Monsoon East begins lunch and brunch service this week, bonus for ladies who partake in the former–almost the entire menu is under $12 (a few entrees creep over $15). An assortment of raw bar items, fresh and fried rolls and noodle bowls round out most of the menu. Crowd favorites crispy drunken chicken, lemongrass steak and la lot beef are all in attendance. Weekend brunch will feature an assortment of dim sum and breakfast items that lean more towards Vietnam (bahn xeo crepes, oxtail pho) alongside those that feel more colonial (brioche French toast, coconut crepes, mushroom scramble).Monsoon East10245 Main St., BELLEVUEMon-Fri Lunch, 11:00am to 2:30pmSat/Sun Brunch, 10:00am to 2:30pmUpdate: The Capitol Hill outpost of Monsoon (615 19th Ave. E.) was slated to close eventually, after developers had bought the building and planned to sprout condos on the site. That deal fell through, so Monsoon West is open indefinitely (though, with the knowledge that the building’s owner could always find another buyer). At least one fortuitous thing from this economic downturn… one less ugly condo-blob on Capitol Hill, many more Sundays with Bahn’s excellent dim sum in Seattle, too.