Very much to my surprise, the new Thai restaurant at Hennepin and 31st — doing business with the very underwhelming name “Amazing Thailand” — was, in fact, amazing. We live in a part of the world where many (if not most) Thai restaurants deliver solid performances, but few step it up and present aggressive new culinary ideas.

Amazing Thailand brings it. Decent but unremarkable spots such as Sawatdee and Chiang Mai Thai are going to have to step it up or take a shellacking as the comparably-priced but far more energetic Amazing Thailand grabs their customers.

I’m a big subscriber to the idea that in the world of food, appearances matter. So are the folks at Amazing Thailand. The interior decoration embraces some of the most familiar yet engagingly exotic aspects of Thai art and architecture while remaining crisp, classy and uncluttered — it’s a difficult balance to strike. False rooftop eaves and skylines ring the ceiling, and wooden boats and Thai masks line the walls. An elaborate wood carving inset into a wall near the back of the restaurant adds considerable impact to an already striking dining area. What could have easily felt cluttered or hokey comes off as tasteful and thoughtfully styled.

This dedication to visual aesthetic carries over directly into the food. My fiance ordered the duck curry, and the colors — the deep red of the broth, the greens and reds of the grapes — popped off the plate. Those grapes, it should be said, were a welcome surprise. It’s hard to get enough pineapple in a curry like this — sweet bursts of relief from the heavier and spicier flavors that define the dish. Grapes serve a similar role, and punch up the appearance at the same time. The dish as a whole tasted fresh and light, and well-balanced.

My dish, the Hor Moak Khai, was something I’d never tried before. The steamed chicken with chili jam and coconut milk was served in a bowl made of neatly-pinned leaves, and the sticky rice arrived in a miniature and highly entertaining little sealed wicker container.

Overall, the meats were tender, the broths and side sauces were rich, respectably spicy and flavorful, and the portion sizes were ample without being overwhelming. The fried tofu appetizer was competent but unremarkable, but featured the saving grace of an absolutely delicious peanut sauce served on the side.

For dessert, we ordered the durian on sticky rice, a bold move that our Thai-born waitress seemed both impressed and mystified by — she didn’t particularly care for durian herself. The durian fruit is an acquired taste, and one certainly not acquired by all — its flavor seems to be a more or less unfathomable blend of mango, soft cheese, onions, sweat socks and pineapple custard. Seeing that we could handle durian, our server then surprised us with a (gratis!) and quite delicious serving of coconut jelly balls stuffed with a mixture of chopped peanuts and what may have been red bean paste.

As an added bonus, the music at Amazing Thailand was tasteful, contemporary and — oddly enough for a commercial establishment — relatively hip. I can’t ever recall dining out to Amy Winehouse and RJD2 before, but I certainly look forward to doing it again — soon.