Thirty-one floors above downtown Bellevue, this steak-meets-sushi restaurant could coast on views and clubby vibes, but Ascend’s sky-high 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 six-tier steak menu is the big draw, 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 award-winning wine list to the theatrics of the dessert menu.

Kirkland has changed dramatically in the years since Holly Smith took over the fine dining landmark in 2000. While the Northwest-Italian ethos doesn’t waver, Cafe Juanita has evolved, too, with a renovation that made the dining room more comfortable and tasting menus tailored to omnivores, vegans, vegetarians, and pescatarians.

Carmine’s Bellevue outpost is unabashedly old-school, which feels exciting and new in our current counter service reality. Jacketed servers brandish platters of that veal scaloppine and apportion shared plates, then lavish it all with showers of Parmesan before unobtrusively filling your wineglass. The late Carmine Smeraldo founded the original power dining powerhouse on First Avenue; his sons and wife burnished his luxurious legacy with the second location in downtown Bellevue, which feels more wholly itself than even the original. The menu—rich rigatoni bolognese, hefty steaks and chops—rings familiar, but there’s plenty of nuance in these time-tested dishes, like a delicate pesto coating fat prawns atop fettuccine or a peppery snap to the cioppino.

This pastoral white cafe excels at brunch, pizza, layer cakes, and the general ability to comfort you with seasonal food. The menu looks fairly straightforward, but smoked turkey sandwiches, pistachio meatloaf, pancakes—even just an order of fries—demonstrate a ton of care. The unassuming location has limited seating, but honed its curbside takeout skills during the depths of the pandemic.

Chef Ajay Panicker makes destination-worthy South Indian food, from ample dosas to spiced whole fish wrapped in a banana leaf to rice noodle bundles known as idiyappam, or string hoppers. Pay special attention to starred menu items, the entire “Dosas and Kerala Specials” section, and the housemade jackfruit ice cream.

Sushi titan Shiro Kashiba partnered with his longtime apprentice, Jun Takai, to give the Eastside its very own flagship of capital-S Serious sushi. Kashiba lent his name and celeb status (and makes the occasional cameo to say hi in the dining room), but this food is absolutely chef Jun’s. The omakase at his 10-seat sushi bar contains more courses than the one available in the dining room; both make liberal use of aged fish and a dash of whimsy in courses like soup or octopus karaage. Drink pairings range from luxe Grower Champagne (did we mention “takai” also means “expensive” in Japanese?) to a very thoughtful NA sequence of teas.

The meaty lunchboxes here are good, but Yeon Lee, who also runs Underground Kitchen in Federal Way and previously had Yeon’s Chicken in Kirkland, specializes in crisp and crushable chicken wings. They’re great unadorned or in a sticky sauce that packs stealth heat. No need to choose; you can place a half-and-half order.

A no-frills walk-up counter serves nearly 60 varieties of Japanese-style sandos, each cut into two crustless halves, neatly wrapped in a cellophane triangle. The choices (from BLT to okonomiyaki to rum raisin custard, all on the fluffiestbread) can boggle the mind. But know this: the top row of the display cases contains Tres’s top sellers. The pork katsu and anything involving the dainty egg salad offer a great starting point.

In upscale 180-seat dining room marked by wooden lanterns, high-backed booths, and a preponderance of citrusy cocktails, chef Danna Hwang’s menu starts with Cantonese flavors, then moves in unexpected directions like mushu tacos. Vivienne’s showstopper is the Forbidden Roast Duck platter, a five-spiced bird with crackling skin that arrives with monogrammed bao buns.

The chalkboard reads more like the menu at a seasonal small-plates restaurant than a taco trailer in a coffee shop parking lot. Garlicky broccoli, brussels sprouts with carrots, and zucchini-corn-tomato tacos pack just as much flavor as the saucy meats on the opposite side of the 10-item menu that features only the homey, stew-filled tacos de guisado.