IN THE NEWS

"Fashion and food have always shared an appetite for drama, and this season we set the table for both. Atop the 31st floor of Lincoln Square South in Bellevue, two stylish heroines slip from the clamor of the kitchen into Ascend Prime’s well-appointed dining room. They’re dressed in fall’s boldest silhouettes and colors from Pacific Northwest designers and shops. Here, every look is plated to perfection — proof that style, like cuisine, is best when it leaves you wanting more."

"Ascend Prime Steak & Sushi offers a refined fusion of traditional techniques and bold, contemporary flavors. Partnering with rare Japanese fresh auction markets, it sources premium seafood like bluefin tuna, sea urchin, and Kegani crab. Guests are invited to creative old The rotating oralsashimi highlights chef-curated nigiri that push the boundaries of traditional sushi"

"Ascend Prime Steak & Sushi delivers...with the evolution of off-menu or 'secret menu' options like the Scorpion Chop and The Hive. Executive Chef Brandon Muehl thinks it’s always exciting both as a chef and a restaurant guest to experience something unique not seen on the menu. 'Oftentimes I find that an off-menu item is a chance to get even more creative and have fun with ingredients and techniques that we are passionate about,' he says."

"You will have a challenging time deciding what to order when you discover the vastness and elegance of the menu items. Popular dishes include Steak & Egg Fried Rice, Chicharron Chicken & Waffle, Fruitopia Pancakes, Lardon, Hash & Eggs, and more. Steak & Egg Fried Rice, a nod to Chinese fried rice, consists of crispy prime beef, beet-infused rice wrapped in a thin crepe of quail eggs, scallions, and mushrooms. For a spin on the iconic brunch dish, Chicken & Waffles, Ascend rustled up Chicharron Chicken & Waffle"

"Panoramic Pacific Northwest views with culinary and mixology accolades abound...Ascend Prime also touts a variety of wedding event options, from four private dining suites to partial and full buyouts within the 22,000-square-foot venue."

"By 2010, Muehl was a chef in Seattle’s Wakefield Bar, then a sous chef for Ascend in 2019, eventually rising to Ascend’s executive chef position in 2021. Muehl has since spearheaded Ascend’s weekend brunch, was a featured chef in the pop-up dinner series Field to Table, and was named 425 magazine’s best chef of 2023."

"When Ascend Prime Steak & Sushi burst onto the Eastside culinary scene in 2018, it was roundly applauded for the experience it provided - delectable food, incredible views from the 31st floor of Lincoln Square South, and the kind of service that keeps guests coming back for happy hours, brunches, and celebratory dinners alike. With several private dining rooms, beautiful cocktails perfectly mixed, and distinctive decor (like the five styles of tree roots adorning the main dining room), Ascend offers something special to each guest."

"The Bellevue, Washington-based restaurant group is honored for innovative efforts to support and empower employees, including an expanded benefits program, and mentorship and development opportunities"

"When it comes to savoring a special meal showcasing A5 Japanese Wagyu, Muehl and his team at Ascend Prime Steak & Sushi like to keep the beef in its truest form — accompanied by a bit of salt and a prepared in a carbon steel pan...And to round out the decadent feast? Muehl likes to maintain a balance with complementary pureed butter potatoes and grilled vegetables on the side."

"In a large and complex business like Ascend, Lavin says each role is crucial in helping to create a positive guest experience — from the host team that seats the guests to the bar staff crafting those Instagram-worthy cocktails and the entirety of the culinary team behind the scenes. To keep the team cohesive, fine-dining restaurants like Ascend provide as much on-the-job training as possible. 'We use our daily pre-shift meeting for tastings and role play practices, and we have several department leaders who teach weekly classes on specific products,' Lavin says."

"[Executive Chef Brandon] Muehl said Ascend gives people the ability to continue learning and growing, no matter their position.

'I think the most important thing is that we feel heard, appreciated and respected,' Muehl said. 'You go to some places and they might hit on a few of those core ideas, but I think AHG encompasses all of it. They really are a hospitality group for the people.'"

"Thirty-one floors above downtown Bellevue, this steak-meets-sushi restaurant could coast on views and clubby vibes, but Ascend’s prices feel far more justified once you experience the luxe crudos, appetizers, steaks, and sides flawlessly executed to be greater than the sum of their (many) parts. The tiered steak menu is the big draw, filled with tomahawk chops and Wagyu priced by the ounce. But the sushi bar is equally impressive with traditional nigiri or modern roll concoctions of spicy tuna and prosciutto. Servers are intensely, impeccably trained to support and advise, from the wine list to the theatrics of the dessert menu."

"The mixology team here prides itself in using fresh ingredients and housemade syrups and bitters. 'Our cocktails create new experiences that not only dance on the palate, but are visually stunning,' says Lee. 'At Ascend, our spirits and wines are carefully curated from all around the world, providing our guests with unique experiences that can’t be eclipsed.'"

"Ascend Prime Steak & Sushi sits way up on the 31st floor of the Lincoln Square South-Tower building in Bellevue, Washington, and everything about it is remarkable. This place is worth visiting for the views alone, but the food also happens to be absolutely delicious, too. Ascend Prime Steak & Sushi offers an unparalleled dining experience, to put it mildly."

"Opened in June 2018, the aptly named Ascend Prime Steak & Sushi is located at the top of a corporate building, allowing guests to take in the stunning view of Seattle’s verdant scenery and stunning architecture. The interior is nothing but elegant as well...the main dining area features enormous cast replicas of tree roots suspended in the air. The trees in the dining room are the exact same wood that the chefs use in the kitchen to grill meat and poultry."

"The patio...boast[s] 360 degree views of the Seattle Skyline, the Cascade Range, Mouth Rainier and Lake Washington. American steakhouse and Japanese sushi bar come together to bring guests top notch food and service."

"Ascend Prime Steak & Sushi offers one of a kind experiences and dishes for diners in their elevated restaurant. And we mean elevated literally. Ascend is on the 31st floor of the Lincoln Square Tower in Bellevue, offering unobstructed views of Seattle, the Olympics, the Cascade Range and Lake Washington. Ascend adds to the experience by offering dishes you can’t get anywhere else, like steak made from olive-fed beef, so tender it will melt in your mouth."

"Sure, you could wait for a special occasion to treat yourself to one of these fine dining establishments, but life is short. Take the elevator up to the 31st floor in the Lincoln Square South Tower for a phenomenal meal."

"From the complimentary bread service—artistry in dough form—to the dry-ice-dressed Skyfall dessert, the meal unleashes trick after trick, clearly the result of many hours of preparation and a massive kitchen staff. The service—close to the likes of Canlis and Cafe Juanita—makes this dance between kitchen and diner look easy. All of it could so easily be too much, but, somehow, this place pulls off the seemingly impossible: a meal as impressive as that view."

"Ascend Prime Steak and Sushi is possibly the only restaurant between here and Las Vegas that dedicates two full-time staff members simply to the bread plate that comes before dinner. A morning baker produces adzuki bean milk bread buns and nori-checkered crackers; during service a sous chef assembles them alongside housemade agedashi tofu, fried to order, and butter umamified with nori paste"

"The press release prepared me for the panoramic views, the extravagant décor and the stratospheric prices, but I didn’t expect to be so wowed by the food, writes Seattle Times restaurant critic Providence Cicero. Everything sampled over two visits revealed precision, imagination and a good bit of swagger to boot."