Grubsnitch

GA-ROSSSS!!! and the service has been bad and snooty and nasty the few times I have endured this monstrosity of a restaurant.

Thanks in large part to Beet's precipitous decline, Longtan is now my favorite Slope Thai.  I won't make the case for it being completely genuine.  And I agree with Ben that it is too self-consciously hip.  That said, I've eaten very well at Longtan.  I find the prices to be reasonable, the service good, and the atmosphere fully tolerable (unlike, say, Song, with its bone-shatteringly loud techno clanging off its concrete-bunker walls).  The last time I was at Longtan (last week), I ordered the kangaroo appetizer.  It was organic (a prerequisite for any meat I order) and absolutely delicious - tender as can be, lean, rare, flavorful, and not the least bit gamey.  I would have been thrilled with this $9 appetizer at a fancy restaurant for twice the price.  Several weeks ago I had a fish entree that likewise transcended my expectations for a Brooklyn Thai restaurant - flaky, moist, and perfectly paired with its sides (though I can't honestly remember what they were).  The not fried fresh salad rolls taste as fresh as they should.  The Pad-Thai is pretty standard - squeeze on some lime and you're in business, but it's nothing special.  If you're dining on a budget, they have great bar specials - you can eat for considerably less just by sitting at the bar.

*Yawn* the place is overly hip and the food is bland. Not a big surprise for Thai food in NYC. A little spicy but no flavor. Somebody please prove me a wrong and recommend a great Thai place! The website has lots of good reviews clipped from reputable sources but they are all from five or six years ago. This leads me to suspect that Long Tan is past its prime.