Thai Lily has a board with five cartoon faces expressing varying degrees of red indicating hotness/spiciness levels to help diners determine which level to choose.

On a first visit, when spiciness and spices are the main components of some cuisines, one faces the dilemma of whether to go for mild, medium or spicy, as mild in some places has more spiciness than expected while some mids are just plain bland. Very hot is never a consideration for me; I prefer a balance of flavors. Still skeptical, but based on the chart I opted for the mild, which was different in the two starters we sampled.

The family-run business serves Thai and Japanese dishes, each reflecting its own side of the menu. Japanese listings are mostly variations of yakitori, depending on the number of skewers and add-ons.

Thai dishes include curries, soups, noodles, house specialties and more. Our server said the Pad Thai ($10) was obviously the most popular item along with the Drunken Noodles ($10.50). She noted that the garlic pepper ($11) was also a favorite.

Several standard appetizers are available, including spring rolls, fried shrimp balls, and fried dumplings, among others. Since the yakitori had such prominence on one side of the menu, we started with two skewers ($2.50 each).

They arrived at our table with a very large bowl of jasmine rice. The skewered pieces of grilled chicken sat in a pool of teriyaki sauce. The salty taste enhanced the tenderness of the meat. It was a tasty start and different from the varied seasonings to come.

When ordering a yakitori meal, two scoops of rice, a small salad, and onion rings are included.

The massive amount of rice was just a prelude to the large portions served shortly after the yakitori. Drunken noodles are flat, made with rice and topped with tangy soy and oyster sauces. Green onions, bean sprouts, pieces of scrambled egg, and pieces of Thai basil were part of the mix. A variety of proteins are available. I chose the chicken; other choices were pork, beef, tofu, shrimp, vegetables and seafood.

At first, the spiciness was barely noticeable. The more I ate, the more obvious it became. My palate has never been overwhelmed; instead, the level simply enriched the dish.

The garlic pepper and pork had a bit more spice. The starter certainly deserves its name thanks to the tangy, tangy garlic. Suddenly we were grateful that there was so much rice because it provided balance.

A constant flow of diners and takeout orders kept the friendly and efficient staff busy but not disturbed. The decor features several large portraits of what appeared to be Thai royalty and many small Asian items adorned the shelves. There was never a problem with the place being noisy; in fact, it was sometimes possible to hear sizzling sounds coming from the kitchen.

I might be ready to move on to another spice level, but know that I’ll never be ready for a taste challenge, Thai Lily’s fifth spice level: “Thai Lily Hot.” The menu states that there are “no remakes” if one is ordered. Based on the red face and bulging eyes on the card, it was clear that this was a category all its own.