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When it opens on Friday, June 15, Ascend Prime Steak & Sushi will take the region to new dining heights- literally. Located on the 31st floor of the Lincoln Square South Tower, the expansive floor-to-ceiling, all-glass restaurant offers panoramic, 360-degree views of downtown Bellevue and Seattle, Lake Washington, the Cascade Range, and the Olympic Mountains.
The modern architecture and stylish interiors at Ascend Prime were designed to highlight an array of sensory experiences to showcase the jaw-dropping scenery. Entering off the elevators, guests encounter an alluring lounge where they can sip a cocktail at the bar, by one of the indoor fire pits or on the outdoor patio.
Walking westward, guests discover the dramatic sushi bar, and the eye-catching, custom wood-fired grill that injects the energy of the kitchen into the restaurant. A sinuous wall of wine winds to the centerpiece of the Ascend Prime- a multi-level dining room with an unmatched view of the Seattle skyline creating a sensational experience.
Ascend Prime has built a top-notch team to execute the food, drink and service, assembled from Seattle, Florida, Rhode Island and Las Vegas.
Kevin Hee, Culinary Director (l) | Sean Mayhew, Executive Chef (r)
Kevin is the director of culinary development for Ascend Prime and the vision behind the menu. Kevin started in the culinary industry in Hawaii working for Sam Choy and later worked for Michael Mina restaurants in Las Vegas and Detroit for 9 years and was the opening chef for Gordon Ramsay Steak.
Sean came to Seattle from Las Vegas in 2017 and served as an advising chef on the opening of Lincoln South Food Hall. Prior, he was chef de cuisine for Gordon Ramsay, executive chef for Michael Mina at Aria at City Center, chef de cuisine at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess and sous chef at Charlie Trotters at the Palazzo.
Derek Bugge, Executive Sous Chef (l) | Marta Eimer, Pastry Chef (r)
A Pacific Northwest native, Derek was the executive chef for the opening of 2120 restaurant in Downtown Seattle, 99 Park in Bellevue, and chef de cuisine at Frank’s Oyster House and Pair in the Ravenna neighborhood.
Marta, a recent Seattle transplant, moved from Rhode Island where she held restaurant pastry chef positions and received her associate degree in Baking and Pastry Arts from Johnson & Wales University.
Yuki Ieto, Executive Sushi Chef (l) | James Saito, Sushi Sous (r)
Yuki was most recently a chef/partner at Pubbelly Sushi Brickell in Miami Beach. He previously held the post of executive sushi chef at Sushisamba in Las Vegas and sushi chef at Okada at the Wynn Las Vegas.
James worked at Seattle’s most esteemed sushi spots: Sushi Kashiba, Miyabi Sushi, Tamura Sushi Kappo, Chiso, Kisaku Sushi and Nijo Sushi Bar and Grill.
Brandon Rastok, Beverage Director (l) | Fred Cruz, Bar Manager (r)
Brandon holds his Advanced Sommelier Certification from the Court of Master Sommeliers, USA. He was the sommelier/assistant beverage director at Osteria la Spiga on Capitol Hill and service captain and sommelier at John Howie Steak in Bellevue.
Fred was the general manager at Peony in Bellevue and spent many years as the bar manager at Din Tai Fung.
Michael Rico, General Manager (l) | Rachel Lloyd, Private Dining Manager (r)
Seattle restaurant professional, Michael Rico, leads the front of house operations for Ascend Prime. Michael opened and worked as a manager at El Gaucho from 1996-2004. In his final year he served as the cultural liaison to all 5 stores. In addition, Michael was the maitre d’ at Loulay in 2014 and general manager at Seattle’s Sushi Kashiba from 2015-2017.
Rachel oversees the multiple private dining spaces at Ascend Prime. Most recently, she was the director of catering sales for John Howie Catering where she was responsible for developing existing and new catering business.
