Brunch has arrived on the Eastside. This is no ordinary brunch, by any means. Ascend Prime Steak & Sushi has originated and crafted elevated dishes exceedingly worthy of the meal time that encompasses breakfast and lunch.

The midday meal at Bellevue’s Ascend Prime is served every Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 2 pm on the 31^st floor of Lincoln Square South. On clear days, the sun floods through the floor-to-ceiling windows backlighting the panoramic view of the Seattle skyline, the Cascade Mountains, Mt. Rainier, and Lake Washington. You’ll want to linger over your food while enjoying the vista.

“Scenery like we have in Ascend’s dining room drew me to the Pacific Northwest,” says Dyawan O’Rear, senior sous chef for the restaurant and lead chef for brunch service. “We are located in a beautiful building, inside a beautiful dining room, and we serve beautiful food.”

This beautiful food — inspired by several brunch classics, and made mostly from local ingredients — was designed for guests to share. Priced per diner, the menu prices fall into two different tiers, and each includes a pastry basket, anmitsu (a Japanese fruit dish), fresh juice and coffee. Individuals may choose two entrees for $72 or three for $86.

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.

O’Rear reveals this familiar fare contains confit chicken thighs, which make the dish juicier and more flavorful, and a malted milk waffle, then finished with whipped butter and pure maple and hot honey syrup. Fruitopia pancakes are a spin on cinnamon rolls, a staple at most brunches, but these are plated with your choice of fresh berries or brûléed bananas, he says. A hearty dish that covers all the brunch basics, Lardon, Hash & Eggs, showcases crispy braised pork belly, layered with ube potato hash, and topped with tonkotsu broth poached eggs.

Let’s not forget Ascend Prime’s twist on the new member of the brunch family, avocado toast. Avocado Crostino comprises watermelon radish, crispy chickpeas, foam extracted from sweet corn, and toast.

Although many more menu items exist, shedding light on O’Rear’s pride and joy, It’s Raining Bacon, must be included.

O’Rear never got to taste pork bacon in his youth, instead he was served turkey bacon. But he heard others say, “bacon is great” and “everything is better with bacon” and he wondered what the fuss was about. After moving to the Northwest, he encountered “billionaire bacon (beef).”

“That spurred me to research the different types of bacon,” he says, “And I became a fan.”

It’s Raining Bacon, which can be ordered as a supplement, includes lamb belly bacon, pork belly bacon, and beef belly bacon, each served with a different syrup inspired by the chef’s taste for sweets.

No brunch would be complete without the right cocktails and mocktails for pairing with the sweet and savory offerings.

“We offer creative cocktails that play well with our entrees,” says O’Rear. “Each one was crafted by our mixologists to balance uniqueness with familiarity in flavors and concepts.”

A full-on appetizer caps the Ascend Bloody Mary while the White Sangria infuses creamy sherry and Kalani coconut liquor with June peach liquor and Sauvignon Blanc.

Taking the brunch experience to yet another level, Ascend also just announced “High Notes,” its new monthly brunch series occurring the first Saturday of each month from 10:30am-1:30pm. High Notes pairs the elevated brunch menu and atmosphere with live, local musical performances, starting Saturday, March 2 with Violinist Trevor Owens with more to come.

For this one-of-a-kind experience, don’t hesitate. Reserve your table now by visiting www.ascendprime.com.