WHEN word got around the Shanghai food community that Charles Belin was planning to open a Thai restaurant, he received plenty of comments echoing the same sentiment: "Shanghai already has Thai restaurants," he was told, repeatedly. "Twenty-three of them."

Make that 24 now. Belin and his partner, Edwin Ng, went for it anyway, opening their Thai Gallery in spite of the profusion of restaurants already offering pad thai and chicken satay.

"We thought there was still some room for a Thai restaurant that did something different," he said, looking out over the smattering of customers at the just-opened eatery. "This isn't only about the food. It's about the atmosphere and ambience."

"We had four words we wanted to sum up the place," added the French-born Belin, who acts as general manager of the two-storey restaurant on Datian Lu, near Beijing Lu. "Chic. Comfortable. Honest. Sexy."

For the chic part, they hired the same Japanese designer responsible for the clean, simple, streamlined looks of Shintori and Peoples 7. They kept the grey walls left by the previous establishment, Cantonese restaurant Tao Hua, but added bursts of colour in the form of paintings by an international group of artists from places like Indonesia, the United States and Australia.

"Grey is perfect for printing, but not for eating," said Belin. "It's beautiful, but it's cold, heartless."

To make it comfortable, they designed the upstairs to include platform seating along the walls. Guests must remove their shoes (fuzzy grey slippers are provided) and climb up to their tables, a task that seems considerably tougher for the servers carrying steaming plates of food.

Dotted with colourful pillows, the platform tables are popular both with small groups and couples on dates. "I want people to feel casual," said Belin. "To sit here and enjoy the music, the food, their friends."

By honest, Belin said, he and his partner meant the prices. While other Thai restaurants in town may serve tasty food, they aren't as easy on the wallet. Lan Na Thai is one of Belin's favourites but, he said, "I can't afford to eat there every week." So he and Ng, also an owner of Bali Laguna, tried to make Thai Gallery affordable, with appetizers from 28 to 35 yuan (US$3.4 to 4.2) and dishes like a whole (generous) steamed fish for 88 yuan (US$10.6).

Sexy? Thai Gallery's music - which alternates between romantic lounge, jazz, and chill house - and its dim lighting (plus the option of sharing a meal on what is essentially a bed) are starters.

And then there's the food, which includes traditional favourites like tom yam goong (spicy and sour soup with prawns and lemongrass, 38 yuan) (US$4.6), khow phad bai horpra (chicken and thai basil fried rice, 35 yuan) (US$4.2), and design-your-own curry, in which diners pick from five types of curry and add either vegetables, meat or shrimp from 45 to 58 yuan (US$5.4 to 7).

Twists on the classics include wok-fried crab with onion in curry sauce 98 yuan (US$12), spicy chicken salad 35 yuan (US$4.2) and stir-fried kale with crispy pork 38 yuan (US$4.6).

"It's good to lounge about on all the cushions - it's like a bed," said Dave Smith from London, as he picked at a shrimp cake from his perch on a platform on a recent night. "Not only does the food taste good, but the place looks good. It's modern and comfortable."

Smith, 22, said Thai Gallery's open spaces put him at ease. "There are Thai restaurants in Shanghai that are good, but you're eating elbow to elbow. Here it's more open and spacious. It's ultra-relaxing."

Belin and Ng are aiming to set the restaurant apart in other ways, too. They want to start offering back massages - free, of course - after dinner. Another plan involves having fortune tellers and henna tattoo artists on hand.

Perhaps their most ambitious goal is to open 24 hours a day in the near future. It's an idea inspired by personal need, said Belin, a self-described "party machine".

"I'm fed up with the choices after (late-night clubs) Park 97 and Dragon Club," he said. "Bifengtang, street meat ..."

His ideal night would instead end with a hearty entree from Thai Gallery, a side of massage and a fortune (hold the cookie) for dessert.

Thai Gallery

127 Datian Lu (near Beijing Lu)

Tel: (021) 6217-9797