Monsoon season hit Bellevue Dec. 10 when Eric and Sophie Banh brought their popular Seattle restaurant concept to the Eastside.

The sibling entrepreneurs opened their latest Vietnamese bistro on Old Main Street, promising something more than the usual fast pho from other diners of its ilk.

Monsoon East is an extension of its Seattle counterpart, which puts a Northwest variations on traditional Vietnamese cuisine by offering dishes like la lot beef made with flank steak, catfish claypot, and duck-meat stuffed squid.

The Banhs buy local and organic products – including meat – whenever possible, and the fish is ordered fresh every morning at 7 a.m.

The restaurant’s extensive wine menu represents something of a rarity in Asian dining. Beer is normally the complementary beverage for such cuisine, but the Banhs have broken the mold with reislings, sauvignon blancs, and light pinot noirs, which they say are some of their best-sellers.

Both of the owners are chefs. Eric handles meats and the wok, while Sophie’s primary focus is fish and salads.

The Banhs treat cooking as an art form, and it shows in the way their kitchen is completely open to the public eye, acting as a sort of stage.

“I see every night as a sort of performance,” Eric said. “If I can’t please the customers, it’s like a dagger in the heart.”

The décor at Monsoon East is distinctly Asian and antique, with elements of industrial chic thrown in for a modern edge.

The floors are concrete, the lounge tables are steel, and a façade of stacked limestone covers a wall dividing the lobby and main dining room, while reclaimed timber – most of it coming from a 90-year-old church in Hoquiam – adorns most parts of the restaurant.

A 35-foot bar made of wood from a single tree gives the venue a Northwest feel.

The Banhs fled Vietnam in 1979, eventually settling as refugees in Edmonton. Monsoon East shows touches of their native home.

The wooden front door is thick and wide, reminiscent of the entryway for a medieval Asian temple. Its handle is shaped in the form of the Chinese symbol for “East.”

Antique Chinese screens made of hand-carved wood are seen throughout the restaurant, and custom light shades with white, translucent cloth take on the appearance of traditional Asian lanterns.

“Every child who grew up in Vietnam will remember mosquito nets when they see this,” said Sophie.

Monsoon East can seat 50 guests in the main dining room, 15 in the bar, and 25 for private parties.

The restaurant is open daily for dinner from 5-10 p.m., and on Fridays and Saturdays until 11 p.m.

Lunch is available daily from 11 a.m. until 2:30 p.m., and brunch is on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. until 2:30 p.m.

Happy hour is from 4-6:30 p.m. daily, with $5 food and cocktails, as well as $1 oysters.

Joshua Adam Hicks can be reached at jhicks@bellevuereporter.com or 425-453-4290.