Our Story

Staff

We work as a dynamic team and strive for excellence in all that we do. At Wild Ginger our staff and our principles create a unique culture…

Jake Kosseff

Jake Kosseff
Director of Operations
Wild Ginger + The Triple Door

Jake Kosseff joined us last fall and now assumes the role of Company Wine Director for our three establishments: the Wild Ginger, the Wild Ginger at the Bravern and the Triple Door.
From humble beginnings in the restaurant business, Jake has become an important figure for both restaurants and wine collectors across the country.

While growing up in Madison, Wisconsin, Jake was introduced to restaurant work at the tender age of 12 years old – filling in at as a busboy at a friend’s father’s Italian restaurant.  Since then, he has never held a job outside of the restaurant industry. In 1995, Jake graduated from St. John’s College in Annapolis, Maryland with a BA in Philosophy, Classical Languages, History of Mathematics and the Philosophy of Science. 

From Madison, Jake moved to Seattle, Washington, the city he now calls home, in 1999.  Following short stints as the Beverage Director at The Blowfish Asian Café and for Six Degrees Restaurants, Jake became the Wine & Spirits Director for Chef Kerry Sear’s Cascadia Restaurant in 2000.  While at Cascadia Restaurant, Jake developed a local and national following based on excellent wine service and his critically acclaimed selection of outstanding wines from small producers.

In 2005 Jake became the Wine & Spirits Director for Campagne and Café Campagne in the Pike Place Market.  During this time Campagne’s wine program blossomed into one of the most comprehensive and interesting French wine programs on the west coast, winning numerous awards, including the “Best of Award of Excellence” from the Wine Spectator.

Jake has consulted on some of the most successful wine programs in Seattle.  Wine lists that Jake has written have won in the wine list category in the Best of CitySearch awards 3 years running:  for Crush in 2005 (audience winner), for Campagne in 2006 (audience and critics winner), and for Qube in 2007 (audience winner).  In August, 2007, Jake decided to pursue consulting fulltime: restaurant clients have included Qube, Crush, Yarrow Bay Grill and The Beach Café at the Point.   Jake is also a wine writer, published in Seattle Homes & Lifestyles and Seattle Magazine.

Jake is the 2006 Chaîne des Rôtisseurs “Best Young Sommelier in America” and has been accepted to sit for the Master Sommelier Diploma.  Jake has won numerous awards and recognitions including: Sommelier for Seattle Metropolitan’s “Restaurant Dream Team” (2006), and Seattle Magazine’s “Best Sommelier” (2007). 
jake@wildginger.net
Jen Engles-Klann

Jen Engles-Klann
General Manager

At Wild Ginger our dining rooms are run by Captains, dynamic supervisors who blend the roles of managers and servers. Our Captains quietly manage the restaurant by directing their teams of servers, bussers and runners while pulling double duty opening wines, seating guests and troubleshooting almost every other issue that pops up. Jen “Eagle-Claw", as she is affectionately called, is our lead Captain. In addition to managing the dining room, Jen takes on training duties for all new members of the service staff. That training includes food education, something Jen is passionate about since she is allergic to several items on the menu – fish, soy, nuts, to name a few.

She has been on staff at the Wild Ginger for nearly five years, and is passionate about her work. She believes that each guest is truly important and works to maintain that philosophy within her staff. When it comes to service Jen leads by example, some of her most notable highlights in the above and beyond category: finding an eyeglass repair kit from the drugstore across the street and a borrowed wheel chair from Benaroya Hall during an emergency.

Her partner and three-year old son live with her in West Seattle, where she keeps a wine cellar and continues to study for her Sommelier certification.  When she’s not running a floor with up to 850 guests a night, Jen is rocking the mic. She can be found behind her turntable at The Musicquarium or a private party ‘spinning’ hip hop music on her collection of vinyl under the name DJ H20.
Mat Hayward

Mat Hayward
Wild Ginger at The Bravern General Manager

Mat Hayward grew up in the Pacific Northwest restaurant industry.  At 15 he was washing dishes and by 25 he was the General Manager at McGrath’s Fish House where he worked over 20 years opening numerous restaurants up the I-5 corridor starting in Eugene, OR and landing at his home in South Everett.
 
Mat joined the Wild Ginger team in 2010 and spent his first year with the company as Manager at the Seattle location.  He transferred to Bellevue as Assistant General Manager in November of 2011 and was quickly promoted to General Manager.  Mat loves to meet and learn about new people, and the restaurant business has always been a natural fit.  “Wild Ginger at the Bravern feels like home and I couldn’t be more happy to be here!”

Mat married his wife Lea on April 1, 2000 (getting married on April Fools Day is indicative of his sense of humor).  Together they have two beautiful daughters Savannah and Sophie.  Mat is an avid photographer.  His camera has taken him as far as East Africa - where he was visited by a lion pride at his tent, to the sidelines of Century Link field for Seahawks games and backstage at countless rock concerts.  His photography can be viewed at www.MHWildlife.com.
Cortney Lease

Cortney Lease
Company Wine Director:
Wild Ginger + The Triple Door

Cortney graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in Chemistry and a minor in Dance. Cortney began her wine career upon moving to Cambridge, England in 2005, with a job as a Wine Advisor at Odd Bins.  Cortney took the Wine Spirit Education Trust’s intermediate and advanced exams in London, passing both with Distinction.

Cortney made her way back to Seattle and pursued a job at the company for which she had worked in college, Wild Ginger and The Triple Door.  She accepted the position of Cellar Master in 2007; company Cellar Master in 2009 with the opening of Wild Ginger at the Bravern, then Wine Director for Wild Ginger Seattle and The Triple Door in 2010.  In that time, Wild Ginger Seattle was awarded the Grand Award by Wine Spectator in 2009, 2010, and 2011, along with Wine Enthusiast’s Award of Ultimate Distinction and the Washington Wine Commission’s Grand Award for all three restaurants.  With 2012 came yet another opportunity, as Cortney took over the reins of the entire company wine program from Director of Operations Jake Kosseff.

Cortney has been studying for the Court of Master Sommeliers examinations.  Passing both the Introductory and Certified exams, she was selected for a tour of Australia through the Court and Wines of Australia in 2011.  Currently Cortney is planning to sit for the Advanced exam in 2012, and desires to one day combine her love for wine and her degree in Chemistry to make her own wine.
Brad Yoshitomi

Brad Yoshitomi
Kitchen Liaison Manager

Every restaurant has that one person who holds it all together – the one, who knows where to find electrical tape when you need it, or source a new fish for the kitchen or keep track of the glassware, dishes and silverware. At Wild Ginger, Brad is that man. He knows where things are or at least where they should be. Affectionately called ‘Yoshi’ by his co-workers, Brad’s day entails a lot of walking through 5 floors of kitchens,storerooms and dining rooms at both Wild Ginger and The Triple Door. He is the liaison between the predominately Cantonese-speaking kitchen and the mostly English-speaking front-of-the-house staff.

Born and raised in Seattle, Brad has always had a passion for great food and customer service. That led him to Wild Ginger, where he has worked for fourteen years. Best thing about his job? The ability to progress through the organization and find new ways to contribute. Brad has been a server, floor manager, and now happily sits in his current role as jack-of-all-trades. House-made curries with fresh coconut milk are his favorite dishes on the menu and his wife and 3 children love it when he brings home noodles and panko chicken. Following in his footsteps on a quest for great food, the whole family can often be found gracing one of the big booths in the dining room at Wild Ginger for a family meal.

Isaac Norbe

Isaac Norbe
Wild Ginger Private Event Sales Manager

Isaac is part event planner, part décor specialist, and part jack-of-all-trades. He manages event sales for private groups in the restaurant and catered events on the outside. And by outside catering we mean Walla Walla, Gig Harbor, or an office across the street. Isaac likes a challenge, so it’s a good thing there’s no shortage of unpredictability with group sales.

Isaac graduated from the University of Washington with a double major in geography and political science, and while in school, worked the front desk hosting at Wild Ginger.  He lives on Capitol Hill, where he often entertains friends at home.  Unlike the productions he helps create at work, home entertaining need only be a good gin martini and and the perfect playlist (guests optional). His favorite party mood-music?  Gotan Project.

Katie Korish

Katie Korish
Human Resources Coordinator

You can’t help but notice Katie’s desk when you are upstairs in the Wild Ginger office. It’s the one with the hamster cages and pink boxing gloves. Don’t mess with Human Resources!

Katie is the HR Coordinator, which puts her in charge of overseeing all the ins and outs of employee recruiting, healthcare, and payroll. She also oversees donations and employee events. HR at Wild Ginger presents unique challenges for Katie; she is the go-to person for both the Cantonese and the English speaking staff.

Katie has worked with a Puget Sound area EMT crew and will eventually try out for the fire department—just the kind of determination needed to manage the needs of nearly 300 employees.
Seattle

1401 Third Avenue
Seattle, WA 98101
206.623.4450

Bellevue

11020 NE 6th St. Ste 90
Bellevue, WA 98004
425.495.8889

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