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After walking up an emerald-colored, carpeted staircase and ducking behind a flagstone façade, diners emerge into a wood-paneled room edged in leftover Christmas trimmings, fake grape vines, and posters of Buddhist shrines and Thai royalty. The NYU students who frequent the conveniently placed spot don’t fixate on the surroundings, though; they care that the food comes fast and the menu is vast. Too-chewy charbroiled beef mars a yum nurh salad, pad Thai leaves a cloyingly sweet aftertaste, and spicy chicken fried rice arrives slick with oil. So be it. Brightly flavored bean thread noodles with lime juice, chili peppers, and shrimp proves to be a rare gem among the paste, however. Another plus: Service takes spice requests seriously. Ask for it hot and even the most mediocre dishes will come alive with tongue-searing Siamese seasoning. — Kathleen Squires

Yum Wun Sen, $7.95