After playing around with an upscale vibe on a forgotten corner of the International District for a long time, the owners of the Tamarind Tree have entered the Belltown fray in full, nightclub-style force. Long borrows most of its menu from Tamarind Tree, but unlike its predecessor, it has fully realized the überlounge vision—most of the surfaces are black (except when they’re red), bamboo screens obscure the outside world, and a jellyfish tank provides a few neon dots of color and entertainment. We know that a lot of downtowners eat lunch here, but we can’t imagine stepping foot inside before 8pm.

The menu is stupidly long for a place where most revelers are sipping sparkling lychee foam. It’s like they took every dish on the Tamarind Tree’s gargantuan menu and then added a few more fusiony items to the mix. As at Tamarind Tree, you’re best off favoring one extreme or another: order something simple like banh xeo (savory pancakes) or a rice dish loaded with lemongrass, or pick over the range of crossover appetizers like battered prawns served with hoisin-chili sauce and baguette slices.

The latter approach might be more satisfying: starters are usually interesting, and besides, eating pho in this type of environment just feels ridiculous.