Umaii, located in Porters Neck Center, opened last month about one month later than originally expected. The slight delay may have heightened the anticipation of diners eager to try out the new venture co-owned by Toth Somsnith, Lai Somsnith and Pamuka Holt.

The Somsnith brothers have owned Tokyo 101 for four-and-a-half years while Holt, a Thai native, has worked at Big Thai in Landfall Center and Thai Spice in Monkey Junction.

“We’ve seen a lot of carryover from our Tokyo 101 customers and I would say that the first month has exceeded our expectations,” said Toth Somsnith. “We’ve had a lot of positive feedback.”

The restaurant’s specialties include drunken noodles, pad thai, crispy duck, and a variety of curries.

“In addition to our house specialties, papaya salad, larb gai, (a cold appetizer) and sushi have all been very popular so far,” said Pamuka Holt.

The 2,000-square-foot restaurant seats 70 diners inside and another 16 on the patio. Toth Somsnith hopes to expand the patio seating to accommodate up to 30.

“Our goal is to provide the most authentic Thai food experience to our customers,” said Toth Somsnith. “We feel we provide the right flavors and just the right amount of spice.”

Umaii is located at 8209 Market St. in the Porters Neck Center.

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