Surrounded by bounty of the Puget Sound and the lush farmland just beyond the city limits, Bellevue is a culinary paradise with over 400 multicultural restaurants and eateries. With top notch purveyors, like the community of wild mushroom foragers, or the oyster and wild salmon fishermen, Bellevue's food scene is deeply rooted in the ingredients that define the northwest. Attracting chefs who have traveled the world to hone their craft, the foodscape is a vibrant fusion of cuisines from every corner of the world to spotlight the very best the region has to offer. Dive in and meet the culinary stars who are leading Bellevue's dining revolution.
CHEF JOHN HOWIE
An inspiration in the Bellevue food scene, Chef John Howie owns several acclaimed eateries in Bellevue and the region. If you get him talking about mushroom foraging or the salmon foodways in the region, he's got stories for days. An icon to local chefs, Chef Howie began his culinary adventure at 15 in Bellevue in the back of house, and quickly climbed his way up the ranks working for acclaimed restaurants in the region.
At the core, Chef Howie is a philanthropist who is passionate about community giving and supporting local nonprofits. Behind each one of his endeavors, Chef Howie has contributed well over $10 million in goods and services to support local causes. Historically, Chef Howie closes his Seastar restaurant during Thanksgiving to serve about 650 people in need since 2002. His generosity during the pandemic closures are distinctly heartwarming, providing grocery boxes for his teams that were laid off during the stay-at-home sanctions.
Chef Howie was nominated Outstanding Restauranteur by the James Beard Foundation and was invited to cook as a guest chef at the James Beard House on five separate occasions. You might also catch him on TV as a highly sought-after culinary expert in national media, such as The Today Show, Martha Stewart Living, the Food Network, and the like.
In 2002, John Howie brought an innovative seafood concept to Bellevue with Seastar Restaurant & Raw Bar. With lavish raw bar and a menu that carries as much legacy as it does seafood, Seastar's wine program features 750+ wines and has carried the prestigious Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence for the past 15 years.
John Howie Steak is an iconic destination as far as classic old-school steakhouses go. With an emphasis on local, seasonal products, meat-master chef John Howie is known for his rare and limited-availability steaks. This is also where you'll find the biggest whiskey selection in the region.
Located adjacent to John Howie Steak, Whiskey by John Howie offers global selections of well done whiskies with something for everyone. With a dark and intimate atmosphere, this spot serves a killer happy hour and a Wagyu Nachos dish that is a must.
CHEF JASON WILSON
A genius in the kitchen and an expert in the bounty of the Pacific Northwest, Chef Jason Wilson is a James Beard Award winner for Best Northwest Chef. His dreams of cooking began in Hawaii with a 100-pound ahi tuna at a crisp 19 years old. That moment set his life on a trajectory into the culinary arts, a dream come true. Since then, he has cooked in kitchens in France, California, and Singapore, with an unwavering focus on highlighting the best local ingredients, with good consciousness.
An entrepreneur at heart, Chef Jason Wilson has left his mark on the regional food scene with endeavors such as Cedar + Elm restaurant at The Lodge at St. Edward State Park, which he launched in 2021, the previous Miller's Guild in downtown Seattle, the former and critically-acclaimed Crush, as executive chef and product developer for Coffee Flour, the next global superfood and global impact food, and much more.
Outside the kitchen, Chef Wilson is a fan of traveling, spending time with his family, and enjoying the cold-weather sports that surround Bellevue in the wintertime, whether it's hockey or hitting the slopes for snowboarding.
Chef Jason Wilson opened the doors to The Lakehouse in 2017, bringing to life his vision for a lake house where guests are entertained through the rich history and story of Bellevue. From a farming community to summer homes and lake houses, to a growing epicenter and modern hub of tech, arts and culture. Sourcing the highest quality seasonal ingredients from Northwest and American farmers, producers and fisherman, Jason's made many connections with industry buffs in the region to put forth his signature interpretation of a Northwest farmhouse on a menu. And the artisan craftmanship is reflected in the dishes.
A couple of floors below lives Civility & Unrest, a contemporary speakeasy that sets a high bar in the Pacific Northwest's cocktail and mocktail scene. There are two distinct vibes between the open concept front and back bar, which are back-to-back and centered around a glowing display of spirits. Civility vibes and unrest vibes. It might be a good idea to make a reservation, especially on the nights with live music.
CHEF CLARA GUTIERREZ CARROLL
With over 20 years of chef experience, Chef Clara Gutierrez Carroll learned her chops growing up on a farm, in a restaurant family, in the region of Castilla in central Spain. Imagine bodegas in century old caves, where you eat tablas, or tapas, on boards. There, she grew up around a grain and pig farm, learning every step of the process. From harvesting grains to making sunflower seed oil to curing Jamon Serrano that are left to cure for up to three years. After earning a BA in International Business & Trade in Madrid, Clara traveled through Europe.
She speaks Spanish, French, German, and came to the United States to learn English while teaching in Issaquah. She fell in love, with her now husband, and with the beauty of our natural surroundings, and so she stayed and she slayed. She started catering, for VIPs like the King and Queen of Spain, and became a figure in the local food industry. Read more about it in Seattle Dining.
Chef Clara opened Castilla Restaurant & Tapas Bar in 2019, using the bounty of the Pacific Northwest. As you enter, the warmth of the large hearth oven fills spacious restaurant. Chef Clara has brought the flavors and vibes of her home in Castilla, Spain to life in downtown Bellevue, with over 40 different tapas on the menu. You can see the Serrano and Bellota Iberico hams, freshly sliced off the display. The rustic flatbreads come directly from the hearth oven in the corner, and the Saffron and Seafood rich paella delivers nostalgia, of travels in Spain.
The Spanish and Northwest wines on the menu compliment the "choose-your-own-adventure" Gin and Tonic menu. You can select from exotic fruits, artisan tonics, and more. The bar area has a lovely farm table, cut from a single northwest pine tree.
CHEF JUN TAKAI
Master Sushi Chef Jun Takai grew up working as a young fishmonger for his uncle’s fish markets in Kyoto, Japan. Equipped with learnings in the fish industry, he headed to Tokyo and Yokohoma to study at sushi restaurants.
In 2000, Seattle's master sushi chef Shiro Kashiba went to Japan on a recruiting trip and and recruited him. Chef Shiro made a monumental impact on the Seattle food scene.
Chef Jun was a star apprentice under Chef Shiro for ten years, working at Shiro's Sushi, which is the 1st Edomae sushi restaurant in Seattle. After achieving master sushi chef status, he stayed close to master Kashiba and worked his magic at I Love Sushi in Bellevue.
When it came time for the next endeavor, Chef Shiro Kashiba and his son, Edwin, and his head apprentice Chef Jun came together to present a new restaurant that delivers a legacy of dedication to sushi-craft, here in Bellevue.
Takai by Kashiba offers an intimate omakase experience in the beautifully designed space. Behind the sushi bar, Master Chef Jun Takai astutely stands with his sushi chefs next to freshly made sushi rice, in preparation for the Edo-mae style omakase dinner service. The small and elegant space is well lit, with floor to ceiling windows facing Bellevue Way.
The evening will begin with a sake cup, a traditional welcome offering to guests of honor, before Takai begins to tailor each omakase experience to the sushi bar patrons. Kanpai. Omakase is Japanese for “I leave it up to you,” entrusting the chef to guide you through the night. You’re in for a treat.
...Each guest's experience is fully bespoke, as Chef Takai and his sushi chefs prepare nigiri after nigiri. Keep reading >
CHEF GAURAV CHAWLA
Chef Gaurav Chawala is a molecular gastronomist who studied under India's culinary icons Jiggs Kalra and Zorawar Kalra, who have been recognized as the "tastemaker to the nation." He started out as a med student, then got into hotel management, where he earned his degree - and that's where discovered his passion for the culinary arts. He became consumed by the interplay of science in the kitchen. He was tapped by the Kalra's for head chef of Farzi Cafe since the day it opened in India, and made the nation's cuisine vouge. Since then, they've expanded across the nation and to Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, London (where it earned its Michelin-star), and Bellevue as it's first United States location. Today, he's in the kitchen behind the ornate Farzi Cafe on Bellevue Way, creating innovative gastronomic cuisine that packs a punchy and delicious mouthful of flavor. The mocktail and cocktail selection is also top tier.
CHEF BOBBY MOORE
Chef Bobby Moore led Woodinville’s iconic Barking Frog to critical acclaim, bringing to the table a passion for delight via shared meal experiences risen to the level of culinary excellence. He began cutting his teeth at 15, building relationships with the community of local foragers, gardeners, and winemakers of Washington. His fiery passion and hard work led to him climbing the hierarchical ladder from back waiter to Sous Chef mentored by Executive Chef Monique Barbeau. Chef Bobby now heads the Bis on Main legacy, where he exceeds in fresh, local resourcing and hospitality as someone you’d always want to be friends with.
CHEF KAORU CHANG
La Mar Bellevue’s Executive Chef Kaoru Chang is an award-winning, progressive culinary professional with over 19 years of direct experience in establishments that include a James Beard-awarded restaurant and several fine dining concepts including the globally recognized Japanese fine dining concept, Nobu.
“As a third-generation Nikkei [Peruvian of Japanese heritage], I look forward to sharing the exceptional diversity of my country’s traditional cuisine, which has been shaped by Incan, Spanish, Chinese and Japanese traditions over many centuries,” said Kaoru Chang, executive chef of La Mar Bellevue. “La Mar’s menu will reflect the global influence and melting pot of flavors in Peru, while also incorporating elements of the bounty found right here in the Pacific Northwest.”
Prior to completing his culinary training at Le Cordon Bleu, Kaoru Chang spent a decade traveling the world with his family, living in countries ranging from the Dominican Republic to the United Kingdom. His decision to pursue his lifelong passion of becoming a chef landed him a position at the world-renowned Nobu Restaurant Group in Miami Beach, Florida. During his time at Nobu, Chef Chang was part of the opening team of Nobu Mexico and collaborated at Nobu events in countries such as St. Lucia and throughout the United States. With this invaluable experience in fine dining and Japanese techniques obtaining at Nobu, Chef Chang then joined the Juvia Miami Beach team as their Corporate Chef.
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