Rhong-Tiam.(Restaurant review)

It's easy to walk straight past this unassuming Thai eatery, which is set deep in the heart of the N.Y.U.-occupied Village and shares a commercial strip with a liquor store, a mailing center, and a Citibank. The co-owner, Andy Yang, and his partner's family also own the Malaysian restaurant chain Penang; inside, Rhong-Tiam is almost oppressively generic. Ivy winds around a bannister. The tired-looking upholstery is striped in black-and-white. The tables wobble. The lighting is bright and almost antiseptic.

But then there are the idiosyncrasies: the pink Vespa that takes up most of the entryway (meaning there's little room for waiting diners), the dashing ensemble of fedora and waistcoat worn by the host. In place of Penang's insipid fare, there's an extensive list of Thai dishes, some of which have enough heat to inspire comparisons to the incomparable Sripraphai, in Queens. These are each marked on the menu by a tiny chile pepper, but there really should be gradations. The spice of the pineapple achat, a piquant mix of pickled vegetables, tofu, and pineapple, isn't anywhere close to that of the Pork on Fire, a delectable concoction that amply lives up to its name. Sauteed with lemongrass, Kaffir-lime leaves, basil, and bird's-eye chiles, the pork tips are fiery enough to bring ...