We received a bum steer recently to a new Thai restaurant in the space of the old Siam Orchid on Second Street, but the big sign hanging out front alerted us that it's new in name only.

No matter, we've had some very good meals at Siam Orchid, and TDC and I never mind going back to a place we remember fondly, no matter the name.

Unfortunately, the Muse Thai Bistro could use more than a new handle to bring its food back to the level we have enjoyed there in the past.

Ambiance 17/20

Our Gourmet: Once inside this classy little eatery — crammed as it is within the boundaires of a strip of commercial establishments, next door to a convenience store — diners are comfortable in an upbeat, snappy and clean restaurant with a crisp Asian decor. Glass-topped tables gleam; creative tracks allow adequate but subtle light; a colorshifting back-lit bar is inviting; and orchids lend as colorful and lovely a touch to each table as plastic flowers can. 8/10

The Dining Companion: The first impression at Muse comes with the unmistakable and thoroughly pleasing aroma of delicate but complex southeast Asian cooking. It's a warm, inviting, pleasurable smell that almost translates into a feeling, and one that leads in almost all cases to a delightful meal. The cleanliness of Muse, and the anticipation of a leisurely meal filled with exotic tastes creates a promising first moment that extends into the evening. 9/10

Menu: 14/20

OG: The menu is large, laminated and crammed with photographs and details and descriptions of a mountain of dishes, obviously meant to entice.

And it does entice, but it also overwhelms. There are nearly 160 choices on the Muse menu — from appetizers, entrees, side dishes, ramen and noodle meals to Iron Chef plates, soups, salads, curry dishes, seafood and stir-fried dinners, fried rice and vegetarian. Top to bottom, it's a tough go to reach a decision, especially when the server appears a minute or two after you're seated and asks if you are ready to order. A great variety, and heavily detailed in small print. 8/10

TDC: The menu, besides overwhelming, is hard to read. The lamination reflects light, making it difficult to find the right angle, and there is artwork in the background of the main menu, in the shape of a heart, whose edges are dark and obscure the words on many of the descriptive paragraphs. Also, there is a multitude of sauces, ingredients and other components that are very repetitive, so one finally determines that there is a high degree of similarity among a majority of the dishes. 6/10

Appetizers: 14/20

OG: I chose Tempura Soft Shell Crab ($7.95) and it was the hit of my evening, although like many Thai servings it was on the small side. Two sections of a delicious, batter-fried soft-shelled crustacean served with a salty house soy sauce, this starter went down in seven bites. Delicious, but left you wanting more. 7/10

TDC: My Gyoza Dumplings (five for $5.95) were better than Chinese ravioli in that the shell was thin and pan-fried to lightly crispy, but they were also quite small, begging the question of how four ingredients (pork, cabbage, onions and spinach) actually fit inside. Tasty, though, with the tiny dish of soy sauce as accompaniment. 7/10

Entrees: 10/20

OG: Racha Trio, of the Iron Chef Specials ($14.95), was disappointing. The slices of marinated, then grilled chicken and pork loin looked exactly the same, and the similarly uniform slices of beef weren't all that different either. Plum sauce manhandled all of this, but the pineapple and vegetables were tasty — if one could escape the plum sauce.

The menu says the cooks for the Iron Chef dishes “use speed, artistry and creativity,” but I think there was more speed here than anything else. 5/10

TDC: I had great hopes for the Crunchy Shrimp Asparagus ($15.95), and I must say it started out well. Stir-fried shrimp with asparagus and bell peppers in a spicy/sweet Thai sriracha sauce, topped with roasted walnuts, is a wonderful blueprint for a nice meal, and it was tasty at the beginning, but soon everything started tasting the same, and ultimately there was just too much variation in temperature and texture and flavors to blend well. 5/10

All the rest 10/20

OG: We had previously enjoyed a nice fried rice dish at Siam Orchid (Pineapple Fried Rice), but the Siam Fried Rice this night, again, was not up to par. The rice was dry, despite the addition of shrimp, pineapple, bell peppers and raisins, maybe because the cashews and fried chicken on top couldn't have been any drier. We asked for sauce and there appeared a trio of small pourers with dried red peppers, a mound of either salt or sugar, and some hot spicy chili sauce, which was good but couldn't salvage much at that point. 5/10

TDC: Service was adequate, but halting, even though there were diners at only two other tables (although there were two parties waiting, and waiting, for to-go orders.) Also, upon ordering we asked for a side of red curry sauce, to accompany this dish or that, but after the food was served we were told they couldn't provide a sample, that they would have to make it fresh. OG offered to pay for some sauce, but then we were told it would take at least five minutes, and at that point we didn't want to wait.

We expected more from a restaurant that upgraded its menu and its prices. 5/10

Total: 65/100