" (a Cantonese preparation of ginger and soy glaze) or New England-style. And no visit is complete without sampling items from the chef's ambitious invention: an evil-looking multi-pronged grill dubbed the "Fish Dancer" for its ability to spin multiple filets over a pit.