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Dan Thai Jazz Bistro in High Point boasts one of the most active Web sites I've ever seen for a restaurant. I cannot recall seeing such color and flash, such pleasant music, so many photos, such a thorough explanation of the concept, anywhere else. But the designers failed to include the fundamentals, such as hours and credit cards. Such gaps -- of one kind or another -- came to characterize my experiences with this restaurant.

Dan Doby, one of the partners, is a Burlington native who lived in Thailand and became enamored with Thai cuisine while working in cultural affairs at the American Embassy. Palinda Mongkhonkham, who grew up in Thailand, is co-owner.

Inside the restaurant, charcoal walls, Thai carvings, and large photographs from the 1950s of Noophon, Palinda's mother, create a sophisticated ambience. The "jazz" in the restaurant's name comes from live music on weekends, arranged in part in homage to the legendary John Coltrane, whose home was in High Point. More performances are planned for the future, in cooperation with area schools of music.

Readers often tell me that they are worried about getting Thai food that is "too hot." At Dan Thai, as in most Thai restaurants, intensity is a matter of customer choice. When I did not specify a level of heat, I found food here tended toward the upper end of the scale (which I like).

Two starters ranked in the midrange, relative to other area restaurants of similar concept. Dan Thai Spring Rolls ($6.95) are available with chicken, vegetables or shrimp. My party chose shrimp. We found them light in texture, not greasy, accompanied by a fiery pepper sauce along with a sweetish dipping sauce. A large Seared Scallop ($6.95) is presented on sliced eggplant with wasabi mashed potatoes and a balsamic teriyaki sauce.

No one at my table was fond of the Dumplings ($6.95/five), however. Firm, tough interiors, much like an overcooked meat ball, produced a kind of old meat off-taste. Sliced lettuce and an orange slice added color, albeit no connection regarding flavor. A serving of Calamari ($6.95) consisted of thick, tough slices, crisply fried in an almost tempura treatment, a little greasy. A Thai chili sauce lent flavor, but due to the texture, I could not get past more than one bite.

Tom Kha Gai ($5.95) -- fresh sliced chicken with tomatoes, mushrooms and onions in a spicy coconut soup, rich with lemon grass and cilantro flavor -- could draw me back, though. This is hot and spicy, a very generous portion, explosive in flavor. Yum Chicken Salad ($7.95) uses shredded chicken spiced with chili and lime juice over zucchini, green and red onions, celery, and tomatoes, on lettuce. I would return for this, too.

Entrée prices include a small salad of iceberg lettuce, red cabbage, sliced tomato, partially peeled cucumber, and carrot, with a peanut-ginger dressing.

Sweet and Sour Vegetables ($10.95) join snow peas, carrots, green beans, bell peppers, baby corn, cucumber, pineapple, mushrooms, fresh tomatoes, and green onions in a sweet and sour sauce. Cashews ($10.95) are stir fried with pineapple, onions, snow peas, celery, red and green peppers, and carrots in a brown sauce. These preparations are also available with shrimp, chicken, beef, pork, tofu, or duck (add $2). A member of my party ordered shrimp with the cashews; they were large, deveined, and tender.

I am usually a big fan of curry dishes, and the two I tried here reminded me of the reasons -- wonderful aroma as well as deep, rich flavor. I ordered Panang Curry ($10.95) with scallops; they were tender, their natural buttery flavor well served in a combination of green peas, carrots, white onions, and zucchini, in a coconut milk-based broth with peanut sauce. My portion of Red Curry ($10.95) came with rather firm chicken breast meat, plus green and red peppers, onions, green beans, noodles, and a little eggplant, along with fresh Thai basil leaves, producing luscious flavor from the spicy-hot soup.

In Grilled Prawns and Scallops ($18.95), the large shrimp were a bit tough, although quite flavorful, while the scallops remained tender. These were served with cucumbers in a vegetable medley, plus fried rice and a creamy red chili sauce. The menu promised sautéed lentils, but I never found any.

Spicy Seafood ($14.95) repeated that thick, tough calamari, along with more palatable stir-fried mussels, large, deveined shrimp, and scallops, flavored with fresh basil leaves and cilantro, white onion slices, green beans, noodles, and grilled red pepper slices. Absent the squid, this would be a winner.

Desserts cost $5.50; they all arrive in attractive presentations. Laces of raspberry and chocolate surrounded a dense Crème Brulee Cheese Cake. A martini glass of whipped cream flanked rich Chocolate Lava Cake, served warm. Deep Fried Banana had been tempura battered and served with a buttery caramel sauce, vanilla ice cream alongside. But be forewarned -- the coffee tastes like instant.

I found service earnest, with lots of personality, but erratic. Dishes arrived in no predictable pattern; some people would have a hot entrée on the table, while others had nothing, and enough time elapsed between arrivals to obviate polite waiting. We just passed everything around, so no one looked on hungry while someone else ate.

Promotion specials include $5 wines on Tuesday, $5 "guy night" on Wednesday, $5 martinis on Thursday, $5 frozen drinks on Friday, and bartender specials on Saturday with $5.95 appetizers at the bar.

A summary reflection: You can have a good time and a good meal here, but the overall experience might be inconsistent.

John Batchelor is a freelance contributor who has been reviewing restaurants for more than 20 years. You can reach him at P.O. Box 20848, Greensboro, NC 27420 or send e-mail to john.e.batchelor@gmail.com.