Ask a Hell’s Kitchen resident to point you in the direction of the best Thai restaurant on Ninth Avenue, and chances are pretty good that you’ll soon find a Wondee in your field of vision. There is no denying that Wondee Siam has flourished in the eleven years since it opened–in 2002, the flagship restaurant spawned a sibling (Wondee II) across the street, and then this month, a third Wondee (Wondee III) appeared ten blocks south on a rapidly developing stretch of Tenth Avenue. But since when is another restaurant in a chain news? Despite their common names, locals will tell you that the two original Wondees are far from interchangeable twins: Wondee I, even with its scruffy décor, is where table service is best, and where some people (not us) say New York’s best Thai food lives, while Wondee II’s food tends to be prepared spicier and with less oil, and therefore holds up better to carryout or delivery. Whether this differentiation is part of executive chef Phimploy Likitsansook’s master plan or is simply a happy accident, each restaurant maintains its own, quite distinct, role on a street stuffed to bursting with competitors. All of which begs the question: What might Wondee III become?

After a few meals at the new location, we are starting to think that 641 Tenth Avenue might be the Wondee where you wouldn’t be ashamed to take a date. Most of the menu is the same as at the other two locations–only a few noodle dishes appear to have been dropped or given new names, and nearly all the traditional Thai classics are still on offer. The kanom jeeb (pictured left, $4.95 for four), for example are every bit as uninspiring at Wondee III as they are at the other Wondees. We keep hoping that one of the cooks will amp up the flavors in these bland and heavy little mixed-meat nuggets, but for now, they remain a last resort on a menu where nearly every other option is at least decent.

Much better is the som tum (pictured right, $8.95), a shredded green papaya salad, made extra salty with dried shrimp and plenty of fish sauce and lime juice, and with enough red chili to cut through the salad’s strong umami overtones. If there is a better version of this, our favorite Thai salad, in the area, we have yet to taste it. And suspiciously, Wondee III’s som tum tastes exactly like Wondee II’s did until recently; we wonder if there hasn’t been a little kinky inter-restaurant chef-swapping going on among the Wondees. A conspicuously light touch with the oil on our kee mao noodles with squid (pictured left, $9.95) also makes us suspect that Wondee II’s former chef might have decamped for the new restaurant. This dish has always been one of our favorites, and it is heartening to see it prepared with generous handfuls of basil, slightly firm noodles, and most importantly: without an excess of grease.

The curries, especially the green curry (pictured on Flickr with shrimp, $11.95) still seem to be a work in progress: The bamboo shoots can sometimes be a bit too acidic and sour, especially since they are intended to offer more of a textural contrast to softer ingredients like cooked peppers. Nevertheless, Wondee III’s rich coconut curry broth is still solid and manages to keep the dish enjoyable. Few diners attempt the country style curry (also $9.95-$11.95), but, when ordered extra spicy, it is a great example of how one spoonful of food can provide an oscillating circuit of fiery heat and soothing coconut.

While we do not recommend trying the hottest dish on a menu when on a blind date, we do love how the new Wondee’s 1970s-inspired color palette and neverending tricolor leatherette banquette give the place a quirky, Via-Emilia-on-quaaludes appeal. If the first Wondee is too gritty a spot to bring a new friend, and ordering in from the second is too intimate, the strange, sleek charms of the third might be just the perfect solution. Who knew there was enough room in the city for another Wondee?

Wondee Siam III, 641 Tenth Avenue (between 45th and 46th Streets), 212-245-4601.