BLACKSBURG -- A new restaurant on Jackson Street in Blacksburg offers patrons authentic Thai cuisine in a trendy, Los Angeles atmosphere.

Cafe de Bangkok's owners say they are looking to bring a breath of fresh air to the area with its hip ambiance.

The cafe is owned and operated by three friends in their mid-20s.

The restaurant business is in 24-year-old Valaipetch "Aivey" Charoensombut-amorn's blood, as her parents own two restaurants in Bangkok, Thailand.

"It's always been a dream of mine," she said.

Charoensombut-amorn came to the United States to attend Purdue University for a degree in management and finance.

While doing an internship in Los Angeles, she got a part-time job at the Natalee Thai restaurant in Beverly Hills, where her dream seemed possible.

She first became acquainted with the New River Valley when she visited her sister, who attends classes at Virginia Tech.

"I would come down to visit and wanted somewhere to eat that reminded me of home, so I called my friends to see if they wanted to start a restaurant," she said.

Her best friend, Ekarin "Andrew" Boonurai, whom she met freshman year at Purdue, is now co-owner of Cafe de Bangkok.

The other co-owner is her cousin, Thanadoul "Kim" Khunngam.

Boonurai, 25, also grew up in the restaurant business and has his own Thai eatery, Sunset Thai, on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles.

Boonurai likes the feel of Blacksburg.

"It's just a cozy, nice little town," he said.

He enjoys a break from the hectic life of the big city.

"It's nice, just walking down the street and seeing people you know, you don't get that in L.A."

Khunngam, 23, has a different background.

As a film major at the State University of New York at Buffalo, he got an internship with MTV Films in Los Angeles as a post-production project coordinator.

He's worked on films such as "Aeon Flux," "Failure to Launch," "Hustle & Flow" and "Four Brothers."

Khunngam also owns a restaurant in California.

When he got the call from Charoensombut-amorn to open one in Blacksburg, he jumped at the chance.

"Everyone knows this is one of my dreams," he said.

And just like that, Cafe De Bangkok was born.

Dishes such as spring rollsand Pad Thai are most commonly associated with authentic Thai food, but Charoensombut-amorn hopes to turn customers on to more traditional dishes such as Panang curry and drunken noodles.

Thai food is known for its balance of hot (spicy), sour, sweet and salty flavors in each dish or the overall meal. Staples of Thai cuisine include coconut milk, basil leaves, lemon grass and jasmine rice, which is indigenous to Thailand.

Drinks such as Thai iced tea and bubble tea also are offered at the cafe.

Thai iced tea is made from red tea and is sweetened with sugar and milk, while bubble tea is a blend of sweetened iced tea and milk that is shaken to mix thoroughly, which produces small bubbles that have come to characterize the drink. Black, gummy balls of tapioca sit at the bottom of the cup and are sucked up through oversized straws.

Charoensombut-amorn said her emphasis is on service.

"I love my staff, and we make sure to introduce ourselves to customers and try to learn their names, too, because without our customers we would have no restaurant," she said.

Within the next six months, the three owners plan to open another Cafe de Bangkok in the area.

In the meantime, the Blacksburg location is making plans to offer a sushi bar, complete with an authentic Japanese chef, as well as serve coffees, cakes and other desserts.

Cafe De Bangkok is at 104 Jackson St., Suite 100, in Blacksburg. Call 951-THAI (8424) or visit www.cafedebkk.com for more information.