From its funky name to its friendly Facebook page, the Lazy Leopard Thai makes it very easy to try something new in New London.

Established a few months ago in the space formerly occupied by Kelly's On The Bank, the re-imagined, smartly decorated cafe space and friendly staff ensure a relaxing, satisfying visit, and the nicely designed menu offers a tempting variety of dishes at reasonable prices. Besides, I'm a sucker for anything with a cat motif.

It was not easy to sort out what to try for my initial sampling. With items like Tamarind Duck ($23); Lad Na (the national dish of Thailand; $13); and the intriguing Bolognese Noodles ($14), I remained in indecision until I saw the most intriguing item of all: Green Curry Fried Rice (available with tofu, chicken, or sliced flank steak; $12), an item that sounded like a combination of two things I enjoy very much. Ever cautious of spicier cuisine, I paired the curry with Summer Rolls ($6) from the appetizer menu. The curry, indeed, was pretty spicy, as noted on the menu with a chile pepper graphic, but still manageable and, more important, flavorful. There's nothing more dissatisfying than a spice-bomb of a dish whose heat cancels out its other flavors. Not so with the Green Curry Fried Rice. I selected the chicken as protein, and the generously applied, thinly sliced poultry was tender, juicy and carried the flavor of the grill. The chicken, tossed with rice, peppers and other veggies, fed two adults handily. I enjoyed it, and my husband loved it - the main difference being his greater tolerance for the flavor of fish sauce, which undoubtedly amplified the flavor of the dish. I'm just one of those people who isn't super keen on strong fish flavor, but I appreciate its function in Thai cuisine.

In any case, the Summer Rolls provided a nice cooling effect to the spicy curry. Packed with vermicelli, basil and tofu, these cold rolls wrapped in rice paper added proper intermission between spicy forkfuls. The accompanying carrot sauce was great.

The recent cold snap left me with a hankering for comfort food, so on another night, we ordered Pad Si Yu - one of my favorite Thai dishes - and Curry Puffs ($7) from the appetizer menu. The curry puffs officially are the best I've ever had. Crispy-soft outside and filled with a mixture of chicken and potato and Other Wonderful Things, the puffs were delicious alone and even better in the accompanying cucumber-chile sauce.

As for the Pad Si Yu ($12), I, once again, selected chicken as the protein and it worked well. Another huge portion fed both of us perfectly, and we enjoyed every last scrap of this dish, which is a combination of wide rice noodles, Chinese broccoli and egg in a "sweet dark soy sauce," per the menu. I love the toothiness of these noodles and the rich soy sauce - in which we detected only a hint of fish sauce - pulled together all the other elements well.

Last Sunday, we went for a real dinner out and got seated right away in the cafe. From a handful of wines and beers available, I selected a glass of Pinot Grigio, while my husband opted for a Cottrell Mystic Bridge IPA. Once again we faced our common conundrum: what to select from a menu of many good options? After several minutes of debate, we picked the Crispy Tofu appetizer ($6) for an accompaniment to the first round of drinks. As it turns out, crispy tofu goes beautifully with Pinot Grigio, and Lazy Leopard gets bonus points for great presentation. Our generous pile of small tofu triangles arrived in a mini fry basket with its companion peanut-chile sauce nestled within. This is a dish that can easily became watery and bland, but no worries at Lazy Leopard: theirs are crisped to perfection, and a smaller sized triangle ensures a perfect blend of soft tofu to crispy exterior. I've had some tofu triangles the size of toast, and such a heavy portion of tofu gets boring quickly.

For dinner we came up with Lemongrass Pork for me ($18) and chicken with basil sauce ($13) from the Traditionals section of the menu for my husband. His dinner won the day for best pick (more on that in a minute), but mine satisfied enough, particularly thanks to the side salad that came with it. Dressed in a tangy, perfect dressing, the ample pile of greens and cucumbers served well as a palate cleanser. I also enjoyed the sticky rice that also accompanied the pork.

If I had my druthers, the pork, which was well grilled and dressed in a tasty marinade, would have been a lot leaner. I found enough good stuff to eat around the fat, and I realize some folks like the fat, but in the end I gave up and helped my husband with his delicious dinner. His plateful of green beans, chicken, peppers and root veggies we've never seen (but enjoyed) took on the full flower of the spicy basil sauce. Add in the rice that came with it and you've got a savory, nuanced dish to feed two easily. It was colorful, interesting and very tasty.

Clever names aside, there is nothing lazy about the goings-on at Lazy Leopard. New London has scored a chic, well-conceived eatery with the eats to match. See if your first visit doesn't leave you purring for more.

Lazy Leopard Thai Cafe

45 Bank St., New London

(860) 333-1329

Online, find Lazy Leopard on Facebook

Cuisine: Thai; takeout, catering and delivery available

Atmosphere: Mod, well-executed decor with a nice teal and burnt orange color scheme; interior is small enough for a cozy date, large enough to have privacy

Service: Friendly and helpful

Prices: Priciest appetizer is $8; most expensive entree is $22; curry and noodle dishes average around $14

Hours: Monday-Thursday 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. and 4:30-9 p.m.; Friday 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. and 4:30-10 p.m.; Saturday 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.; and Sunday 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m.

Credit cards: Mastercard and Visa

Reservations: Yes

Handicapped access: Restaurant is on busy Bank Street; access from car to entry will be trickiest part of navigating Lazy Leopard. Interior is quite roomy.