The restaurant, serving more than 60 items popular in Thailand and throughout the world, also represents a fresh departure from a legacy of pizza and subs in the Lumber City -- and in particular in the building at the corner with Goundry Street, previously home to Hoagy Bros.

"I just want people to know what Thai food is and we want to give outstanding customer service," said owner Chaw Khaing, who runs the restaurant with her husband and fellow Bangkok native U Aung.

"In Buffalo we see there aren't too many Thai food restaurants and people get confused between Thai and Taiwan...," she said with a good-natured giggle.  For instance, to those who have dismissed Asian cuisine or stubbornly asked for "Chinese food," when they mean "Char-broiled half chicken marinated with Thai seasoning, served with sweet chili sauce on a bed of steamed spinach," think again.

Khaing said the biggest difference between Thai food and the popular American/Chinese chisine is that though both feature rice and noodles at the center of the menu, Thai food may be healthier, putting aside the much different range of ingredients and tastes, that is.  "the big difference is that we use less oil and more spices, that's the big difference," she said.

And on the subject of spices, proud Western New Yorkers with a heritage of spicy food of their own ought to feel right at home.  "The spiciness back in Thailand is very hot," she said, adding that most Thai shops stateside don't even give customers the chance to take that kind of heat.  Yummy Thai offers each dish as either mild, medium, hot or super hot.

"Hotter than super hot," she said of the tastes back home.  "Thai people, they always order 'Thai hot.'  They say ... 'more than super hot' because in Thailand they use fresh chili."  Patrons on Webster Street may insist, if they dare.

The couple has lived in the United States for four years, working at Thai restaurants from New York City to Grand Island and elsewhere.  Both live in Williamsville and Khaing is a computer science student at the University of Buffalo, she said.

An advertisement for business proposals at the 92 Webster St. building drew them to the area in March to take a look after they saw  an advertisement on Craig's List.  The two liked what they saw.  "A lot of businesses along the street," she said, though it would have been impossible to hear such a testimonial to the city's resurgence just a few short years before the likes of Crazy Jakes, the Riviera and many other downtown newcomers entered the picture.

"A lot of bars and restaurants -- so we really like this place and we didn't see any Asian or Thai restaurants so we thought it would work, yes."

Twice in about ten minutes, Khaing had to rush to pick up the phone, as late day lunch customers were apparently eager to put in their orders.  The phones rang even as walk-in customers stopped to check things out.  "We had always planned to open our own restaurant some day and we saw the advertisement," Khaing continued.  "It's on a corner, there are a lot of people walking outside and we like the North Tonawanda community.  So we wanted to open here."

The building was redesigned along with efforts by the Lumber City Development Corporation recently and will continue to undergo renovations to the exterior.  Meanwhile the inside has a much different flavor, with all new tables and chairs set with garlic salsas and pepper jars amid interesting artworks ordered from Thailand to set an appropriately worldly mood.

Two cooks and two servers have been hired in addition to Aung and Khaing.  The restaurant is open every day of the week for lunch and dinner:  Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.  Lunch specials are available on weekdays before 2:30 p.m.

More than 60 items are priced from $3 to $20 and everywhere in between.