Put on Your Thai at Galangal 2

Down from Stamford, Conn., comes Galangal 2, a dramatically decorated Thai/Japanese hybrid of a restaurant, invisible from the road, seemingly secreted in the rear of a real estate office next to Friendly's. Like many other newcomers on Long Island they present a Pan-Asian menu employing Thai food as its base, a sushi bar as a come-on and the best of the rest of Asia.

The interior is stunning, literally looking like a million dollars, as if to make up for the poor location. Tables are arranged around a long, narrow back-lit reflecting pool, floating water lilies from a tiled wall cascading water behind a large bronze statue. Flagstone walls with intermittent recesses filled with sculpted heads and etched frosted glass panels give the impression that we are dining in a temple. But twice now, I've almost tripped over two short stone elephants right inside the front door.

The dramatics extend to the presentations--head-turning visuals of bowls of sushi lit by LEDs and flames jumping from deep-fried ice cream to name a couple. Coconut Fried Rice and Pineapple Fried Rice leave the kitchen in their respective halved fruits. The curiously named appetizer Golden Bag ($6) has five deep-fried dumplings. Untie them and discover densely packed minced pork, yams and vegetables.

A better-than-average Pad Thai ($14) arrives in a mound under a net of spun egg. Surprising Thai Fried Calamari ($9) is chopped into bits and blended with chopped carrots and peppers in a subtle sauce. I'm happy to find Malaysian Roti Canai ($7), but this less-than-authentic version opts for a thick pancake and a sweeter chicken curry dip. There's also a Malaysian Sambal and Vietnamese Pho. Just the right heat quotient makes Masaman Peanut Curry ($15, opted for the version with chicken) and Red Curry Keang Pad ($18, with shrimp added to the coconut milk-based stew) big successes.

Down to earth but disappointing is the Charcoal Grilled Thai Chicken ($17), boring grilled poultry relying on mild sweet chili sauce for all its flavor. Mango Basket ($15)--in this case with chicken--surprised with wispy layers of basket, but the mango wasn't ripe enough. Better is simple Grilled Pork Chop ($14), served over vermicelli rice noodles.

Finish with the dramatic deep fried ice cream or a tall mango juice or strong Vietnamese coffee.

Galangal 2

140 Jericho Tpke.

Syosset

516-682-0688

www.galangal2.com