Chef-Owner, Kamonegi; Seattle, WA

Mutsuko Soma is chef-owner of Kamonegi and Hannyatou in Seattle where she specializes in the production of handmade soba noodles, sake, and fermented foods. Her childhood was spent in Tochigi, Japan, watching eagerly as her grandmother made noodles from their homegrown rice and buckwheat. Her love for noodles stuck with her as she moved to the states to attend California State University, Northridge in 2001 and then later graduated from the Art Institute of Seattle. She honed her skills at some of the best restaurants in Seattle, including Harvest Vine, Saito, and Chez Shea and then in 2009 enrolled in an intensive soba making course in Japan where she learned everything from its history to the buckwheat milling process. Three years later, Soma returned to the United States and opened the Japanese gastropub Miyabi 45th in Seattle, featuring her handmade noodles. She left in 2016 to take care of her newborn child while sharing her skills in pop-up dinners and classes. Her highly anticipated soba restaurant, Kamonegi, opened its doors in 2017. Hannyatou, an izakaya with a focus on sake and fermented foods, quickly followed in 2019 just two doors down. Both establishments continue to capture Seattle's interest in and commitment to authentic Japanese culture in the Pacific Northwest. Mutsuko Soma is a certified sake sommelier (kikizakeshi), has passed the WSET level III, and is also a certified shochu advisor. She was recognized as one of Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs in 2019 and has received two James Beard award nominations. @somamutsuko