Ascend Prime Steak & Sushi — Restaurant in Bellevue

It was recently my birthday, and I decided to go to Seattle for a weekend to celebrate with my wife and a friend of ours. The capstone of the weekend was birthday dinner Saturday at Ascend, where they provided great tasting food with even better service!

We made reservations beforehand, and were seated promptly at our table. The ambiance is modern and upscale, with upbeat music playing in the background at a moderate volume, allowing normal conversation at the table. Our server asked for our water preference (bottled or tap), and after we made our choice, it was quickly brought out and refilled throughout the night. After ordering our beverages and food, we did not have to wait long to start enjoying our dinner.

Starting with beverages, my Washingtonian (similar to an Old Fashioned) was presented in a glass that was enclosed by a larger glass with smoke inside of it, such that it provided an even bigger bang of smokiness to the overall drink, and it worked. I went for seconds on that, and it remained consistently great. Next were the appetizers, which consisted of oysters for my wife and friend, and the wagyu sliders and pork belly for the table. My wife and friend gave an enthusiastic thumbs up to the oysters, and the slider and pork belly I tasted were delicious, though the pork belly inched above as the better dish of the two. It was almost like a miniature ramen appetizer as the flavors of the tonkotsu broth and pork belly were reminiscent of ramen, and the quail egg brought it all together once the yolk was mixed in.

For my main entrée, I ordered the Cap of Ribeye wagyu Angus crossbreed (a first for me), with sides of the truffle Mac and Cheese and Fries. Our server even provided her honest recommendation of eating it as-is without any additions, which I did and am thankful for! My wife ordered an assortment of nigiri, given Ascend markets itself as a steakhouse and sushi restaurant, and our friend ordered the venison. My steak was cooked to a perfect medium with a great sear on all sides. It fused the flavor of wagyu with the bite of an Angus steak beautifully; both aspects shined in every bite. Overall, I still prefer a nice wagyu steak, but this is not a bad compromise at all, considering you get good marbleization throughout, but the fat is not as prominent as wagyu if you are not into that flavor and texture (though, I am). The bite of venison I had was not chewy or gamey at all and tasted top-notch. My wife was underwhelmed, unfortunately, by the sushi, exemplified only by the otoro piece I had; not bad, but definitely overpriced, as we have had better otoro for a lower price (a thought I had overall about the whole dinner). The Mac and Cheese had a too-subtle truffle flavor, and the fries were adequate.

We ordered the "Halo" for dessert, and Ascend graciously also brought a "Skyfall" for me as a birthday gift, which was an amazing personal touch, as the plate itself had "Happy Birthday" written on it. The presentation on both dishes was clever and imaginative, as it related back to each dessert's namesake. The coconut ice cream and passion fruit caramel in the "Halo" provided a classic sweet and acidity combination that tasted refreshing, with mango pieces added to further add texture and more fruity flavor that tied everything together. My "Skyfall" tasted as exquisite as it was presented, with the panna cotta having a perfectly light texture that was elevated by the macaron. Both desserts were a fantastic way to end the night on.

To sum, I thoroughly enjoyed my birthday dinner at Ascend, with the marvelous service and desserts being the standout. The beverages and food were great, however, I felt it is fairly pricey compared to other fine dining meals I've had. I did not get the full experience of having the view from 30 floors in the sky of the city, as it was cloudy, thus, maybe the view would have added to the overall meal and justified the price more. I am happy to have dined here for dinner, and would recommend at least a visit to anyone in the area looking fantastic fine dining food...

My boyfriend and I came here for date night this past weekend and I'm happy to say that Ascend definitely did not disappoint!

Appetizers: For appetizers, we got the Tuna and Tobiko Sushi Tacos and the Truffle Mac & Cheese. Ascend also provides complimentary bread and this was a wonderful tasting experience! The Sushi Tacos were delicious- all of the flavors complemented one another perfectly. It was a bit messy (at least for me, my boyfriend had no issue with this LOL) but the flavor was great. My boyfriend was obsessed with the Truffle Mac & Cheese, I wasn't as crazy about it, but I still thought it was good! It's pretty rich and quite filling, so if you're ordering it I think it's best to share. The portion is also generous, especially for being listed as a side. The complimentary bread was super fun and interesting to taste! From left to right, you're given a pastry that comes with a tube that you use to poke into the enclosure and fill it with a savory/salty paste. The middle section was a crispy rice pastry with nori seasoning. The texture and flavor of the last bread was great. It included mushroom and was a little sturdier but also perfectly flaky. It came with butter and a dark sauce (can't remember the name) but I feel like it went together perfectly with this bread.

Drinks: I got the Joy Ride and my boyfriend got the Knight Rider. I was surprised that out of the two of us, my drink was a lot stronger. The Joy Ride is mixed with patron silver, grapefruit, lime, a prickly pear purée, strawberry shishito syrup, ancho reyes chile, soda, and agave syrup. It's more on the bitter side and got me drunk LOL, but yummy. The presentation of it was also cute, I loved the cup that it came in. The Knight Rider was less exciting and I felt that neither name nor the flavor fits this drink. Its appearance is an orange-y pink color, and it's more of a fruity cocktail. The Knight Rider is mixed with corazon blanco tequila, aperol, lemon, yuzu, ginger, pineapple demerara, and lime. I felt that it was a lot lighter on the alcohol too. Although the name doesn't fit the cocktail well, it still was delicious! My boyfriend also got an espresso, and it was strong and tasty.

Entrées: We were already getting full at this point, but I got the Spicy Tuna and Prosciutto Roll and my boyfriend got 5 ounces of the Kuroge Purebreed Wagyu. My roll was made with bubu arare, avocado, tomato relish, and bottarga. Also, I have to give credit where credit is due: this roll was very spicy! I'm pretty good at handling spice but this roll made my tongue tingle a bit (in the best way LOL!). If you're a spice lover, this roll definitely doesn't disappoint- not to mention how wonderful the flavor is collectively. Now, moving into the highlight of the night: the Kuroge Purebreed Wagyu. This was the BEST steak I have ever tried in my life. I've had wagyu before, and it doesn't even come close to competing with this one. The chef recommends medium rare plus for this steak, and we went with the recommendation. Literally perfection! I'll never stop boasting about how delicious it was. The outer parts of the steak are cooked a little more sturdily with a perfect amount of butter, while maintaining a tender inside. I HIGHLY recommend trying this steak if you pay a visit to Ascend.

Dessert: Dessert was the weakest part of our meal. We ordered the Pandora- a lighter dessert, with black currant mousse, hazelnut cremeux, dark chocolate cake, basil sponge cake, and chocolate meringue. We liked the fact that the dessert was light since we were already pretty full, but it was so light to the point where no flavors really jumped out at us. I was hoping that the dark chocolate cake would have a bit more depth to the flavor, but I could barely taste the chocolate. My favorite component of this the hazelnut, but other than that it was a miss for me.

Service: Service was slow at times, but mostly great! Servers were very knowledgeable and quick to answer any and all questions.

Atmosphere: Beautiful rooftop location with a great view. Interior is sexy...

TLDR: Some fancy pants food! Dessert is to die for. Small proportions. Perfect for celebrating any occasion. Be prepared to shell out. Bring your good camera. Dine during the day for a perfect view.

Tip: Located on the 31st floor with an incredible view. Much better experience to dine during daylight hours on a clear sunny day to enjoy the fantastic view! You can see the bridge and mountain ranges!

Atmosphere: dressy casual. It's a perfect place to have a fancy dinner with friends or a loved one. Family friendly--but I suggest only bringing children if you know they will behave appropriately because a lot of people make reservations here specifically to celebrate special occasions (I think most people would greatly appreciate not having a rambunctious child running around their table). Be sure to check out the wagyu display where they fire up the cuts; it's pretty cool.

Service: wait to be seated, order at the table, you will be watered, check brought to you. Depending on what you order and how attentive your server is, your lap napkin and utensils will be changed and crumbs wiped off your table after each item is brought out. In terms of water there are several different options to choose from including sparkling and distilled. Restrooms are hidden around the corner near the elevators.

Menu: Pricey! Simple and descriptive. Proportions are not really large so don't expect to be comatose after eating. It's also safe to assume that you can't share anything and be full unless you shell out and order a full on cut of wagyu. If you get wagyu, the server will tell you about all the kinds and where they come from.

FYI: Happy Hour Menu is only available in the Lounge.

Complimentary bread: combo of tiny fill-it-yourself cream puffs, nori crusted thin rice crackers, and some sort of bread and butter. Very fancy and appetite whetting. The novelty of filling my own cream puffs elicited a sensible chuckle from me--too cute and fun.

King Salmon Ceviche Sushi: Wow, the flavors blend so nicely together. There is no dipping sauces for this because it simply doesn't need any extra flavor. The pear inside adds a refreshing crisp taste to the roll. The salmon was also very tender and melt in your mouth consistency. I love the tang that the tomatoes provided as well.

Sushi Tacos (King Salmon and Ikura): I love the spicy sauce that it comes with! The salmon was tender and the ikura was tasty along with the mango bits. All flavors blended so nicely! I have to admit, it was a little difficult to eat because the taco is a hard cracker, so biting it made it completely fall apart.

Wagyu Beef Sliders: incredibly tender and flavorful. I love the tiny soft buns that it comes with. I wish this was an actual burger by itself!

Hokkaido Wagyu Beef: oh. my. word. So extremely tender and juicy. Lightly flavored and oh so melt in your mouth. It's a shame that something like this can't be eaten like a bag of chips. If you shell out, get this one.

Magic Mushroom Dessert: not for the faint of heart! Not only does this look like a cute little piece from Alice in Wonderland but man oh man, that chocolate mousse is something else! My sweet tooth was satiated to the moon and back. The mousse was so decadent, rich and smooth. I also like the matcha cake crumbles and the lightness of the mini cake itself. The spatula spoon they give you to eat this with is cute and helps you scrape down that mousse to the last lick.

Skyfall Dessert: hands down the most extra and aesthetically pleasing dessert I've had yet. Be sure to get your camera rolling! The fruit on the plate was fresh and the panna cotta was really smooth and savory. Lightly sweetened and wonderful to let sit in your mouth. The macarons were light and, ever so slightly, satisfyingly chewy. It's a great dessert teaser and totally shareable if you just want a nibble of something. The real reason you get this is for the photo/video op though. Come on, you gotta admit that the "mist" arising from the center and cascading over the platter and all around your table is really...