THE FOOD: Traditional Thai fare as seen through a Western lens. Favorites such as tom kha gai soup and beef satay share the menu with miso soup, wonton soup, sesame chicken and fried rice.

THE RESTAURANT: A tidy storefront spot with bright tomato walls, Thai Room is a cozy neighborhood eatery catering to locals who crave Thai classics. Thai chef/owner Ken Ekkhot and his wife, Patty, opened the place in May. Chef Ken is no stranger to the Thai restaurant biz – he cooked at West Palm’s Wattana Thai, the eatery owned by his great aunt. It’s clear the genial couple has lavished great attention to this space and its menu.

THE AMBIANCE: On a recent night, the place was quiet and not at all busy – unless you count the plot points in the Vin Diesel flick showing on the TV screen near the cash register.

GOOD BITES: We enjoyed the winter shrimp appetizer ($6.95), which looked like shrimp mini-flautas. The shrimp are wrapped in ground chicken and a dough wrapper, then deep fried to a delicious finish and served with plum sauce. We also liked the chicken pad Thai ($11.95), a light, delicately sauced rendition. But we loved the crispy duck ($16.95), a beautifully prepared duck deep-fried to a deep golden crisp, served with steamed broccoli and sautéed onions and peppers. Instead of the accompanying black bean sauce, we requested a basil sauce, which proved to be the perfect, fragrant touch.

NOT SO THRILLING: Didn’t love the papaya salad ($7.95). Having enjoyed a couple of terrific papaya salads in other local eateries, we were expecting a crisp slaw dressed in spicy citrus flavors. Instead, this slaw was limp and flavorless. I also found the chicken panang curry ($11.95) to be under-seasoned and the sauce too light for my taste.

THE SERVICE: Friendly and casual.

BEST REASON TO RETURN: To feast on crispy duck. Few things are better with a cold Thai Singha beer. (Or a Vin Diesel flick.)